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World Heritage Site Pictures: Easter Island

Carved centuries ago from volcanic tuff, the huge stone statues of Easter Island are believed to embody the deified spirits of ancestors. But how were they erected? The question draws scientists and tourists alike to this remote World Heritage site.

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A Photo Guide to Easter Island

Jun 5, 2018

Ahu Tongaraki is normally a popular sunset spot on Easter Island, but I prefer to photograph it in the late afternoon when the light highlights the detail in the moai statues. 

This day could not be more perfect— blues skies, windows down and Jack Johnson on the radio.

The view is stunning—steep cliffs lined with moai statues hover over the Pacific Ocean. I slow the car down to let the wild horses cross the road. The tiny island is one of the most remote and unique places on the planet. It lies in the middle of the Pacific 2,290 miles from mainland Chile; the nearest inhabited island is 1,150 miles away. It’s only 14 miles wide and with an extinct volcano at each end of the island.

The history of Easter Island, known as Rapi Nui to the natives, is turbulent. Polynesians first discovered the island between the 4th and 8th century. They built the famous towering moai  statues on top of stone platforms called ahu. Tribal wars irrupted over land, and statues were toppled. A lack of resources from slash and burn agriculture techniques among other factors led to massive deforestation, which is still present today. The Dutch arrived on Easter day in 1722 and named it Easter Island, which is called Isla de Pascua in Spanish.

The island’s airport is the most remote in the world and has a fascinating history. It was built by the U.S. Air Force in 1966, which opened the island to tourism.  The runway was later widened by NASA as an abort site for the space shuttle allowing larger jets to land.

Rising seas, erosion and climate change are a major threat to the tiny island and make it important than ever to visit NOW.  Check out my detailed photo guide to the top sites including photography tips, logistics, costs and budget tips! This was one of my favorite parts of my four-month South America trip!

A series of trails wind through Rano Ranaku, the quarry where all the statues were made. 

History of the Moai Statues

Easter Island is famous for all the moai statues—gigantic carved figures made of volcanic rock lined up on platforms called ahus . The statues represent the ancestors of the Rapi Nui people and once overlooked a village site. Some statues have hats or topknots called pukao that resemble the hairstyle of the natives. All of the moai that are standing have been restored.

For a good history lesson, watch the NOVA PBS documentary on Easter Island before you go. It’s available on PBS  and YouTube.

Anakana was the sight of the first settlement on Easter Island, known as Rapi Nui to the native people. It’s the only white sand beach on the volcanic island.

National Park Tickets

The majority of the sites on Easter Island are part of Rapa Nui National Park. A ticket is required at every major site. Tickets are $80 or 54,000 Chilean pesos and available at the airport. Check the current exchange rate to see which is best. I saved $9 buy paying in USD. Tickets are valid for 10 days. You can only visit Ranu Raraku and Orongo Ceremonial Village once per ticket. The other sites allow multiple entries. You can pay by credit card but only in pesos. No drones are allowed on the island.

Park Hours Rano Raraku, Orongo, Anakena, Tahai, Ahu Akivi Monday & Wednesday 9:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Other days 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.

All other sites close at 6 p.m. and open at the same time above. Several of the sites are still visible from the road for photography outside these hours.

Wild horse roam at the base of the Rano Raraku volcanic crater. 

Top Sites On Easter Island

This is the only town on the island and it’s where all the accommodation, restaurants and nightlife are clustered. It’s also home to the anthropology museum, Museo Antropológico Sebastian Englert , which is the best place to start your trip to get an introduction to the culture and history. Admission is free.

Most tourism agencies, rental car centers and grocery stores are located along Avenue Atamu Tekena. There’s two banks in town with currency exchange ange ATMs. (Banco Estadio & Banco Santander). We used the Santander ATMs and had no issues with our Visa debit cards.

There’s a small swimming area in the town called Playa Pea . There’s no proper beach, but it’s a good place to cool off. There are a few restored moai scattered around the edges of town but are not as grand as others on the island.

Ahu Akapu with Ahu Tahai in background. Both sites are walking distance from Hanga Roa.

Ahu Tahai & Ahu Akapu

On the coast north of Hanga Roa is Ahu Tahai, which supports five moai.  There’s a lone moai with eyes on the adjacent cliff, Ahu Akapu. It’s a very popular sunset spot and an easy walk from town.

Best time for photography:  Sunset for a silhouette photo or early morning when the light highlights the details in the statues.

The gates at Ahu Tongariki opened just before sunrise, and there was a crowd of about 25 people waiting. The site is huge so it didn’t feel overcrowded when I visited in March. Crowds might be more of an issue in the peak season (Dec. to Feb.). 

Ahu Tongariki

The most popular sunrise spot is Ahu Tongariki, the largest ahu on the island with 15 statues. The scenery behind the 15 statues is breathtaking – the towering cliffs of Peninsula Poike. The sunrises directly behind the statues providing the famous silhouette photo. The moai have their backs to the water and face the ruins of an old village site. There are some petroglyphs near the far end of the site by the road. I personally prefer going back here late in the afternoon when the details of the moai really stand out.

Best time for photography: Late afternoon or sunrise (silhouettes only)

Rano Ranaku is best photographed early in the morning or late in the afternoon to get the details in the statues. This was shot right after the site opened in the morning. 

Rano Raraku

All of the moai on the island came from the quarry of Rano Raraku, known as the “nursery.” The sides of the gigantic volcanic crater are covered with moai in various stages of construction. It’s also home to a unique kneeling moai on the southeastern side.

Best time for photography: For good side light, late afternoon or morning is best. The only trouble is keeping people out of the frame. Keep your fingers crossed for a cloudy day!

Ahu Vaihu is one of many sites on the island that hasn’t been restored. All of the standing moan statues were restored starting in the 1960s. 

Ahu Vaihu & Additional Sites on Southern Coast

Along the road to Ahu Tongariki , there’s several platforms with broken moai laying facedown. At Ahu Vinapu, one of the platforms has mortar-less blocks similar to the Inca ruins in Peru.

Best time for Photography:  Late afternoon when the sun is shining on the statues.

Orongo Ceremonial Village lies on the edge of an extinct volcano on Easter Island. 

Ranu Kau & Orongo Ceremonial Village

Stunning the best word to describe Orongo Ceremonial Village. It’s perched on the top edge of a crater lake called Ranu Kau and a cliff above the ocean. The walls of the short houses are made of stacks of thin stone slabs and offer views of small offshore islands. The village was the epicenter for an island-wide bird cult during the 18th and 19th centuries and features bird petroglyphs.

Orongo can be reached by car and is 4 kilometers from town. There’s also a short, direct hike from Hang Roa. There’s a viewpoint of the crater that’s accessible before you reach the village that doesn’t require a ticket.

The Ranu Kau crater is best photographed when the light is overhead. If you go too early or late in the day, there will be shadows along the edges like this photo which was taken early in the morning.

Best time for photography:  The village faces west so afternoon or sunset light is best. The site is fairly empty by 6 p.m. The crater is best photographed in the afternoon or midday when the sun shines into the carter. If you wait too late, you’ll have dark shadows on the western side and center of the crater.

Ahu Nau Nau is the star attraction of Anakena beach. The platform is home to seven moai statues. 

Anakena is the most photogenic spot on the island and the site of the first settlement. The white-sand beach is lined by palm trees that surround the main attraction – an ahu of seven moai with topknots known as Ahu Nau Nau. This set of moai statues has more topknots than any other restored ahu on the island. There’s another lone moai, Ahu Ature Huki, to the right. A handful of over-priced restaurants and bars line the eastern side of the beach. The crystal-clear waters are a great refuge from the heat.

Best time for photography: Afternoon or sunset. Since the moai face away from the ocean, you need to afternoon light to get good detail in faces of the statues.

The trail to Maunga Terevaka, the island’s highest point, is gorgeous and very easy. 

Maunga Terevaka

Climbing to the top of Maunga Terevaka is the only way to really grasp the small size of the island. It is one of the three extinct volcanos and the tallest point on the island. From the top, you can see the ocean on all sides of the island. It’s accessible by foot or horseback. It’s a very easy walk, and the trail is obvious.  Go at sunrise when it’s cool, and you’ll have the place to yourself. It took us a little more than an hour to climb stopping a lot for photos. The scenery on the way to the top is just as amazing as the view.

Best time for photography: Sunrise

This volcanic quarry is the source of the red cylinder topknots that adorn the statues called pukao, which are thought to resemble the hairstyle worn by the native tribes. Over sixty pukaos were transported around the island and another 25 lie near or at the quarry.

Best time for photography:  Late afternoon or early morning to get detail in the pukaos.

Ana Te Pahu Cave is the largest cave on the island. 

Ahu Akivi & Ana Te Pahu Cave

These are the only moai that face the ocean, and the only ones not located along the coast. The seven moai on this ahu were restored in 1960 and have an astrological meaning. During the equinoxes, the statues directly face the setting sun. The trail to Maunga Terevaka starts at the edge of the parking lot.

If you turn left at the entrance to Ahu Akivi, there’s a road that leads to the entrance booth for Ana Te Pahu Cave. You must walk 15 minutes to the cave itself. It’s totally walkable from the parking lot of Ahu Akivi as well. It’s the largest cave on the island and over 7 kilometers long and overgrown with bananas and sweet potatoes.

Best time for photography:  Late afternoon light shines directly on the statues and highlights the detail. I was always here in the mornings, and the light was pretty horrible.

The face of a moai statue lies on the ground on the rugged Northern Coast of Rapi Nui. The northern portion of the island has no roads and is very isolated.

North Coast

Hiking the Northern Coast is the best way to experience the REAL Easter Island. There are no roads leading to this section and none of the moai or sites have been restored. You pass several toppled moai, extensive amount of petroglyphs, stone houses and a few caves. Keep an eye out for the lone standing moai that’s hidden in one of ahus. The hike is fairly easy and takes roughly five to six hours. It starts near the Ana Te Pahu cave and ends at Anakena.

This moai statue on the Northern coast was lowered and hidden as part of the platform to prevent it from being toppled during tribal wars.

A guide is recommended since none of the locations are marked by signs, and there’s no real trail. Tour companies offer half-day hiking trips for around $200/person. Ask around for a local guide for a cheaper rate, which is how we got a guide for $80/person.

Petroglyphs are scattered all over the island. The best ones are along the untouched northern coast like this one above.

Papa Vaka Petroglyphs

These petroglyphs are located between Anakena and Ahu Tongariki. They are the easiest ones to reach but not as good as the ones along the remote Northern coast.

This isn’t a complete list of sites because there were a few sites we didn’t make it to because of weather. These are the best ones for photography.

Easter Island Logistics:

Costs, transport & accommodation.

Alfred the gnome believes this shot of him at Ahu Tongariki is one of his best travel photos to date. 

Best Time to Visit Easter Island

It’s a great location year-round except for April when it rainfall is the highest. Summer (December to February) is the busiest season especially around the annual Tapati Rapi Nui Festival in February. Temperatures hover in the low 80s F and don’t usually drop below 60 in the winter months. Driest months are October for February. I went in late March to avoid the crowds and get the best weather. It rained a few times, but it was brief.

The wild horses were the biggest surprise about Easter Island for me. While many of the horses are branded, they roam free and often hang out in the roads. Be careful when driving. 

Seven-Day Trip to Easter Island Costs

Groceries: 49.18 Beer: $5.41 Gas: $22.16 Rental Car for 3 days: $173.35 National Park Ticket: $80 North Coast Hike: $82.08 Accommodation: $123.89

Total Cost: $553.23

This does NOT include my flight , which cost $887 from Santiago roundtrip. (I bought the flight with the miles on my Chase Sapphire Card, which is currently the best rewards card on the market.) Flights range from $400-$1200 roundtrip. I booked my flight six months in advance.

After a heavy rainstorm one morning, these double rainbows appeared at Camping Mihinoa, our accommodation. While we stayed in a room inside one of the buildings, many people rented tents and camped.

Budget Tips for Easter Island

• Book your flight 6-9 months in advance.  Flights can be as low as $400 roundtrip from Santiago nine-months in advance! LATAM is the only airline with service to Easter Island. There are eight flights a week from Santiago and one flight on Monday nights that continues to Tahiti. It’s the nicest airline in South America.
• Camp or book budget accommodation. My friend and I stayed at Camping Mihinoa and rented a private room with two beds with a shared bathroom for $40 USD/night. That’s $20/each, which is the cost of most hostels in mainland Chile. They also offer tents and dorms for cheaper rates – usually $15/person. The place was spotless and had a good location.
• Trip Length.  Four to five days is sufficient to see the island. Flights just worked out cheaper for us to stay longer, which is why we stayed six nights.
• Cook. Food is insanely expensive! This partly due to the remoteness of the island and lack of resources. We cooked the entire trip except for a small meal out when we arrived. Fish and chips at a restaurant was $30 USD! Beer was $6 at the grocery store!
• Take food with you.  I saw people check bags of food on the flight. There isn’t much variety of food on the island or in the grocery stores so if you are on a budget, pack what you can!
• Take USD.  Sometimes, it’s cheaper to have USD with you. For example, I saved $9 paying in USD for the Easter Island park entry fee in USD.
• Check the exchange rate . Many things are listed in both USD and Chilean Pesos. I use the free XE app to check prices to see which currency is the best deal. I saved $54 paying for my six-night accommodation on the island in pesos.
• Rent Your Own Car . If you can drive a manual transmission car and have a group of people, it’s significantly cheaper to explore the island on your own. Plus, you’ll get better photos since the tours are always during the worst time of the day for photos. It’s $60/day for a manual transmission car and $100/day for an automatic transmission. Day tours start at $120 USD/person! Gas isn’t cheap so keep that in mind. I still think the flexibility is worth the price of renting a car.
• Expect Bad Wifi . Accept the fact that you are in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Wifi is painfully slow.

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Guide to Easter Island’s Best Archaeology Sites and How to Photograph Them

Easter Island is a Chilean island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. 

The native Polynesian people called their island Rapa Nui while the Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen who explored the island on Easter Sunday in 1722 named it Easter Island. 

Today the island is also called by its official Spanish name, Isla De Pascua. The small island has scant beaches, rocky coastline, and few trees. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the dream destination of millions of tourists worldwide. 

What makes Easter Island so special is the staggering 887 majestic Moai or stone statues found all over the island. 

Related Easter Island Posts Best Books on Easter Island Hotel Hanga Roa Review Easter Island Easter Island Things to do Easter Island Travel Guide

Some of them stand grandly over ancient ceremonial platforms while some lie toppled, broken and defeated at the very place they once guard. 

More than a third can be found at their birthplace, in the quarry of Rano Raraku, in various stages of completion. 

Easter Island, its statues, and its people have baffled generations and spawned various theories regarding their origin. 

However, Easter Island also has many other archeological sites besides the Moai. 

Here is a guide to the island’s most important archeological sites along with practical information on visiting and photographing them.

TAHAI CEREMONIAL COMPLEX

Tahai ceremonial complex on Easter Island is an archeological site with 3 Ahus or ceremonial platforms. This site was restored in 1974 by the American archeologist, Dr. William Mulloy. 

The 3 ceremonial platforms in a clockwise direction are called Ahu Vai Ure (5 Moai in various stages of erosion), Ahu Tahai (1 eroded Moai) and Ahu Ko Te Riku (1 Moai with restored eyes and a pukao). 

The eyes on the Moai at Ahu Ko Te Riku are reconstructed replicas based on the partial remains of eyes discovered at Anakena beach. This Moai gives visitors an accurate idea of how the Ahus & Moais on Easter Island would have looked with carved eyes before their destruction. 

Ahu Vai Ure originally had 6 Moai; the 6th Moai which could not be restored can be seen lying face down in front of the platform. 

The Tahai complex also contains hare paenga or the boathouses, hare moa or chicken coops and recreates the ancient layout of Rapa Nui village at Tahai. An ancient restored boat ramp can be seen between Vai Ure and Tahai. 

Additionally, Tahai ceremonial complex also contains the graves of William Mulloy and his wife, Emily Ross Mulloy. According to historical records, the Tahai Ceremonial Complex and surrounding area were one of the earliest ones to be populated on the island.

How to reach: By car, visitors can take the road that leads to the Museum, turn left at the Museum entrance and follow the unpaved road that leads to a basic parking lot. If you are walking from Hanga Roa follow the road along the coast, past the soccer field and the cemetery till the Ahus are visible. The 3 Ahus are really hard to miss and you can ask anybody for directions. The walk is about a mile long and takes 15-20 mins. While coming back from Tahai after sunset, stop at any of the restaurants along the road for dinner.

Photography Tips: Tahai is the most popular place to watch the sunset on Easter Island. The setting sun behind the silhouetted Moai creates some spectacular images. The sun sets exactly behind the Moai on equinoxes; at other times you will have to move to the right or left to capture perfect images.  However the Moai themselves are backlit in the evening and to take a clear picture of the Moai with restored eyes at Ko Te Riku, visitors need to visit this site in the morning as well. For more tips read the Ultimate Photography Guide to Easter Island.

RANO KAU CRATER

Easter Island was formed about 2 million years ago by the eruption of 3 volcanoes: Rano Kau, Poike, and Terevaka. Rano Kau was the first volcano to erupt and is the largest volcanic crater on Easter Island. The crater has a freshwater lake and was at one time the only source of drinking water for the ancient Rapa Nui people. 

The crater is more than one kilometer wide and about 200 meters deep and a stunning natural wonder. The crater rim overlooking the sea is eroded at a place called Kari Kari due to the action of the sea waves against the cliff base. 

Ancient Rapa Nui ran down this fracture, climbed down the cliff and swam to the islet of Motu Nui as a part of the Birdman competition. The crater’s shape and deep sides protect vegetation from the strong winds and allow a different ecosystem to thrive inside the crater. At the viewpoint Mirador Rano Kau, a fenced in rock with several petroglyphs of Bird Man can be seen.

How to reach: By car or bikes, visitors can take the road past Mataveri Airport to Rano Kau. The road is well sign-posted and offers great views of the landing strip and Hanga Roa village along the way. If walking, the hike from Hanga Roa takes about an hour and the trail is clearly marked. From the crater viewpoint or Mirador Rano Kau, visitors can take the path to the left and walk around the crater to see it from different angles.

Photography Tips: Considering Rano Kau’s magnificent size a wide-angle lens is necessary to photograph the crater and the freshwater lake. The sides of the crater throw shadows over the lake and the vegetation and the area is best photographed on a sunny day in the morning or before noon.

Crater rim of Rano Kau volcano

ORONGO CEREMONIAL VILLAGE

In Rapa Nui language, Orongo means ‘The Call’. Ancient Rapa Nui people built the ceremonial village of Orongo on the rim of the Rano Kau crater on Easter Island and eventually, this village gained vast importance in the ritual of Tangata Manu or the Birdman competition and in the worship of Make-Make god. 

Orongo offers sweeping views of the Rano Kau crater, the 3 islets or Motus off the coast and the more than 50 basalt houses that formed the Village of Orongo. The walls of the houses were decorated with red and white Rapa Nui paintings. The basalt stone slabs for the houses were sourced from inside the crater. 

Two houses at the start of the trail are left in their original ruined condition while one house is left partially restored with an open roof so visitors can get a sense of the deterioration due to winds and vandals, the architecture and reconstruction efforts at Orongo. 

The row of restored houses looks magnificent against the backdrop of the narrow cliff and the Pacific. The restored houses all have small entrances to offer protection from the wind and enemies. 

The last house belonged to the priests who conducted the Birdman ceremonies and the rocks near this house were covered with petroglyphs denoting Birdmen, Make-Make God and Komaris or female vulva/fertility symbols. 

Upwards of 1700 petroglyphs were discovered at this site. This area is now fenced in and inaccessible to visitors due to the fragility of the structures.

How to reach: By car or on foot, continue on the paved road past Mirador Rano Kau to reach the Visitor Center of Orongo. Entry to this site is limited to one visit per person and tickets are checked. The site closes at 6 pm.

Photography Tips: In my opinion, Orongo photographs best early-late afternoon when the sun is not harsh. The sweeping expanse of the houses at Orongo, the islets, and the deep blue sea make this a perfect place to take a wide-angle/panoramic shot.

RANO RARAKU VOLCANO CRATER AND QUARRY

Rano Raraku, located near the south-eastern coast, is the most well-known and photographed place on Easter Island. 

No visitor to Easter Island can be left unmoved by the majestic sights at Rano Raraku. It was here that a majority of the Moai were carved and transported to various Ahus on the island. 

Volcanic tuff found inside the quarry at Rano Raraku was softer and fragile than basalt and could be easily cut and shaped by the ancient Rapa Nui using basalt sculpting tools and implements. 

A grand total of 397 Moai in different stages of completion can be found on the inner and outer slopes of the crater of Rano Raraku. There are two trails at Rano Raraku; right one takes the visitors through the numerous Moai on the outer slope while the one on the left can be hiked up to see the crater lake and various Moai on the inner slopes.

When one looks at the slopes of Rano Raraku the Moai are everywhere. At first glance, just a few Moai can be distinguished, however, as the eyes get accustomed to the landscape the Moai are everywhere – buried neck deep, carved into nooks and crevices, and lying horizontally on the ground. It is a fascinating sight. Many of the Moai on the outer slopes of Rano Raraku are famous and known by their own names.

How to reach: Rano Raruku is one of the ticketed sites and requires an entry ticket to Rapa Nui National Park. Tickets are checked and entry is allowed only once per person. Rano Raraku is far outside Hanga Roa and a guided tour or car is the best way to reach this impressive archeological site. 

From Hanga Roa, we took the road to Anakena Beach and turned left at the sign to Rano Raraku just before Ahu Tongariki. The slopes of the quarry will be visible before you even reach the fork. It is also possible to bike or rent a scooter to Rano Raraku.

Photography Tips: This is easily the place where you will be spending most of your time. I took more than a hundred pictures on the slopes of Rano Raraku. The whole area is a photographer’s paradise with the enigmatic Moai towering above the ground. It is virtually impossible to take a bad photo at Rano Raraku. 

The key is arriving in the morning when the Moai’s faces and features are highlighted. If morning is not feasible, then Rano Raraku can also be seen just before sunset. Few of the classical images to capture at Rano Raraku are included below:

1 thought on “Guide to Easter Island’s Best Archaeology Sites and How to Photograph Them”

These are amazing photos. I am a beginner and would like to know what lenses you used? Thank you.

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