Easter Island travel guide

Background

It is now generally accepted that the island was colonized from Polynesia about AD 800. Thor Heyerdahl’s theories that the first inhabitants came from South America are less widely accepted than they used to be and South American influence is now largely discounted.

Indigenous Polynesian society was competitive, and it seems that the five clans that originally had their own lands on Rapu Nui demonstrated their strength by erecting complex monuments representing deceased leading figures of the tribes, facing inwards as to protect the tribesfolk. These mo'ai were sculpted at the Rano Raraku quarry and transported on wooden rollers over more or less flat paths to their final locations; their red topknots were sculpted at Puna Pau and then brought to the coast. Rounded pebbles were all collected from the same beach at Vinapu and laid out checkerboard fashion at the ahu. The sculptors and engineers were paid out of the surplus food produced by the sponsoring family. The population grew steadily, until around the 16th or 17th century it passed the limits of the islands natural resources, causing a century of warfare and famine between the tribes during which most of the mo'ai, seen to have failed their descendents, were destroyed or at the very least knocked off their plinths. At one point the population was reduced to as few as 111 inhabitants. War was finally ended with the introduction of the cult of the Bird Man at Orongo, and the population slowly recovered.

European contact with the island began with the visit of the Dutch admiral, Jacob Roggeven, on Easter Sunday 1722, who was followed by the British navigator James Cook in 1774 and the French sailor Le Perouse in 1786. The population of the island remained stable at around 4000 until the 1850s, when Peruvian slavers, smallpox and emigration to Tahiti (encouraged by plantation owners) reduced the numbers. Between 1859 and 1862, over 1000 islanders were transported as slaves to work in the Peruvian guano trade. The island was annexed by Chile in 1888 and from 1895 to 1952 most of it was leased to a private company that bred sheep on its grasslands: a wall was built around the Hanga Roa area, which islanders were forbidden to cross.

Now, about half the island is used for grazing and agriculture, while the other half constitutes a national park. Of the current population, about 1000 are from the mainland. Tourism has grown rapidly since the air service began in 1967 and is now also regularly visited by cruise ships. Many of the mo'ai have now been restored to their original positions.

Climate

Unlike most Polynesian islands, Easter Island has no coral reef as winter temperatures are too cold for coral to survive. As a result, the coastline has been eroded in parts to form steep cliffs, around Poike, Rano Kao and on the northern side of Terevaka. There is no high central plateau and consequently little gully erosion, which would normally lead to the development of streams and rivers. Moreover, much of the island’s rainfall drains away underground into the huge caverns formed by the collapse of basalt caves. As a result, although annual rainfall is usually above 1000 mm, there is always a severe shortage of water and in many years several months of drought. Humidity is usually high, and the rainy season is March to October, with the wettest weather in May. Average monthly temperatures range from 15-17°C in August, up to 24°C in February, the hottest month.

Getting around

There are numerous taxis available on the island and an unreliable summer bus service. Horses, bicycles, motorbikes and cars can all be hired.

Ins and outs

Getting there

The high tourist season is September to April, although there are tourists year-round. The only ways to reach the island is by Lanchile plane from Santiago or on a cruise ship. Easter Island’s airport is just south of Hanga Roa. Most flights continue from Easter Island to Tahiti.