"Where is Easter Island located ?" - This question interests many. This place is exotic and shrouded in a heap of legends and beliefs. However, getting there will be very difficult.
Where is Easter Island: coordinates
A small piece of land annexed by Chile at the beginning of the twentieth century is located 3600 km from the South American continent. The nearest island group is 2075 km to the east. It is easy to guess that of all the inhabited places of the Earth Easter Island is one of the most remote. The area of this unique monument of Rapani culture is 163.6 km2. It is the small size and very distant location from the mainland that 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’s hardly correct to count small islands of rocky shallows as islands. It is all the more surprising that such an island, lost far in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, sheltered the amazing nation of Rapa Nui on its small lands, which, presumably, erected amazing stone statues.
Historical reference
Of course, it is not enough to know where Easter Island is. His story is no less interesting than the location.
The island arose as a standard for numerous archipelagos and atolls of the largest ocean of the planet: thanks to a volcanic eruption. Constant eruptions and violent winds made the coast difficult to moor ships: there are only two places where you can step on the coast from the liner, without first breaking on the rocks.
The first colonists reached this lost patch of land 1300 years ago. They noticed large palm groves, which were immediately put into operation for the construction of dwellings and boats. Later, a small civilization had a hard time: the constant attacks of the Peruvian pirates reduced the population of the earth every year. In addition, Catholic preachers destroyed artifacts of the people from Easter Island, thereby causing irreparable damage to the unique Rapa Nui culture. Currently, the remains of ancient structures are protected by UNESCO.
Stone statues of Moai
How Rapa Nui created the famous stone sculptures is not known until now. 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 to the population of the era of the erection of stone idols. Presumably, they were built in order to mark the death of a fellow tribesman: the larger the statue, the greater the honor to the deceased. However, the question arises: "How did the stone blocks move from one point of the island to another?"
It will most likely be impossible to find an answer to it. However, the found unfinished prototypes of future statues suggest that the idols were first hollowed out of rock, and then transported from 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, this is not the case. You can try your luck and take one of the airliners that set sail from the shores of Australia or South America, heading to conquer the open spaces of Oceania, especially since the first inhabitants reached the island in dilapidated ships. However, the most appropriate option is to fly by plane.
But not everything is so simple with a flying unit: you can fly to a desired 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, a flight to the shores of the famous island will take several days, and also eat a fair portion of finances. It is also worth remembering that there is only one city on the island, so visiting 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 rather popular tourist region, which has its own periods of influx and decline in activity of visitors. Given the fact that this piece of land is located near the equator, it is impossible to meet snow drifts here at any time of the year. However, the high season begins in the summer: from January to March. This is followed by a decrease in 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 beauties of Easter Island without crowding crowds, it is better to come from April to November.
Easter Island is a unique place. Here you can admire the volcano, visible even from space, unique stone sculptures. In addition, the island's population can tell travelers a lot, as local traditions have been passed down from generation to generation. So now it’s known where the Easter Islands are, and what they are, or rather he is.