Full Day – The Moai Trail
This full-day tour invites us to delve into the essence of Rapa Nui, following in the footsteps of the ancestors through sites steeped in history and spirituality.
We'll start in Vaihu, where the moai lie toppled in front of the sea, witnesses to ancient conflicts that shaped the island's history. Nearby, in Akahanga, we'll discover the ceremonial village linked to the first ariki, Hotu Matu'a. Among the remains of boat houses and stone hearths, we'll learn how community life was organised and the importance of the oral tradition that keeps the memory of the Rapa Nui people alive.
Later, we'll enter the sacred quarry of Rano Raraku, the place where almost all the island's moai were born. There, unfinished giants still remain attached to the rock, as if waiting to awaken one day. From this mysterious setting, we'll move on to Ahu Tongariki, the most majestic altar in Rapa Nui, where fifteen moai stand solemnly facing the ocean, evoking the ceremonial grandeur of the clans.
The road will then take us to Te Pito Kura, where the largest moai ever erected rests, along with the legendary stone known as the “Navel of the World.” This place, full of magnetism and symbolism, connects with the Rapa Nui worldview and with the idea of a spiritual centre that radiates energy to the four corners of the earth.
Finally, we'll arrive at the magical Anakena Beach, the cradle of legends and the place where Hotu Matu'a arrived. Its white sands and turquoise waters invite us to relax, while its ahu remind us that this is where the history of a people who built one of the most enigmatic cultures in the Pacific began.
