T1-THE GRAND TOUR (non-cruise visitors)

Very nice ceremonial complex restored in the village, nestled in the bay of Hanga Roa. This former royal residence is the ideal place to admire the sunsets with several platforms and Moai in the foreground. It is also an opportunity to understand the territorial arrangement characteristic of the ancient civilization and the way in which humans modify their environment to arrive at these surprising constructions.

On the other side of the island, opposite the only village, the white sandy beach of Rapa Nui: Anakena. This is where the first Polynesian settlers arrived. An idyllic place, worthy of the most beautiful postcards, bathed in translucent waters and sheltered in the only coconut grove of Easter Island. Here, too, the site has been completely restored, and its Moai are the best preserved that we can still admire today.

Continuing between Anakena beach and the Poike peninsula in the North East, you will discover the largest Moai which was raised on its altar. Knocked down in the 19th century and broken in two, it bears witness to the gigantism of this astonishing megalithic civilization. Next to the platform, a stone with magnetic anomalies seems to protect the giant stone.

Shortly after, we stop on a basalt outcrop that houses petroglyphs, the other great expression of the Neolithic civilization of Easter Island. Concentrated on fishery resources, these representations remind us of the importance of the marine universe, an essential component of the Rapa Nui environment.

A stop of a few minutes to appreciate the aerophone stone.

Then we will arrive at one of the architectural gems of Polynesia: the Ahu Tongariki. It is the most important and undoubtedly the most remarkable restored site on the island. 15 Moai, these monoliths that have made Easter Island world famous, face visitors. Supposed to be astronomical, the sunrises give the place a special atmosphere.

Almost all the stone giants of Easter Island have been carved here. The Moai quarry is the site that most fascinates visitors. Hundreds of statues are still there and continue to captivate tourists from around the world who wander among them.

Rapa Nui's other career, that of hats and / or hairstyles and facings. The gigantism of the statues was no longer sufficient on its own: the red stone was then used for the sake of aesthetics. Superb panoramic view over the bay of Hanga Roa.

Here too, one of the most beautiful panoramas of Rapa Nui. The large crater of the extinct volcano and its indentation on the vastness of the South Pacific reminds us of the geographic isolation of Easter Island.

Tangata Manu, the cult of the Bird Man. The ceremonial village of Orongo, repeatedly restored, was built on the side of a cliff, facing the islets that shelter the seabirds that come to lay eggs there during the southern spring. The quest for the first egg designated the religious authority of the year.