Easter Island is one of the most mysterious places on Earth because of the giant statues that can be found here. Situated in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, the Easter Island belongs to Chile and it is one of the most isolated islands in the world. Even so, it is not impossible to arrive there, even if the trip will last more then 5 hours no matter from what continent tourists depart. The only flights to Easter Island are from Santiago de Chile, Lima and Tahiti. There is also one sails voyage each year from New Zeeland, but it lasts no less then 35 days!
Getting to Easter Island is the hard part, because once arrived there, tourists will get around very easy as the island is extremely small. They can rent a car, a jeep or a bicycle. There are some guided tours that visitors can join if they want to be sure that they won’t miss anything. There are approximately 25 restaurants on the island where people can eat and 3 places where they can book a place to sleep that are at an international standard. There are other guest houses as well where tourists can book a room. Pisco is the main alcoholic drink of the island. Made from fermented grapes, locals use it at cocktails instead of vodka or whiskey. The port town of Hanga Roa is the place where most of the shops for tourists are. Even if the currency is in Chilean pesos, the transactions can be performed also in US dollars.
Without doubt, the main touristic objective on the island are the Moai. This are human figures statues carved between 1250 and 1500. There are 887 statues, the tallest having 10 meters and weights 82 tons. Most of the statues are made out of compressed volcanic ash, called tuff. The main characteristics of the statues are large and broad noses, rectangular ears, strong chins and deep eye slits. The heads are huge, at a ratio of three-to-five with the body. Most of the statues are found along the island’s coastline and are free to visit. Two remarkable sites are Rano Raraku and Rano Kau which are volcanic craters. On the right side of the crater of Rano Raraku can be found the most Moai statues. This is probably the most beautiful site of the island. The entry fee to these two sites costs $60.
There are two beaches with white sand: Anakena and Ovahe. The first one is a perfect place for surfing while the 2nd is surrounded by cliffs that offer a breathtaking view. There are places on the island where people can do scuba diving and snorkeling.