For these giant statues, I flew 15,000 kilometers
Coming to Easter Island is like fulfilling a dream. This lonely island in the vast sea is really in the middle of nowhere, more than 3,000 kilometers away from mainland Chile. It takes 5 hours by plane, and even the tickets are hard to buy, so it's not easy to make a trip here.
The island is very small, it takes only half an hour to drive from south to north, there are not many rich products and unique landscapes, it can be said to be a plain volcanic island.
We stayed on the island for 5 days and 4 nights, which was plenty of time. Now in spring, the daylight hours are long, 3-4 days are enough to see most of the attractions on the island.
🟨Let's highlight a few points🟨
🟡Rano Raraku Quarry
The largest and most interesting place, the Moai statues scattered all over the mountains are half buried in the ground, which is the most famous postcard scenery of Easter Island. You need a guide to enter, and you can only enter once.
🟡Tongariki 15 statues by the sea
15 statues facing the sea and the sun, it is the best place to watch the sunrise, you need a guide.
🟡Anakena Seaside Statue Ahu Nau Nau
A row of hat-wearing statues by the sea, very well preserved, no tickets or guides are needed, you can go by yourself.
🟡Ahu Tahai The only statue with eyes
This is the best place on the island to watch the sunset, and there is also a statue with eyes. Free attraction without tickets and guides.
🟫3-day tour itinerary🟫
🟤Day 1
After arriving at noon, you can directly rent a car to Anakena Beach and Ahu Tahai to watch the sunset in the afternoon. Both are free attractions. When we went in November, the sunset was close to nine o'clock in the evening, so there was plenty of time.
🟤Day 2
Find a guide to customize a one-day tour. First go to Tongariki to watch the sunrise, then go to Rano Raraku Quarry, Ahu Akivi (the only 7 statues facing the sea), Orongo Birdman Competition Site, Rano Kau Volcano Crater. These are the most classic and important attractions. There are also others such as the statue hat factory, Vaihu indigenous village, etc. that you can go to.
The tour is about 7 hours, if you watch the sunrise, it ends around two o'clock. You can stroll on the main street in the afternoon, and you can watch the performance or sign up for the star-watching group at night.
🟤Day 3
You can go horse riding in the morning, you can ride to the highest point of the island to overlook, about 2-3 hours, after finishing, have a meal and catch the 3 o'clock flight back to Santiago.