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Moai Statue
Easter Island covers roughly 64 square miles in the South Pacific Ocean and is located some 3700 km from Chile’s west coast and 4023 km. east of Tahiti. It is a volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean and marks the southeastern corner of the Polynesian triangle. The island is barely 24 km in length and 12 km in width. It is home to almost 900 giant Moai Statues or Mo’ai, monolithic human statues. This structure is known as Rapa Nui to its earliest inhabitants.
The Moai statues show that their creators were master craftsmen and engineers. The Statue is distinctive among other stone sculptures found in Polynesian cultures. Rapa Nui has a rich culture, and its descendants set nearly 900 giant stone statues that have been found in diverse locations around the island.
Averaging 4 meters high, with a weight of 13 tons, these enormous stones are known as Moai. These were carved out of Tuff Rock, a consolidated volcanic ash rock, and placed atop ceremonial stone platforms called ahus. It is still a mystery why these statues were constructed in such numbers, or how they were moved around the island.
Easter Island Heads
Carved between 1250 and 1500 CE by the Rapa Nui people on Easter Island (Rapa Nui), the massive Moai (known as the “Easter Island heads”) are monolithic statues of volcanic rock representing revered ancestors. These approximately 900 figures feature disproportionately large heads, with bodies often buried; they were erected on ceremonial platforms (ahu), typically facing inland to guard the villages, though many were toppled after the Rapa Nui adopted Christianity.
Age of the Statue
The archaeological department dated these monolithic human statues around 700-850 A.D. The biggest statue found in the area measures about 10 meters tall and consists of a single block weighing about 82 tons. The first known European visitor to the Island was the Dutchman Jacob Roggeveen, who arrived in 1722. The Dutch named the island Paaseiland or Easter Island to commemorate the day they arrived in 1770.
Easter Island Map
Easter Island (Rapa Nui), a remote island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, is famous for its nearly 900 massive stone monuments, the Moai. Here is a map showing the general location of Easter Island (Moai Statue)-
Easter Island and Monolithic Human Statue
The Island was formed by a series of volcanic eruptions. It consists of hilly terrain, with many subterranean caves and corridors that extend deep into the mountains of volcanic rock. The island’s largest volcano is known as Rano Kao. Its highest point is Mount Terevaka, which reaches 507.5m above sea level.
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Easter Island has a population of roughly 3,300 people. In 1995, UNESCO named Easter Island a World Heritage site. Easter Island’s charm lies in the mysteries surrounding the island and the Moai. Many things about Easter Island are still unsolved, like where the original Rapa Nui came from, why they carved the statues, and how the statues were moved to this place.
Easter Island Tours
Offering comprehensive cultural immersion, Easter Island (Rapa Nui) tours—ranging from half-day trips to multi-day adventures—provide deep dives into the iconic Moai statues, volcanic landscapes, and unique culture, covering major sites like Ahu Tongariki (with 15 Moai), Rano Raraku (the quarry), Orongo (a ceremonial village), Anakena Beach, and caves, with various booking options including private guided tours, 4WD excursions, and dance shows, often requiring booking and park entrance tickets.
The island is now homes to a mixed population, mostly of Polynesian ancestry. The spoken language is generally Spanish, and the largest economy of the island is tourism. Reaching Easter Island is far easier, but the island is still very far afield. Visitors can take a long flight service from Santiago, Chile, and Tahiti to Rapa Nui.
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Flights to Easter Island
Flights to Easter Island depart from the most common hub, Santiago, Chile. First reach Santiago with Air India via New Delhi, Amsterdam, Madrid, Santiago. LATAM offers flights to Easter Island, providing travelers with exclusive in-flight entertainment and complimentary snacks for a pleasant journey to the historic island.
