Easter Island: The Inca Connection, Hanga Roa, Chile

That’s right, there were Incas on Easter island, or at least that is a possibility based on one location.

Yes I generally try to keep my blog about Peru in general, but more specifically about Cusco, so a post about Easter Island might seem a little out of place here, but I thought the possibility of an Inca connection warranted a post.

Recently Lily and I took one of our short vacations to take a break from running GringoWasi, and on this trip we visited Easter Island for 10 days. Now even before we departed Cusco, we read about a site that has perfectly fit stone walls, very much like the stonework of the Incas, so this site made the “must see” portion of our itinerary.

The site itself is Ahu Vinapu and here you will find 2 separate platforms or Ahu, where the Moai used to stand, there is also supposed to be a third Ahu here, but it is actually located inside the fenced off fuel tank area and not accessible.

The two main Ahu that you can visit here are Ahu Vinapu and Ahu Tahira, and both of these Ahu’s have had their Moai toppled, which is believed to have happened between 1722 and 1868, either due to clan wars or earthquakes.

Ahu Vinapu seems to be the more promoted Ahu as the complex itself is named Ahu Vinapu, so don’t look too hard for Ahu Tahira on any maps, you will not likely find it. Ahu Vinapu is the Ahu to the Right as you enter the site, it is the oldest Ahu out of the three that are in this complex, and it originally supported at least 5 Moai and their head dresses, who’s remains can be seen near the Ahu. There is also a red stone column in front of Ahu Vinapu that was unearthed in 1956, and is thought to possibly be a female Moai, based on the thin arms and hands, small breasts, and pronounced navel, unfortunately this column is very deteriorated and very little detail remains. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).