Said to be one (if not the) most isolated island in the world…with a moniker like that, I had to make this high on my list of cool places to visit.

This was my first big trip after returning to the US, so I definitely picked a place worth waiting for.  My vacation included other locations also, but this post is going to highlight a small island with a huge personality.

Usually, everyone visits Easter Island to see the nearly 900 Moai, which are huge stone statues/monuments created during the 13th to 16th centuries.  The Moai come in various shapes and sizes, but the general structure is the same, with the heads being about 2/3 of the overall size…and they are magical to stand before.

Most of the island belongs to the Rapa Nui National Park so the stone statues (to include the stone chicken coops and watering hole structures) are all protected.  Upon landing and entering the airport, there is a counter everyone must pass on the left that sells the National Park passes.  You can visit all the locations on the pass as many times as you like, except the Orongo Villiage in the South of the island and the quarry in the East…those two locations can only be explored once during your visit.

Here are some highlights from the trek around the island:

Hanga Roa- the only “town” on the island.

*Don’t forget to make a visit to the post office.  Postcards are sold everywhere and there who can pass up an opportunity to get mail from Easter Island?  Plus, if you bring your passport, the post office workers will give you a novelty Easter Island stamp!

Just a few mins NE of the town there are lots of trails to walk and open landscapes to enjoy.  The site of Ahu Akivi is a beautiful location with seven Moai in pretty good condition.  Also, it is one of the few sites where the Moai face the ocean…in most other locations the Moai face inland.

One the NE edge of the island is the beach site of Anakena.  This is a beautiful white sand beach that flows into perfect turquoise water with a row of Moai in the background.  If I had one more day on Easter Island, I would have loved spending a lazy day here.

As you round the Eastern corner of the island, you get to see some great locations.  The quarry location is called Rano Raraku.  Here you can easily see Moai that were in the process of being carved out.  Once a Moai was removed from the mountain, it slid into an indentation in the ground to stand them up so that the back carvings could be worked on.  Then, they made their way down the mountain and off to their various locations.

(It may be difficult to see…but in the picture above, there is a line of people looking at a Moai that has been outlined in the rock bed, but not free.  Our guide stated that this sleeping Moai would be about as tall as a three-story building.  Definitely, the largest one we saw!)

Tongariki was the best place to see the sunrise.  If you are so inclined, this location opened up super early and is the largest collection of Moai on one platform…awesome to see as the sun rises behind it.

Rano Kau is an extinct volcano crater lake on the Southern tip of the island.  You can hike right up to the edge and see the crater lake, which is rich in organisms that have been studied medicinally.

Orongo is the village and visitor center which shows what life was like during the “Birdman” era, long after the Moai were no longer being made.  I won’t go into the full history of the Birdman competition, but if you have some time, look it up!

I could post every picture from this amazing place, but realistically, I encourage you to go in person.  The people are super friendly, the town is walkable, the food is delicious and the pace is perfect.  (Just make sure you are prepared for a daily tropical shower and have provisions to deal with the harsh sun…there is very little shade if you are out exploring.!)