10 Reasons to Visit Easter Island

Updated August 10, 2020.

It’s not just Faraway Friday, it’s the farthest Faraway Friday there will ever be! That’s because this is all about the exotic and beautiful Easter Island–the remotest island on the planet. That’s pretty far away! Here are 10 reasons you should definitely visit this tiny island in the South Pacific.

10. Mild Climate

This might have been my husband’s favorite feature. We visited in their winter (August), and the temperatures were in the 50’s to upper 60’s, with a light breeze. I think the summers are quite a bit warmer, but it’s an island, so there will almost always be a nice breeze!

More here: What to Know Before You Visit Easter Island

9. Safety

Easter Island would be an amazing solo travel destination for men or women because it’s such a safe place. It’s laid back, remote, and people are incredibly friendly and helpful. I never once felt unsafe at all. It’s truly relaxing and allows you to feel care-free!

8. Small Town Feel

It’s great to visit a small town. Directions are easy (even without street signs!), once you’ve walked the main drag a time or two you know where everything is, and people are just so friendly and helpful. A family offered us a ride into town that day we accidentally walked 17 miles, and when my husband forgot his phone charger in the room the day we checked out, one of the owners came to find us in town to get it back to us! That wouldn’t happen in a place like New York, Paris, L.A., etc. By the time we left, we almost felt like locals!

More here: What to Pack for Easter Island: Ladies Edition

7. Empanadas

I love empanadas! I’ve had them in the States, but there is some kind of special ingredient here on the island that makes them yummier. Maybe it’s the sea air! At any rate, this was one of the best parts of our visit. I had at least one empanada per day!

Keep Reading: What to Eat on Easter Island

6. Get a Passport Stamp

There are not too many places in the world that are not an individual country where you can get a special stamp for your passport, but Easter Island is one of those places! It’s free of charge, but it’s traditional to give a 500 Chilean pesos (CLP) donation (about 75 cents U.S.).

Get more: Your Guide to Passports

5. Rano Raraku

This is a pretty unique place. This is where all the moai were carved before being transported to their ahu (or platform). You can still see so many of them still there–partially carved in the sides of the mountain, sticking up out of the ground, laying on their front or back on the ground there. You can learn all about their history–at least what we know about it, and even what we don’t know for sure!

4. Mysteriousness

This is a pretty amazing island because of all the mystery surrounding it! We literally do not know for sure why the Moai were made, how they were carved and transported and by what primitive methods, nor do we know exactly when people started living here–we just know it was very long ago!

Keep Reading: Moai: The Heads of Easter Island

3. History

Along with its mysteriousness, Easter Island is replete with a long history. We do know that the Rapa Nui people are related to the rest of the Polynesians around the Pacific. They even share many language characteristics and some words are the same as well.

The Rapa Nui people separated themselves into many tribes all across the island, and while that eventually led to deforestation, it also means the people had rich, diverse cultures–each tribe was different! They had a Birdman Contest every year that determined who the lead tribe would be–it involved making their way across shark-infested water! And in 1860s, Peruvians came to capture the Rapa Nui people to make them slaves for mining work on Peru. This is part of why there is a huge gap in the oral history, and that’s why we know so little for certain about the island’s history.

More here: What to Pack for Easter Island: Men’s Edition

2. Tongariki

This is probably my favorite moai site. It’s beautiful at sunrise, but during the daytime it’s amazing, too! This is the ahu (or platform) with the most moai standing on it (15), and it’s right on a beautiful natural bay as well. This is what I think of when I think about Easter Island.

Get More: Sunrise at Ahu Tongariki

1. Moai

This is the most intriguing, most photographed, most mysterious, and most mesmerizing part of Easter Island. This is why people come–it’s what made us want to go! For all the details, check out Moai: The Heads of Easter Island!

More here: How to Spend 5 Days on Easter Island

Are you convinced? Are you ready for your own trip to Rapa Nui? I think you should go for it! Check out my Chile Page for all my posts about Easter Island!

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