Where is Easter Island? Easter Island: photos

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

"Where is Easter Island?" - this question is of interest to many. This place is exotic and shrouded in a whole heap of legends and beliefs. However, getting there will be very difficult.

Where is Easter Island located: coordinates

A small piece of land annexed by Chile at the beginning of the twentieth century, located 3600 km from the South American continent. The nearest island group is 2075 km to the east. It is not difficult to guess that of all the inhabited places on Earth, Easter Island is one of the most remote. The area of this unique monument of the Rapani culture is 163.6 km2. It is the small size and very distant location from the mainland that causes questions about where the Easter Islands are located. By the way, this combination is absolutely incorrect, since there is only one island in that region, and it is hardly correct to consider small patches of rocky shoals as islands. It is all the more surprising that such an island, lost far away in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, sheltered on its small lands the amazing nation of Rapa Nui, which, presumably, erected amazing stone statues.

Historical background

Of course, it is not enough to know where Easter Island is. Its history is no less interesting than the location.

The island arose as standard for numerous archipelagos and atolls of the planet's largest ocean: thanks to a volcanic eruption. Constant eruptions and violent winds have made the coast difficult to moor ships: there are only two places where you can set foot on the coast from the liner without first breaking into the rocks.

The first colonists reached this lost piece of land 1300 years ago. They spotted large palm groves, which were immediately put to use for the construction of dwellings and boats. Later, a small civilization had a hard time: the constant attacks of Peruvian pirates reduced the population of the lands every year. In addition, Catholic preachers destroyed the artifacts of the people from Easter Island, which caused irreparable damage to the unique culture of Rapa Nui. Currently, the remains of ancient structures are under the protection of UNESCO.

Stone idols Moai

How Rapa Nui created the famous stone statues is still unknown. They are blocks, the weight of which is up to 14 tons, and the height can reach 4 meters. It is curious that idols can be found everywhere: in places where Easter Island meets the ocean, or in the depths, near mountains and volcanoes. In other words, the cult of Moai was of great importance for the population of the era of the construction of stone idols. Presumably they were built tocommemorate the death of a fellow tribesman: the larger the statue, the more honor the deceased. However, the question arises: "How did the stone blocks move from one point of the island to another?"

The answer to it will most likely be impossible to find. However, unfinished prototypes of future statues found suggest that the idols were first hollowed out of stone, and then transported on logs or cables from one part of the island to another.

How to get there?

It would seem that knowing where Easter Island is located, reaching its shores will not be a problem. Unfortunately, it is not. You can try your luck and board one of the liners that set off from the shores of Australia or South America, heading to conquer the expanses of Oceania, especially since the first inhabitants reached the island on dilapidated boats. However, the most adequate option is to fly by plane.

But not everything is so simple with a flying unit: you can fly to the coveted place only from Chile and Tahiti. For the inhabitants of Russia, even Australia is very far away, but this is only a transit point on the way. In total, the flight to the shores of the famous island will take several days, and will also eat up a fair portion of finances. It is also worth remembering that there is only one city on the island, so visiting the UNESCO monuments is the only joy available to tourists.

When to visit?

Despite the remoteness of the place where Easter Island is located, this is a fairly popular tourist region, which has its own periods of influx and decline in the activity of visitors. Considering the fact thatSince this piece of land is located near the equator, it is impossible to meet snowdrifts here at any time of the year. However, the high season starts in summer: from January to March. This is followed by a decrease in the tourist flow, although the temperature conditions are still not very severe: about 17 degrees in the coldest months. Thus, if you want to enjoy the beauty of Easter Island without the noisy crowds, it is better to come between April and November.

Easter Island is a unique place. Here you can admire the volcano, visible even from space, unique stone statues. In addition, the population of the island can tell travelers a lot, as local legends have been passed down from generation to generation. So now we know where the Easter Islands are, and what they, or rather he, are.