Easter Island Moai Statues, Rano Raraku, Rano Kau & Orongo – Itinerary 3 Days
1. Extinct volcano Rano Kau, 2. Orongo cult village, 3. Rano Raraku quarry, 4. Easter Island moai statues, 5. Ahu Tongariki, 6. Papa Vaka, 7. Anakena Beach
Day 3
12. The Rapa Nui Parliament, 13. Snorkelling, 14. Cultural dance show
Easter Island in the South Pacific Ocean is the only rocky island in the Polynesian Triangle. The mysteries of the stunning megalithic sculptures around the island have been subject to comprehensive research and investigations during the last centuries.
For many months, we have planned a stay on Easter Island to see the legendary moai statues as well as the other sites linked to the ancient culture: Rano Raraku, Anakena, Orongo, Rano Kau, Ahu Tongariki and a few more!
We arrived on the island in mid-July, winter in the southern hemisphere. Despite the season, it is pleasant to be here since the climate is subtropical and mild. Temperatures in summer and winter do not really differ that much here. Staying in a local cabaña, the Cabaña Tongariki, with the owners next door, is our unique chance to get our angle and a few local impressions in addition to experiencing the outstanding Easter Island moai statues and the cultural sites related to them.
View from Orongo, Rano Kau
View to the small island playing a considerable role in the Birdman Cult era | Photo: Travel In Culture
On our first day, we get up early – since we have a whole island to cover in our rented car (along the only road around the island!)! With only three days on Easter Island, we have planned to reach all must-see places not within walking distance from our cabaña in just one day. In this way, we will only need to rent a car for one whole day.
Our host brings us a bag of local guava fruits so that we can squeeze our own juice for breakfast. It is a welcome supplement to the island’s freshwater, which has a striking taste of metallic minerals. It is said to be healthy enough, but we definitely have to get used to the taste!
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Their daughter, living in the house next door, has advised on Easter Island and suggested an appropriate itinerary to get to the various moai statues, considering daylight angles and anticipated tourist groups. Leaving Hanga Roa, we drive past an empty airport. There is only one flight between Easter Island and Santiago de Chile in each direction every day. Catching the narrow, winding road towards the top of the impressive, extinct volcano, Rano Kau, we are full of expectations on our way to the southernmost point of the island.
Photo: Tupesa / Pixabay
Rano Kau was, together with the rest of the island, the result of volcanic activity and eruptions. The oldest eruptions date to about 3 million years ago! Today, Rano Kau features, as one of only three extinct volcanos, a freshwater crater lake at the interior bottom.
We follow the narrow path on the rim of Rano Kau to the left and the steep, rocky coast falling over 300 m (1000 ft) on the other side. The view is magnificent. Gazing down into the water-filled crater basin is a breathtaking sight. The freshwater lagoon of Rano Kau is picturesque, with totora reeds growing on the surface, forming small islands. It is similar to the floating reed islands on the Lake Titicaca in Peru – but here they are just small-scale and not inhabited!
The huge crater lake at Rano Kau | Photo: Travel In Culture
The Rano Kau crater lake, located around 200 m or 650 ft from the edge, is estimated to be about 10 m or slightly more than 30 ft deep. The lagoon was born from rainwater accumulated throughout the years. For many years, it has been one of the primary freshwater resources on the island. The protected slopes inside the crater Rano Kau provided excellent opportunities to grow a diversity of fruits and vegetables. Among others, the volcano has been used to grow avocados, fig-trees, guavas, and bananas!
Now that we stand atop the caldera, which is over a kilometre or nearly a mile in diameter, some purple vegetation along one of the sides attracts our attention. It is proof of the rich plant life of the immense crater bowl.
On the rim of the extinct volcano Rano Kau, you can reach the remains of the Orongo village, known for its mystic Birdman Cult, which succeeded the moai era.
Easter Island featured a thriving culture with the erection of gigantic moai statues for several hundred years. The moai carving era was replaced by the Birdman Cult era towards the end of the 1500s. The old moai carving lifestyle ended up taking too many of the limited natural resources on the island, and maybe, along with tribal wars (however, this is questionable according to recent theories), the previously flourishing culture slowly came to an end. Instead, a new culture sprang into life: the Birdman Cult was born.
Continuing along the path, we arrive at the remains of the old ceremonial village, Orongo. At the narrowest part of the ridge, the rocks abruptly fall towards the sea on one side, and the deep crater basin appears on the other.
Orongo at the top of Rano Kau
Orongo is the Birdman Cult village at the top of Rano Kau | Photo: Travel In Culture
Orongo is the old cult village where the Birdman competition annually took place to find the king for the next 12 months. The Birdman Cult era replaced the moai carving era, and new rituals arose. The competitors would have to climb down the steep rocks, swim out to the Moto Nui islet just off the coast, find a freshly laid egg from a manutara bird, swim back and climb the rocks again with the unbroken egg. Often, participants died from falling down the rocks or being taken by the numerous sharks in the ocean. The winner obtained the prestigious title of king. The last known Birdman competition took place as late as 1888.
The Orongo houses were built of solid stone – a suitable material to resist the occasional strong winds the houses were exposed to on the brink of the volcano. That was opposed to the material used to carve the earlier Easter Island moai statues. They were carved from volcanic, porous lightweight rock from the compacted volcanic ash – and were, therefore, much lighter. The first of the 54 houses was initiated around 1400 AD.
‘Easter Island Moai Statues, Rano Raraku, Rano Kau & Orongo – Itinerary’
Photo: Luis Valiente / Pixabay
When walking past the village, we get a chance to peep into one of the houses. They are oval, with just one opening for the light to enter. In general, you would need to crawl or creep to get inside, and once inside, you probably could not stand upright. We must admit that they don’t look that appealing to stay in! And even then, the Birdman Cult people made beautiful paintings on the inner walls, just like in the secret caves around the island. The paintings depict the Birdman ceremony as well as the god Make-Make.
A large number of petroglyphs (about 1,700) are also located around Orongo, showing motifs like the manutara bird and other seabirds, fish, and Make-Make. The Orongo village was inhabited only during the days of the Birdman ceremony, which took place in September. One single moai statue of basalt rock has been found inside one of the houses, linking the ancient moai era to the Birdman Cult.
Oval houses at Orongo, Rano Kau
Photo: Travel In Culture
Fifteen minutes later, we find ourselves at the entrance of the Rano Raraku quarry. The short ride is like a time portal allowing us to travel hundreds of years back in time from the Orongo period to the moai carving period.
We are now wandering around in a nearly thousand-year-old and, at that time, probably the most important workplace on the island. Here, the extraordinary Easter Island moai statues were created by the industrious island settlers and their immediate descendants in the following years.
Easter Island moai statues on the hillside of the Rano Raraku quarry | Photo: Travel In Culture
Overwhelmed by the size and the number of moai on the archaeological site, we study as many giants as we can more closely on our way through the area. Rano Raraku is a unique place to learn about the carving process since you can watch all stages of the moai figures here. Right next to the solid, volcanic rocks, we see an example of a moai in process. First, the front side was carved except for the eye sockets. Then, the back was chiselled to release the statue from the rock. It is absurd to see how the monolithic human-like structures lie or stand in all thinkable angles down the slopes of the volcano. We are deeply impressed!
Photo: Hugo Leroy / Pixabay
After spending some time with the massive, immobile residents of Rano Raraku, we notice a few tourist groups beginning to appear at the site. Suddenly and unexpectedly, we nearly bump into our hosts’ daughter! She obviously works as a tour guide! That is why she yesterday could give us such detailed information on how to do our tour around the island. That is what SHE does every day! Not astonishingly, since nearly everyone on the island works with tourism!
Nearly all the Easter Island moai statues were carved from volcanic rock at the Rano Raraku quarry. The rare obsidian from some of the volcanos on the island was used to produce the necessary tools. Once completed, the moai were in some way transported to their final locations, in general along the coast and, always, with their backs to the ocean, overlooking and protecting the Rapa Nui people. Only the coral eyes were not carved and added until the last moment when the figures were raised.
Rano Raraku is the birthplace of the Easter Island moai statues
One of the stylised stone faces at the extinct volcano Rano Raraku | Photo: Travel In Culture
The volcanic faces represent the spirit of their ancestors. During the moai era, there was a development in the style of the torsos and faces. The sculptures became taller and taller, and the facial traits became more and more stylised.
Throughout the years, there have been several theories on how the heavy stone structures were transported miles across the island. According to the Rapa Nui people and the legend, they WALKED! For many years, this was not really believed by anyone else.
The Norwegian anthropologist and explorer Thor Heyerdahl considerably contributed to the research and investigations on the ancient Rapa Nui culture and its impressive stone sculptures. He came twice, in 1955-56 and 1986-88, to the island on expeditions and helped reveal the torsos of the giants and clarify how the enormous statues could have been moved around.
The Easter Island Moai statues WALKED from Rano Raraku
Photo: Luis Valiente / Pixabay
His investigations led to successful attempts to move the human figures vertically with the help of logs. With ropes and a well-prepared crew, he showed that it was actually possible! By bringing the moai statues of Easter Island back to WALK, maybe one of the biggest mysteries in the world has been resolved! A network of paths around the island sloping slowly down towards the designated ahus has also been revealed. There are numerous YouTube videos demonstrating the technique likely used to transport the imposing Easter Island moai statues!
Photo: Lilithy / Pixabay
The next stop is Ahu Tongariki, boasting the most awesome moai statues. Ahu Tongariki is spectacular in having 15 fabulous moai standing in a row, the largest ‘collection’ on Easter Island. The ahu is actually the most significant structure in all of Polynesia! The statues possess individual characteristics, indicating that they were created at different periods. Notably, moai have been restored here with their original red topknots produced from the red volcanic material at the quarry of Puna Pau. It is recommended to see the sunrise here at Ahu Tongariki, which is a unique experience!
Read more about Ahu Tongariki: Take in Ahu Tongariki and Chill out on Anakena Beach.
Photo: Travel In Culture
Between Ahu Tongariki and Anakena Beach, we get the chance to view some of the famous Rapa Nui petroglyphs at Papa Vaka. The Rapa Nui term papa means stone, and the term vaka means canoe. Not surprisingly, Papa Vaka is, therefore, the primary motif of an impressive 12-metre-long double canoe depicted on the stones here, the largest petroglyph on Easter Island. The carved canoe might be the canoe used by the original island settlers. Other petroglyph motifs are giant tuna, octopuses, crabs, birdmen and sea turtles.
Picturesque Anakena Beach | Photo: Travel In Culture
The scenic Anakena Beach is next. It is one of the few sand beaches on the island – and the largest beach! It features the most pristine, white coral sand! That is really the place to swim in the turquoise waters – any time of the year due to the mild climate and comfortable sea temperatures here. Coconut palm trees and several restored moai surround the beach. The iconic ahu with five awesome moai, the Ahu Nau Nau, welcomes us right in front of the beach! Moreover, we catch a glimpse of some of the wild Easter Island horses between the coconut palms. It is definitely a beach you could stay at for half a day (or a whole day!) in case you fancied a beach day on Easter Island! After the most awesome island round trip, we return to Hanga Roa in the evening.
Photo: Jose Luis Perez Torres / Pixabay
In addition to the Polynesian Rapa Nui culture, the present-day culture on the island also involves Christianity. The Catholic church of the Holy Cross in Hanga Roa, Iglesia de la Santa Cruz, combines in a unique way elements from the Moai era, the Birdman Cult and Christianity. In a unique manner, the Rapa Nui residents have unified religions of completely distinct origins, creating a fusion of them. The church structure features, at the same time, Christian symbols and original Rapa Nui mythology, and the weekly mass is also a mixture of the two religions.
We are curious to experience this extraordinary fusion of faiths and attend the Sunday mass, held by priests wearing feather headdresses. That gives, along with the melodic Tahitian / Rapa Nui music and songs, the Christian ceremony a profound touch of Polynesian and Rapa Nui native culture. The singing by Rapa Nui voices is exceptionally melodious, and the experience is absolutely outstanding! Attending a mass is definitely recommended – alone to experience the blended island culture.
The Sunday oil drum barbecues in the centre of Hanga Roa | Photo: Travel In Culture
After the mass, the entire street is transformed into a spectacular Sunday barbecue where people grill meat on oil drum barbecues in high ‘Rapa Nui spirits’!
In the afternoon, we head for the cemetery close to the sea, which is just as unique as the church – and speaks for itself! Some tombstones have extraordinary motifs and engravings that combine Christianity and Rapa Nui mythology.
Photo: Travel In Culture
Hanga Roa Churchyard | Photo: Travel In Culture
Afterwards, we arrive at the island’s Rapa Nui Museum with free admission. The Museo Antropológico Sebastián Englert is a fine museum introducing the island’s history and culture, and it gives valuable insight into the moai statues, petroglyphs, Rongorongo tablets, etc.
We continue to the Tahai ceremonial complex close to the museum. It consists of three ahus, Ko Te Riku with restored eyes, a symbol of spiritual power, Tahai, and Vai Ure. Here, we discover one of the few moai on the island that still wear their pukao, the red topknot.
Tahai ceremonial complex, Ahu Ko Te Riko moai | Photo: Travel In Culture
If you stay until sunset, you will get an awe-inspiring view of the Tahai! It is a favoured spot in Hanga Roa to view the sunset before having a seafood dinner in one of the restaurants close to the sea!
Walking around in Hanga Roa, we suddenly find ourselves in front of the Rapa Nui Parliament, probably the most modest parliament building in the world! It is a rural building with a tin roof – quite primitive-looking. That is the Easter Island Parliament!
The Rapa Nui Parliament | Photo: Travel In Culture
At the small harbour in Hanga Roa, you will see a few diving centres where you can rent snorkelling gear or go scuba diving, depending on your preferences. Easter Island is an excellent place for diving and snorkelling since the waters generally have a visibility of up to 60 meters! Although there are no considerable coral reefs here as around many other Pacific islands, you can explore around 160 species of fauna here, many endemic to Easter Island. A snorkelling or diving tour is a good option for your third day on the island!
Check out the options for a cultural live dance show in the evening. It is an amazing way to experience another authentic side of the Rapa Nui culture. Various dance groups perform a show, and you can have a traditional dinner before the show starts.
Other things to consider on Easter Island if you have more than three days: Rent a bicycle and explore more fascinating moai statues, spend half a day at one of the other island beaches such as Ovahe or Playa poko poko in Hanga Roa, go to see other old volcanoes such as the Mauga Terevaka or the Poike, explore more petroglyphs, or visit Puna Pau, the quarry where the red stone for the pukao, or topknot, for the moai statues comes from.
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‘Easter Island Moai Statues, Rano Raraku, Rano Kau & Orongo’
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