What To See in Hanga Roa, Rapa Nui, Hanga Roa, Chile

As the plane crossed the Pacific, our excitement was building. And then, we couldn’t believe our luck. Outside our airplane window, we were treated to an amazing view of Rapa Nui, and we knew our dream of visiting this famous island was about to come true.

Note - Rapa Nui is often called Easter Island, and in Spanish, Isla de Pascua. We will mostly use Rapa Nui because that is what locals prefer.

The island of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) is one of the world’s most isolated and mysterious spots. Stories of its enigmatic statues have put it on many people’s travel wish lists.

Planning trip to this island can be overwhelming because you don’t want to miss a thing on this once-in-a-lifetime experience. We’ll try to help you plan your itinerary by showing you its many sites, but there’s so much to see that we are presenting it in three posts. In this, we’ll show you some of the things you can see for free in the island’s only town, Hanga Roa. Next, we’ll take you to the famous Ahu Tongariki and Rano Raraku Quarry. In the final post, we’ll explore Orango and Anakena Beach.

Although the exact dates vary based on your source, Rapa Nui was first settled over a thousand years ago. The first king, Hotu Matu’a, was likely from the Marquesas Islands of Polynesia, 3,200 km (2,000 mi) away. Legends say that the king’s holy priest foresaw impending natural disasters that would destroy their home. This priest then dreamt of an island with freshwater, fertile soil, trees and other vegetation. His dream pointed to Rapa Nui, so the king sent an exploratory crew of seven to find a new home for his people. They navigated across the vast ocean using only the Southern Cross and the Orion Belt as guides. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).