For travelers who really prefer to get away from it all, there’s a remote island in the South Pacific Ocean that’s perfect for an escape away from crowds.
Easter Island belongs to Chile but it’s 2,182 away from the country’s mainland. The island’s closest neighbors are a group of islands 1,150 miles away. These long distances to other inhabited regions make Easter Island one of the most remote places on earth.
While it is possible for anyone to travel to this island, many people don’t because of how long it takes to get there and the expense. One must fly to Santiago, Chile and take another flight to the island. Depending on where you live in the world, the flight to Chile may be long so adding on the 6-hour flight to Easter Island just makes it even longer and more inconvenient. If you are up for the travel nuisances and have a sense of adventure, you’ll like what you see once you arrive. The trip is well worth it!
Besides being remote and uncrowded, Easter Island is known for many other things. A long history, vibrant culture, friendly people and spectacular scenery are some of the thing’s it’s known for. However, the island is mostly known for the Easter Island Rocks.
These rocks, which are actually ancient statues officially known as the moai, are a mysterious feature on Easter Island that is still being unraveled. The Easter Island Rocks are a series of large statues with mysterious faces carved into them. IN fact, there are hundreds of these and they are estimated to be at least 500 years old.
No one knows for sure why these statues were erected but there are many theories. Some believe they were erected to honor a higher being and others believe they were erected to scare of invaders. Whatever the reason, the moai are of great importance to the local people, historically, culturally and economically. The biggest mystery of all is how these large 20-ton stones were moved and erected in the places they now stand.
If you would like to travel to Easter Island, the best time to go is when the weather is warm and dry, which is between the months of January and March. If you want to completely avoid tourist crowds, the months of December and April, which are on the shoulders of the high season, are also great times to travel to the island.
