The world's most remote inhabited island, where giant stone moai stand along windswept volcanic shores.
About Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
Rapa Nui, or Easter Island, lies at the southeastern corner of the Polynesian Triangle and is famous for its almost 1,000 moai, the monumental statues carved by the early Rapa Nui people. Polynesians probably arrived around 1200 and built a thriving culture. Clearing land and the arrival of rats slowly stripped the island of its forest, and in the 1800s disease and slave raids brought the population down to 111 people. Today much of the island is protected as Rapa Nui National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995. The island has belonged to Chile since 1888.
Getting there
- Best months
- Not stated
- Nearest airport / gateway
- Mataveri International Airport (IPC), with daily LATAM flights from Santiago (about 5 h, as of Sep 2026).
- Permits & fees
- National park ticket US$80 for non-Chileans; an official guide is required at ticketed sites. Visitors fill in a special entry form, and stays are limited to 30 days.
- Sources
- en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Easter_Island
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Island
Photos of Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
