August 2013: Ever since childhood, I have dreamed of visiting Easter Island—known locally as Rapa Nui—a mystical destination shrouded in mystery. Featured in countless documentaries about enigmatic places, Rapa Nui is one of the most isolated islands on Earth. Yet, here stand a thousand massive stone heads, their origins and purposes lost to time, silently gazing at the heavens. Determined to uncover the island’s secrets, my wife Paula and I spent five unforgettable days camping on Rapa Nui, including one night sleeping in a cave. This is the story of our first international journey together—a journey that would lead to many more adventures in the future.
About Rapa Nui
Map of Location
The people of Rapa Nui have inhabited the island since approximately 1200 AD. The island is best known for its colossal stone figures, or moai, which represent the spirits of ancestors believed to protect their descendants. Roughly 2,000 moai were carved between 1100 and 1650 and were positioned in their original locations, standing elevated above the ground with their faces directed toward the heavens and their backs toward the ocean.
Eventually, the island became known as Easter Island—a name given by a Dutch explorer who discovered it on Easter Day in 1722. At that time, nearly 4,000 islanders called it home. However, over the following centuries, almost 90% of the population perished due to a combination of factors: diseases introduced by Europeans, inter-tribal warfare, famine, and slavery.
Long before European contact, the inhabitants of Rapa Nui were already facing severe challenges. Oral traditions suggest that the population was in decline because of climate change, which brought about famine, warfare, and even cannibalism. Many believe that overpopulation and the overconsumption of natural resources led to widespread deforestation, altering the island’s climate and exacerbating food shortages. In their desperation, the people built the massive moai in hopes of pleasing their ancestors and receiving divine assistance. Despite these efforts, continued warfare and the practice of cannibalism drove many to seek refuge in lava caves.
Today, approximately 3,000 people live on Rapa Nui. Of these, about 70% are native, though only around 800 speak the traditional Rapa Nui language.
How to Get to Rapa Nui
Rapa Nui is actually part of Chile, despite being thousands of miles away. The best way to reach it is via Santiago, Chile. Direct flights to Rapa Nui began in the 1990s; before that, the island was one of the hardest places in the world to visit, accessible only by a long sea voyage. Even today, it remains remote—a roughly five-hour flight from Santiago or Tahiti. I visited Rapa Nui on a LAN Boeing 777 flight from Santiago, Chile. At the time of my visit, flights operated every few days, and sometimes even daily. In addition to exploring Rapa Nui, my wife and I also visited Santiago and other parts of Chile.
Exploring the Island
Map of Rapa Nui
Upon arriving in Hanga Roa, Paula and I promptly picked up our rental car. We soon discovered that the best way to explore Rapa Nui is independently with a 4WD rental, given that many of the roads are made of rugged lava rock and are in poor condition. A vehicle with high clearance is essential, and we were fortunate to rent a small jeep for only about 40 USD per day, including insurance.
Lava rock road makesit very easy to puncture a tire and over heat the engine of a basic vehicle
To keep costs down, we brought our own tent, camping food, and even a week’s worth of wine. Most nights, we camped at a site overlooking the ocean on the outskirts of Hanga Roa—the island’s only town. The campground offered a communal kitchen and toilet/shower facilities. While the ocean view from our tent was breathtaking, its exposed location meant that the wind often made it flap loudly throughout the night. In fact, during one heavy rainstorm, the gusts were so strong that our tent collapsed and nearly blew away.
Our tent and home in Rapa Nui
A sea turtle we saw resting on shore not far from our campsite
The Hanga Roa campground was our home base for most of the trip—except for one unforgettable night when we camped in a cave overlooking the remote Ovahe Beach. Since wild camping isn’t allowed on the island, we parked the car and walked over to the cave late in the afternoon, when it was quiet enough to go unnoticed. Camping in that small cave—where, according to local lore, the people of Rapa Nui once sought shelter from marauding bands of cannibals—was like a dream come true. The cave was sheltered from the wind, and the ocean view was simply breathtaking, especially at sunrise.
Sleeping in a cave at Ovahe Beach
Sleeping in a cave at Ovahe Beach
Ovahe Beach below the cave where we slept is up above
Sunrise Over Ovahe Beach
One of the island’s most scenic landscapes is Rano Kao crater, with its dramatic sea cliffs forming a breathtaking backdrop. A fantastic hike involves trekking along the entire ocean-side rim of the crater from end to end. Nearby, Orango comprises the ruins of one of the largest and most important settlements on Rapa Nui, offering a unique window into the island’s ancient history.
Paula looking at the Rano Kao Crater on the south end of the island by Orongo.
Moai Statues
The highlight of any trip to Rapa Nui is undoubtedly the moai statues. These enigmatic stone figures are scattered throughout the island—especially in the northern half—where their somber, almost eerie gazes seem to reach up toward the heavens, as if pleading for divine deliverance from earthly torment. Among the most impressive sites featuring these iconic statues are Ahu Tongariki, Ranu Raraku, and Ahu One Makihi, all located in the island’s northeastern region.
Ahu One Makihi
Ahu One Makihi
The Moai at Anakena Beach, which were toppled during the island’s tribal civil war, were later re-erected by one of my favorite explorers, Norwegian Thor Heyerdahl. He famously built a balsa raft and floated across the Pacific from South America to Polynesia, seeking to demonstrate his belief that Polynesians originated from South America rather than Asia—a journey he detailed in his book, “Kon-Tiki.” Thor’s remarkable adventures throughout the South Pacific have always inspired me.
Anakena Beach itself is a stunning white sand beach—one of only a few on the island. We even took a refreshing swim, though the water was freezing.
Me in front of the Anakena beach Moai found by Thor Heyerdahl-a hero of mine, lying on the groundm was then placed uprightbyThor
Anakena Beach, one of the only beaches on the island
Ranu Raraku is the quarry where many moai, in various stages of construction, still remain. For me, it was the most amazing site on the island, and like most places we visited, we had it nearly to ourselves, which only deepened its mysterious allure. The moai are enormous, with their upper torsos emerging dramatically from the ground, and to this day, no one knows why their construction seems to have stopped abruptly.
Paula at Ranu Raraku
Ranu Raraku
Ranu Raraku
Paula at Ranu Raraku
Ahu Tongariki
Ahu Tongariki
Crowned Moai
Wilderness Hikes and Lava Cave Exploration
Although the island wasn’t crowded with tourists—especially if you have your own vehicle and plan your visits to the moai sites during less popular times—there are several spots where you can immerse yourself in true wilderness, with miles of hiking that guarantee solitude. The Poike Peninsula in the northeast and the northwest coast of the island are wild and beautiful, offering excellent hiking opportunities. The lava caves, some known to have served as hideouts for the Rapa Nui people during rival wars, contain skeletal remnants that suggest instances of cannibalism when food became scarce. While caves are scattered throughout the island, we explored several in the western half, including cave Ete 46, which was thrilling to navigate on our own, completely wild with no handrails or artificial lighting.
Natural vegetation along the wild northwest coast
Poike Peninsula
Paula and I hiked along the northwest sea cliffs for several hours without encountering another soul. The landscape was wild and raw—an expanse of wind-swept lava rock with huge, turquoise waves crashing ashore. An all-day hike along this route can take you to the far side of the cliffs, where you’ll pass several solitary moai along the way.
Paula admiring the sea cliffs of the northwest
Northwest sea cliffs
Wild landscapes of northwest
Paula and I absolutely loved exploring the lava caves. Some led to dramatic openings in the middle of a cliff, offering breathtaking views of the ocean, while others seemed to stretch endlessly underground, adding an air of mystery to our adventure.
Opening to a lava cave
Paula climbing the lava cave
On our last day on the island, we witnessed an amazing sunset at the Te Moai location near Hanga Roa. The giant moai statues served as a dramatic backdrop to the incredible surf, where I watched surfers skillfully catching overhead waves. It was an unforgettable scene—an exotic convergence of nature’s raw beauty and the thrill of the ocean.
Te Moai