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A Hiking Guide to Easter Island
by: David Stanley
Ask me which Pacific island has the most to offer hikers and I'll probably
answer Easter Island. Here on an island 11 km wide and 23 km long you'll
find nearly a thousand ancient Polynesian statues strewn along a powerfully
beautiful coastline or littering the slopes of an extinct volcano. Getting
there is easy as Easter Island can be included in the Oneworld Explorer
airpass introduced on http://www.southpacific.org/air.html , and a fine
selection of inexpensive places to stay and eat await you.
The legends of Easter Island have been recounted many times. What's
less known is that the island's assorted wonders are easily accessible
on foot from the comfort of the only settlement, Hanga Roa. Before setting
out see the sights, however, visit the excellent archaeological museum
next to Ahu Tahai on the north side of town (the term "ahu"
refers to an ancient stone platform). Aside from the exhibits, the museum
has maps which can help you plan your trip. On online map is available
at http://www.mapsouthpacific.com/easter_island/
The first morning after arrival, I suggest you climb Easter Island's
most spectacular volcano, Rano Kau, where Orongo, a major archaeological
site, sits on the crater's rim. But rather than marching straight up
the main road to the crater, look for the unmarked shortcut trail off
a driveway to the right just past the forestry station south of town.
It takes under two hours to cover the six km from Hanga Roa to Orongo,
but bring along a picnic lunch and make a day of it. (If climbing a
316-meter hill sounds daunting, you can take a taxi to the summit for
around US$6 and easily walk back later in the day.) Once on top, you'll
find hiking down into the colourful crater presents no difficulty. It
may also look easy to go right around the crater rim, but only do so
if you're a very experienced hiker and have a companion along as shear
250-meter cliffs drop into the sea from the ridge.
Another day, rise early and take a taxi to lovely Anakena Beach at
the end of the paved road on the north side of the island (you should
pay under US$10 for the 20 km). A few of the famous Easter Island statues
have been restored at Anakena and you could go for a swim, although
the main reason you've come is the chance to trek back to Hanga Roa
around the road-free northwest corner of the island. You'll pass numerous
abandoned statues lying facedown where they fell, and the only living
creatures you're unlikely to encounter are the small brown hawks which
will watch you intently from perches on nearby rocks. If you keep moving,
you'll arrive back in town in five or six hours (but take adequate food,
water, and sunscreen). This is probably the finest coastal walk in the
South Pacific.
Almost as good is the hike along the south coast, although you're bound
to run into other tourists here as a paved highway follows the shore.
Begin early and catch a taxi to Rano Raraku, the stone quarry where
all of the island's statues were born. This is easily the island's most
spectacular sight with 397 statues in various stages of completion lying
scattered around the crater. And each day large tour groups come to
Rano Raraku to sightsee and have lunch. However, if you arrive before
9 am, you'll have the site to yourself for a few hours. When you see
the first tour buses headed your way, hike down to Ahu Tongariki on
the coast, where 15 massive statues were reerected in 1994. From here,
just start walking back toward Hanga Roa (20 km) along the south coast.
You'll pass many fallen statues and enjoy some superb scenery. Whenever
you get tired, simply go up onto the highway and stick out your thumb
and you'll be back in town in a jiffy.
An outstanding 13-km walk begins at the museum and follows the west
coast five km north to Ahu Tepeu. As elsewhere, keep your eyes pealed
for banana trees growing out of the barren rocks as these often indicate
caves you can explore. Inland from Ahu Tepeu is one of the island's
most photographed sites, Ahu Akivi, with seven statues restored in 1960.
From here an interior farm road runs straight back to town (study the
maps at the museum carefully, as you'll go far out of your way if you
choose the wrong road here).
A shorter hike takes you up Puna Pau, a smaller crater which provided
stone for the red topknots that originally crowned the island's statues.
There's a great view of Hanga Roa from the three crosses on an adjacent
hill and you can easily do it all in half a day. A different walk takes
you right around the 3,353-meter airport runway, which crosses the island
just south of town. Near the east end of the runway is Ahu Vinapu with
perfectly fitted monolithic stonework bearing an uncanny resemblance
to similar constructions in Peru.
Easter Island's moderate climate and scant vegetation make for easy
cross country hiking, and you won't find yourself blocked by fences
and private property signs very often. You could also tour the island
by mountain bike, available from several locations at US$10 a day. If
you surf or scuba dive, there are many opportunities here. A minimum
of five days are needed to see the main sights of Easter Island, and
two weeks would be far better. The variety of things to see and do will
surprise you, and you'll be blessed with some unforgettable memories.
About The Author - David Stanley is the author of Moon
Handbooks South Pacific http://www.southpacific.org/pacific.html
which has a chapter on Easter Island. His online guide to Easter Island
may be perused at http://www.southpacific.org/text/finding_easter.html
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