Come early as it gets hot and there are less people.I had a guided tour and its so much better as you don't miss things since the written text is limited. I recommend a private tour - you get a lot more.
Breathtaking. Magical. Jaw-droping. Not enough words to describe this place, one of the most amazing that I have visited in my life. You can admire how the people of the island carved the moai. Advice: Go there at midday or in the afternoon, you'll get better light for your pictures.
It's a magical place to stroll around and let your mind go-however if you are a dog/horse lover beware there are very thin homeless dogs/horses all over the island-it's very sad and I had an issues with this.You can see the island in 3 nights, unless you dive then 4 nights is plenty. It's expensive, for food and there isn't anything to buy-basic junk.
This site is not to be missed. Absolutely amazing place to see both the island and also the moais before they reach their final destination. Great aerial view of Tongariki too. We didn't have a guide and used a hire car to get there which was easy as the roads are paved and not that busy. Signs were in English and easy to follow.
It's as if giants played here, sculpting heads and then leaving them lying about; in truth, the heads are only a part (one-third) of the rest of the sculpture that is underground and they were made not by giants but by people. One can read a different expression in each face and as the sun moves and the shadows too, the expressions change. There are scores of these figures, some with more than just the head visible - there's the kneeling Moai, the one lying down (around 21 metres!) and the one with the boat carving on its back. Say Hello to each one.
As the title suggests, this was my favourite site on the whole island! The famous Heads of Easter Island can be found here but you will quickly discover that its more than just heads, in fact the rest of the body is buried under surface! Quite remarkable! We found th best time for photos is mid to late afternoon. Note there are not much shade or benches to rest however there is a cafe outside the entrance for drinks and empanadas. Entry to this site requires a National Park ticket so make sure its purchased either at the Airport or in the town of Hanga Roa beforehand. Its worth a 2nd visit given its such a spectacular site but note that you will need to pay for 2nd National Park ticket to re-enter.. This is fair enough given that the money is needed for the conservation of this wonderful world heritage site!
After spending a couple hours looking at strewn, broken statues, I came across this wonder. It's magical. Seeing the moai in all stages of creation is breathtaking and worth the visit to Easter Island.
We visited this site after Orongo, Tahai, and the south coast. My father and I were blown away. You walk down paths with Moai all around. If you miss the tour buses (11am-2pm), you have the place to yourself and it is magical.
The quarry here is where all the Moai on the island were "born". It is amazing to see how the statues were carved right out of the rock, and even more amazing to realize how far some of them were transported across the island. Here, there are dozens of fascinating Moai, some with unique features.
This site is amazing! You need to produce a valid park ticket to gain entry. In February 2015 a Rapa Nui park ticket cost 30,000Ch and is valid for 5 days. This is very expensive compared to other National Parks in Chile. You must produce the ticket in order to gain entrance to this site and to the Birdman village site at the top of the crater just outside town.A word or two of caution. The site is exposed, there is little in the way of shade or shelter here and only a few benches to sit on. Herds of wild horse come through here too. We got caught in a heavy rain shower and were soaked. All that said the site is amazing! Turn right at the fork in the path for the heads.The Maoi heads were carved from the rock on the outside of the volcano. They are sunk into the earth up to half of their depth. You can see the excavations with half finished heads higher up and worth the climb.Retrace your steps to the fork in the path and take the other path to the crater. It is fairly easy walking except the last part. When I was there part of the top path was missing. Be aware of the herds of wild horses which use this path to gain access to the crater lake to drink, they come upon you pretty quickly! The inside of the crater is worth the climb! There is a lake surrounded by reeds and grassland. On the opposite grassy slope are more Maoi heads, according to the guidebook there are 80. When we visited the area with the heads was closed to tourists. Definitely worth a visit.By the entrance to the site was a cafe, toilets and small gift shop.