Ahu Tongariki, Easter Island
Ahu Tongariki · East coast of Easter Island, Chile
An ancestral altar where 15 moai face inland, watching over their descendants.
Antes de ir · Know before you go
- Never touch, climb or lean on the moai or ahu platforms
- drone filming needs a permit in advance
- the unfinished moai at the Rano Raraku quarry are equally sacred.
Este artículo está «Sin verificar». Consulte los avisos oficiales sobre precios, horarios y fechas.
Culture
Cultura y costumbres
Contexto cultural
For the Rapa Nui, the moai are embodiments of ancestors, and the statues on the ahu platforms face inland to protect their descendants. Tongariki is the island's largest ahu, with 15 moai standing in a row — the high point of Rapa Nui ancestor worship. The tsunami triggered by the great Chilean earthquake of 1960 destroyed it; it was restored with Chilean and Japanese cooperation and became a symbol of the Rapa Nui cultural revival.
Costumbres locales
Every year the Rapa Nui hold the Tapati festival, with canoe races, sliding down hills on banana trunks and other traditional contests. 'Don't touch the moai, don't climb the ahu' is the island's iron rule, and the platforms are still sacred spaces.
Religión y creencias
- Traditionally the islanders practised ancestor worship and the Birdman cult
- after missionaries arrived most converted to Catholicism. Church services today often include hymns in the Rapa Nui language and traditional dress, and the two traditions coexist.
Etiquette
Normas y tabúes
Normas que se aplican aquí
Chile: no drinking in public places
- Drink in restaurants and bars
- Drinking in streets, squares, seafront promenades and other public places
It is illegal.
Verificado el 19 oct 2026Fuente: GOV.UK: Chile travel advice
Chile: no open fires in national parks
- Use fire only at permitted campsites
- Lighting an open fire outside designated campsites in a national park
You can have your tourist permit cancelled, be ordered to leave within 72 hours or be deported; starting a forest fire can also bring criminal charges.
Verificado el 19 oct 2026Fuente: GOV.UK: Chile travel advice
No lo haga DON'T
- Never touch, climb or lean on the moai or ahu platforms
- drone filming needs a permit in advance
- the unfinished moai at the Rano Raraku quarry are equally sacred.
Lo que aprecian los locales DO
Islanders are proud of their moai, and for many, watching the silhouettes of the 15 statues at Tongariki at sunrise is a daily ritual.
Plan your visit
Información práctica
Consejos de viaje
- It is about a 5-hour direct flight from Santiago, Chile
- book flights and accommodation months ahead and check prices on official websites. Tongariki is the classic sunrise spot, so get up early to claim a place
- you need a ticket for the national park, and a local guide is recommended.
Eat nearby
Qué comer cerca
Imprescindible
- Tuna ceviche
- Tuna empanadas
- Umu earth-oven feast
Tuna ceviche (from island tuna), tuna empanadas, umu tahu (traditional earth-oven feast, group booking required), island produce such as pineapple and sweet potato, Chilean seafood stew paila marina
| Dónde comer | Restaurants on the main street of Hanga Roa (the sights are in the east of the island with no food — bring water and food), budget places such as Club Sandwich in town |
|---|---|
| Normas en la mesa | Rapa Nui sacred sites: don't touch or climb the ahu platforms; the umu feast is a ritual meal — respect your hosts' arrangements |
| Precio orientativo por persona | CLP 18,000–30,000 ≈ CNY 133–222 |
| Consejos | Supplies come by sea, so prices are high; guesthouse breakfast plus one main meal in town is enough; if hiring a car for the sights, bring your own lunch. |
Los precios son orientativos a octubre de 2026, no presupuestos exactos; en zonas con tipos de cambio muy variables solo se da un intervalo aproximado en yuanes.
Victorika · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photos
Fotos
Bjørn Christian Tørrissen · CC BY-SA 3.0
Bjørn Christian Tørrissen · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ian Sewell · CC BY 2.5
Fuentes y notas de verificación
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