Exploring Easter Island: Top 5 Moai Statue Sites

Researching which moai statues to visit on Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in Chile can be overwhelming. I speak from experience, having spent many hours planning to make the most of a week on this mystical and remote South Pacific island.

However, the names and places I read about quickly became familiar once Kel and I arrived on Easter Island via the daily LATAM Airlines flight from Santiago. By the end of our week, we'd visited all the major moai sites and many minor ones. Instead of swamping you with every possible moai site on Easter Island in this article, I prefer to focus on the five most impressive and photogenic ones.

If you're short on time, know you can visit all five incredible archaeological sites in a single (albeit busy) day. However, I recommend giving yourself as many days on the island as possible. Kel and I enjoyed visiting several of these spots multiple times.

Moai Sites

1. Rano Raraku

The most important archaeological site on Rapa Nui is Rano Raraku, a volcano on the island's eastern side that the Indigenous people used as a quarry. The volcanic crater is made of tuff, a soft volcanic rock ideal for carving. From 1100 to 1500 AD, roughly one thousand moai statues were carved from the crater's eastern slope. The statues honor ancestors, chiefs, and important figures in Rapa Nui society.

Rano Raraku provided the majority of the moai found on the island, and over 400 statues in various stages of completion are still present at the site. One of the fascinating aspects of touring Rano Raraku is the chance to see moai statues in different stages of construction.

Some unfinished multi-ton statues remain attached to the ground by their backs, as the back was the last part to be carved before the moai were moved. Others stand upright with their head and shoulders above ground while their bodies remain buried in the soil. Several statues were left face-down, possibly because they didn't meet the builders' standards or were abandoned before being transported to their intended ahu (ceremonial platform).

Visiting the Quarry

Rano Raraku is part of Rapa Nui National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visitors must purchase a ticket, available online through the official Rapa Nui National Park website, for 72,000 Chilean pesos (about $77). Tickets are valid for 10 consecutive days from the start date. Due to the ecological and archaeological sensitivity of this moai site on Easter Island, you must visit with a guide, and you're only allowed one entry.

Budget-conscious travelers can visit Rano Raraku with a local tour company like Mahinatur, which has an office in Hanga Roa town. This was our approach, and the 90 minutes we spent at Rano Raraku, the first stop on a day-long tour, was sufficient.

However, suppose you'd like more time and flexibility during a visit to Rano Raraku. In that case, paying more and hiring a private guide through the park website is better. I recommend a private tour for anyone who wants to produce a video of the site or control the time of day you visit.

Speaking of timing, we were at the mercy of Mahinatur's schedule since we took a group tour. It was raining when we left town from their office on the tour bus. Thankfully, by the time we reached Rano Raraku, 12 miles east of town (and about a 30-minute drive), around 9:15 a.m., the rain had stopped.

Most of the moai statues face south, so it'd be tricky to get their faces fully sunlit regardless of whether you go in the morning or afternoon. Plus, there's always the possibility of clouds interfering. Another variable is the sun's position in the sky, which changes throughout the year.

2. Ahu Tongariki

About one mile east of Rano Raraku volcano is Ahu Tongariki, the largest ahu complex on Easter Island with 15 moai statues. We first saw it from above while walking through Rano Raraku. The ahu is over 200 feet long, and the moai were positioned facing inland to watch over the community. It was built between the 13th and 15th centuries and served as a ceremonial site.

Recent research on Easter Island, published in the Plos One journal in 2019, showed that the placement of ahus around the coast corresponds with sources of freshwater, which would've been vital to the survival of Rapa Nui society.

In 1960, a massive tsunami triggered by the Valdivia earthquake off the coast of Chile knocked the moai statues at Ahu Tongariki off their platform. The fact that these multi-ton statues were swept inland and left in ruins speaks to the power of the wave.

From 1992 to 1996, the Chilean government, the Rapa Nui community, and Japanese archaeologists and engineers led a restoration effort. Modern equipment was used to restore the moai statues to their rightful place on the platform. Ahu Tongariki is a testament to the cultural importance of the moai and the resilience of the Rapa Nui people. It's one of the most visited and photographed sites on Easter Island.

Tips for Tongariki

The restored moai statues of Ahu Tongariki are one of the more spectacular sites on Easter Island. Rano Raraku may have more moai, but most are partially buried, uncompleted, or face down in the ground. At Ahu Tongariki, you can better understand what these monoliths looked like in their final placements around the island. The site is also home to petroglyphs named Papa Tataku Poki.

Ahu Tongariki is part of Rapa Nui National Park, so you must present your park pass and enter with a licensed guide. We visited Tongariki after Rano Raraku as part of a group tour, which allowed us to walk around the entire ceremonial platform and get some close-up shots of the moai statues.

Three days later, we returned at about 6:20 a.m. in a rental car to photograph Ahu Tongariki at sunrise. Since we didn't have a guide, we couldn't enter the site, but it didn't matter. We got some excellent photos from outside the rock wall that encircles the site. At various times, the sky was purple, orange, and pink. Before we left, we also saw a complete rainbow over nearby Rano Raraku!

3. Ahu Nau Nau

Constructed atop Anakena Beach on the northern coast of Easter Island, Ahu Nau Nau is one of the most well-preserved and scenic moai spots on the island. The beach is the legendary landing site of Polynesian chief Hotu Matu’a, leader of the island’s first settlers, sometime between 400 and 700 AD.

As the only sand beach on an otherwise rough coast made up of volcanic rock, it was also the place where European explorers came ashore in the 19th and 20th centuries. More recently, American anthropologist William Mulloy and Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl conducted field research in the 1950s.

Ahu Nau Nau features seven moai statues restored to their platform in the 1970s. Two of the statues are missing their heads and parts of their bodies. The moai at Ahu Nau Nau are among the best-preserved on the island because, after being toppled, they were buried in sand and protected for centuries. This preservation has allowed the intricate carvings on their backs to remain visible. Four moai are topped with red scoria topknots (pukao), symbolizing high status and power.

To the right of Ahu Nau Nau is Ahu Ature Huki, which consists of a single moai sculpture. Ahu Ature Huki is notable for being the first moai to be re-erected in modern times (1956) by the island’s community with the help of Thor Heyerdahl, thus marking the beginning of Easter Island’s restoration efforts.

Getting to Anakena Beach

There are many ways to get to Anakena Beach to see Ahu Nau Nau and Ahu Ature Huki. Our first visit was with the small group tour that began at Rano Raraku and Ahu Tongariki. Three days later, we returned with our rental car to grab a seafood lunch (highly recommended) and take some photos.

If neither a guided tour nor a rental car appeals to you, you could take a private taxi or shuttle bus from Hanga Roa town. With a cab, I'd recommend setting up a pick-up time to collect you in advance. The food vendors at Anakena now offer Wi-Fi, but I wouldn't rely on it. Shuttle services like Te Ao Tour will have schedules you can depend on to get to the beach and back.

You could rent a bike and cycle from town to Anakena Beach and back for exercise. It's about 10 miles one way (20 miles round trip), so set out early and take plenty of water. Finally, if you can access a boat or want to hire one to take you around the island, that could be another option.

4. Ahu Tahai

Situated on the west coast of Easter Island, within walking distance of Hanga Roa town, the Tahai Ceremonial Complex is one of the oldest and most important moai statue sites. It was used for religious ceremonies, ancestor worship, and social gatherings by the early Rapa Nui.

The complex includes three restored ahu:

• Ahu Vai Uri (five statues, constructed around 1200 AD)
• Ahu Tahai (one statue built around 700 AD)
• Ahu Ko Te Riku (one statue with eyes and hat)

Like many other moai sites, the Tahai complex was abandoned in the 17th Century as the Rapa Nui society faced ecological challenges and social conflicts. The statues were toppled, only to be restored in the 1960s and 1970s.

The effort, led by William Mulloy, included erecting the moai statues, reconstructing the ahu platforms, and restoring the moai’s eyes on Ahu Ko Te Riku. The remains of Mulloy and later his wife Emily were buried within view of the statues and are marked by a large stone and plaque.

Tahai at Sunrise and Sunset

Due to its proximity to town, Kel and I visited Tahai four times during our week-long stay on Easter Island. The half-mile walk before sunrise offered a peaceful experience; the day was beginning, horses were grazing, and there were few tourists around. Mornings are ideal if you want to catch the sun illuminating the faces of these moai.

The Tahai Ceremonial Complex is more frequently visited at sunset, as the sun goes down behind the statues. This can make for a colorful sky; however, the statues' faces will be dark. And you'll likely be sharing the view with more tourists.

5. Ahu Akivi

For the fifth must-see moai statue site on Easter Island, I'd like to highlight Ahu Akivi, constructed in the 16th Century. Located on the western side of Rapa Nui, Ahu Akivi is one of the few ceremonial platforms to be located inland rather than on the coast.

The seven similar moai at Ahu Akivi are uniquely oriented to face the Pacific Ocean. This is unusual as all the other moai on platforms face inland. According to oral tradition, the seven moai represent the seven explorers sent by the island's first king, Hotu Matu'a, to find the island before the king's arrival.

During the Spring Equinox, they face sunset, and during the Autumn Equinox, they have their backs to sunrise. This precise placement indicates that Ahu Akivi was once used as an astronomical observatory.

Ahu Akivi was restored in the 1960s, led by William Mulloy and Gonzalo Figueroa. The ahu (platform) was repaired, and the moai were once again placed on top of it.

Visiting Ahu Akivi

Kel and I visited Ahu Akivi on a half-day group tour we booked through Mahinatur in town. Although it was raining when we were there, the site on the side of Monte Terevaka, Rapa Nui's tallest volcano, still offered a nice view. Ahu Akivi is about four miles northeast of town.

Exploring the moai statues of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) is a unique experience, offering a glimpse into the island’s cultural heritage and stunning vistas. Whether you’re visiting the iconic Rano Raraku, the expansive Ahu Tongariki, or the scenic Ahu Nau Nau, each site presents its own story and significance.

By prioritizing these top five moai sites, you can make the most of your time on Easter Island and immerse yourself in the mystique of this remote South Pacific destination.