Half day PM – Looking at the Stars

Visit the archaeological sites of Ahu Akivi, Ahu Huri a Urenga, and Puna Pau on the half-day tour. Discover the platform with 7 moai that, according to oral tradition, was created in honor of the first explorers of Rapa Nui. Additionally, we take you to explore the pukao quarry, Puna Pau, where the most attractive pukao (red scoria hats or headdresses that crown the heads of some moai) are found, and where you can also enjoy a panoramic view of the Hanga Roa village.

We will also visit the singular ceremonial altar Ahu Huri a Urenga, a site of great archaeological importance that features a circular structure and a very peculiar main moai with four hands, a rare characteristic that highlights the exceptional importance of this site within ancient Rapa Nui society.

This tour provides insight into the connection between the ancient inhabitants of Easter Island and the Universe.

The excursion includes ceremonial centers erected in the central and inland area of the island during the last period of Moai construction, the most significant in Rapa Nui culture. Megalithic archaeological sites stand out, demonstrating how astronomy determined the arrangement of the giant statues and the platforms they stand on, being used to mark seasonal cycles and ceremonial events —such as the winter solstice in the case of Huri a Urenga— offering a glimpse into the worldview of the ancient Polynesian navigators who populated Easter Island.

All visited points incorporate ancient sites that were created and used during the end of the Ahu-Moai phase. These sites represent various cultural developments in Rapa Nui’s history, strategically deployed around ceremonial centers.