Rapa Nui (named "Easter Island" for the
day of the first European
sighting in 1772) exists in people's
minds as a place of intrigue and awe. The most isolated inhabited land
on the planet (the nearest settlement is over 1,900 Kms/ 1100 miles away!), Easter Island was colonized by
skilled Polynesian navigators 1000 years ago.
Over 3,600 Kms (2100 miles) from the
Chilean coast, most visitors arrive on the 5 hour flights offered by
LanChile considering the alternatives by sea.
Thoughts of Easter
Island conjure up images of massive moai, the solemn
statues that were carved of massive blocks of stone and which remain
the main draw for visitors. The geology of the island is also of
interest: three distinct volcanic cones joined by their lava flows to
form the small triangular island have created countless caves &
beaches. There is no place on earth like this!
Temperatures on Easter Island
range from 15.5 (winter) to 27.3 Celsius (summer)
