Giant heads
Buried to the shoulders.
Aurbina — Public domain · LBM1948 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bjørn Christian Tørrissen — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Javier Ramos Pinochet — CC BY-SA 3.0
An ancient volcanic crater of compacted volcanic ash, the quarry from which about 95 per cent of Easter Island's giant moai statues were carved over centuries. On its slopes hundreds of statues still stand, lie or wait unfinished, as if the carvers had left them suddenly. Visitors walk a trail among huge heads rising from the grass, many buried to the shoulders or chest so only the long face with sharp nose and broad brow shows. In the rock you see statues not yet freed from the mountain, revealing how they were carved and moved. Among the best known is Tukuturi, a uniquely kneeling moai. Inside the crater lies a calm lake ringed by reeds, with more statues on its inner slopes, and from the rim a view over Ahu Tongariki and the ocean. It can be entered once on the ticket, so allow enough time, ideally early morning before the heat. Never touch the statues or step on the platforms, which islanders hold sacred and the law protects.
Buried to the shoulders.
The kneeling moai.
Reeds and statues.
South-east coast of Easter Island, about 20 km from Hanga Roa
Only once on the ten-day park ticket, so give it a full morning with a guide.
