2 Day Small Group Tour in Moai Monuments and Historic Pathways

The clear morning light is great in the morning for capturing images of the Beautiful Royal beach at Anakena

At ten metres tall, here lies one of the tallest moai ever to be erected, now but a vestige of its former glory. Nearby sits the famous magnetic circular stone which legend says came to Easter Island from the ancient homeland of Hiva with the first king, Hotu Matuʻa.

One Makihi is an unrestored conglomerate of ahu platforms sitting as they have been for over two hundred years since the islanders turned on the traditions of their ancestors and began toppling the hundreds of moai found throughout the island.

Restored between 1992 and 1996, this is the most awe inspiring of the various platforms. Here, fifteen of the largest moai set their stone faces like flint, looking eternally toward the setting of the sun, as well and the comparatively insignificant tourists who come to pay them homage.

This is the birthplace of the moai, a virtual quarry of statues. Here, hundreds of handsome heads and torsos sit in various stages of carving, still waiting to be transported to their various ahu located all over the island.

As if it wasn’t enough to make huge monolithic statues, in the latter years, large scoria topknots were made and fitted on the heads of the moai. Puna Pau is the small crater where these adornments were made.

The site of some of the island's most beautiful stonework, reminiscent of the legendary masonary found in the great Inca civilization of South America.

With a great panoramic view of the island, it is probably the Easter Island's most magnificent natural wonder.

The ceremonial village, where during the 18th and 19th centuries, one of the most interesting political ceremonies happened once a year as different tribes competed to become the leader of the island. In a breathtaking sports event that involved climbing down cliffs, swimming out to the islets off the coast, the islanders came to this beautiful part of the island to see who would be their next ruler.

A restored site of seven moai, Ahu Akivi is said to represent the first seven explorers who came to Easter Island. These moai are the only group of statues looking out to the sea.

Like many volcanic islands, Easter Island is riddled with lava tubes. Ana Te Pahu is one of the more extensive networks found on the island and shows how the ancient Rapanui people used these cave networks to live, collect water, plant vegetables and hide from aggressive visitors from outside in the 18th and 19th centuries.