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South Pacific Photos: Easter Island

Easter Island Travel Photos

Easter Island has long been considered one of the most isolated islands on earth, although it's now easily accessible on flights from Tahiti and Santiago. A colony of Chile since 1888, Easter Island is best known for its ancient Polynesian statues or moai. Upwards of a thousand of these lay scattered along the coasts or strewn on the slopes of an extinct volcano.

Visitor facilities are concentrated in the main town, Hanga Roa, in the southwest next to Mataveri Airport. Aside from the sightseeing, there's excellent hiking available here. No other Pacific island has as much to see as Easter Island.

All photos on Pacific-Pictures.com are by David Stanley, author of Moon Handbooks South Pacific. The images on this page are details. To view the complete photos, click on the thumbnails.

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Motu Nui from Orongo: Rock carvings of birdmen at Orongo with Motu Nui in the distance: Every September, swimmers would race to the island to find the first egg of the migratory sooty tern, the winner being proclaimed birdman.
		A solitary moai (statue) with Rano Raraku beyond.

		A toppled moai at Ahu Vaihu on Easter Island's south coast.

A row of accommodation booking offices at Mataveri Airport.	A dancer with Kari Kari Ballet Cultural performs at Hanga Roa.	Caleta Hanga Roa, site of the island's small boat harbor.

Ahu Tongariki set against the cliffs of the Poike Peninsula.	Taro growing in Ana Te Pahu, a collapsed lava tube.	Anakena Beach is the island's best, with a row of restored statues.

Pacific-Pictures.com

Easter Island Travel Photos

Motu Nui from Orongo: