Easter Island - Rapa Nui

Easter Island (or Rapa Nui) lies in the Pacific Ocean, nearly 3700 km. to the west of the Chilean coast. This is the most famous and mysterious of Chilean islands. Geographically and culturally belongs not to America, but to Polynesia. This is the most remote island on the planet, because the nearest inhabited place is situated in 2500 km. from him.

Easter Island or Rapa Nui, as the locals call it - is of volcanic origin. The origins of the ancient culture of Rapa Nui is still unknown to science, and a number of existing versions and suppositions can not give answers to all the riddles posed by the world of Easter Island. The main mystery of the island - is the origin of the giant stone moai statues, standing with the back to the sea in different places of Rapa Nui. You can visit volcanoes, is a cult centers of the ancient inhabitants of the island, to see their petroglyphs and other traces of a vanished culture. The entire population of Easter Island lives in the village of Hanga Roa. On the island there are hotels and all tourist amenities. Beautiful subtropical climate and beautiful beaches with warm ocean are available all year-round. The island is accessible only by planes of Chilean airline Lanchile, several times a week, doing the the flights from Santiago.

Places visited by the tourists:
Ahu Vinapu - the church in which sculptures resemble stonework of the Incas - proofs that the first inhabitants of the island were people from South America.

Rano Kau - Volcano - one of most interesting sight on Easter Island.

Orongo city - home in the city, made of stone lighthouses, were restored, and the rock that surrounds the city, remained intact. Pictures of people-birds are cut out (Tangata Manu, Tha Manu Tara, Makemake).

Ahu Tahai - fortress, restored in the late 60's by the American archaeologist William Mullou. This temple is 7 th century is the oldest architectural structure on the island, which represents 3 different types of gravestones (ahu): Ahu Ko Te Riky (a huge statue (moai) weighing 20 tons with a symbolic stone on his head, 690 AD ), Ahu Vai Uki (group of 5 statues) and Ahu Tahai.

Rano Raraku - a quarry, in which all the statues (moai) carved out of soft tufa of the volcano. The height of many sculptures up to 6 m and they weigh several tons. Deceased family members are usually laid in a crypt under the statue.

Ahu Akahanga - a plate, which is a long stone pillar with 4 fallen statues, a place which according to legend is the grave of one of the first king of the island Hoto Matua. Ahu Tongariki - the largest gravestone ever built on the island, was destroyed by the tsunami in 1960, then re-restored and now all 15 statues are standing together in a row.