Two tourists visit the moais among the beautiful landscape of Rapa Nui, in the Pacific Ocean’s Polynesian Triangle. Rapa Nui is a Unesco World Heritage Site.
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Formed 3 million years ago by an underwater volcanic eruption, the island of Rapa Nui is a mere 63-square-mile triangular speck deep in the South Pacific—2,237 miles from the coast of its home country, Chile.
Visiting the island, made famous by its mysterious statues known as moai—and commonly known by its colonial name Easter Island (after Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen landed on Easter Sunday in 1722)—takes some well-rewarded effort. Nothing prepares you for a meeting in person with those statues; their weirdness and size are only emphasized by a barren landscape overrun with wild horses. The ghosts of history and the island’s remoteness create an almost spiritual vibe.