Easter Island, Chile
Chile overview | aTACAMA dESERT | Santiago | PATAGONIA | Valle Nevado
RELIGIOUS AND MYSTERIOUS
Easter Island is the world’s most isolated island. Steeped with mysticism and intrigue this small territory was the home of some 5000 people at the settlement’s peak, of Polynesian descent who through a lack of food, resources and slavery almost saw the local people die out.
A deeply religious and disciplined people those who lived on Rapa Nui as it is known, revered their leaders creating large stone sculptures of them when they died.
As the population on the island started to grow so did the problems on the islands. Resources started to become scarce and fighting broke out between rival tribes. Once the last of the trees on the island had been chopped down no more boats could be built to go fishing, trapping the inhabitants on the islands.
The rest is history and now all that remains is the eerie presence of the carved statues and the stories of a past gone by. In recent times there has been a resurgence in interest in the islands past culture, especially due to the influence of Chilean TV on the younger generations who prefer to speak Spanish than the local language.
The Island is not only a great place to visit for general travel. Easter Island has some of the best surfing breaks in Chile. Each is a reef break and due to its position in the pacific it is always picking up swell in a part of the island.