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.
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. An 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.
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David Stanley is the author of Moon Handbooks South Pacific
http://www.southpacific.org/pacific.html which has a chapter on Easter
Island. Stanley's online guide to Easter Island may be perused at
http://www.southpacific.org/text/finding_easter.html and his Easter
Island travel photos are on
http://www.pacific-pictures.com/easter_island/
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