When it comes to remote tourist destinations, there is no doubt that Easter Island is one of the most difficult places in the world to get to, lying roughly midway between the coast of Chile and the Pacific island of Tahiti. There is no doubt that it is a fascinating place to visit, and the famous carved stone heads on the island are an iconic feature that are known by many people around the world, but the country is actually visited by relatively few people every year.

For those wanting to go beyond just knowing about the island and actually want to visit, there are relatively few options available, with the most common option being to fly to the island.

Flying To Easter Island

The international airport on Easter Island is the most remote airport in the world, with the main flight connection traveling over 2,300 miles to the airport of Chile's capital, Santiago. The national airline of Chile, LAN operates all of the regular services to Easter Island, with a daily flight to Santiago, a weekly flight to Tahiti and a twice weekly service to the Peruvian capital, Lima. The flights to Lima are a seasonal operation, so it is worth checking beforehand to make sure the services are operating when you wish to travel.

The flights from Lima are often the most competitively priced, but the obscure journey and sole carrier means that prices can often be more expensive than those on more popular routes in South America.

Visiting Easter Island By Boat

For those who are looking for a longer term holiday, there are also several cruise lines that visit Easter Island as a part of their itinerary, although this can often include journeys of a month or sometimes even more.

These cruises will usually include visits to several other islands in the Pacific along with Easter island, and are particularly popular among those who enjoy scuba diving, because of the amazing dive sites that can be found along these routes. There have also been occasional tall ship sailing adventures to Easter Island departing from Australia, New Zealand and other Pacific islands.

Getting Around Easter Island

Once you are on Easter Island, there are several ways to get around, although with only one paved road running between the main town of Hanga Roa and Anakena, this certainly isn't a drivers' paradise. There are rental facilities offering cars and jeeps, while those wanting to see the island on two wheels can also rent motorcycles and mountain bikes. However, for those wanting to see the island as the first visitors would have done, there are some amazing sights that can be explored on foot, with the crater of Rano Kau offering an interesting day hike from Hanga Roa, while there are also some stunning beaches that can only be reached on foot.

The Moai Of Easter Island

There is no doubt that the main reason most people will want to visit Easter Island is to see the remarkable Moai, the huge carved statues of angular faces and heads that are dotted around much of the island. In many areas these Moai are found in almost every village, while in some areas these may be lined up on ceremonial platforms known as Ahu, and out of respect for the local people most visitors adhere to their wishes not to walk on these platforms. The majority of these Moai can be found at sites around the coast of the island, although it is also worth taking a trip inland to see the quarry at Rano Raraku, where the Moai were carved, and where it is still possible to see Moai in partial states of completion.