Located over a thousand miles off of the coast of Chile on the South American continent is Easter Island, one of the most unique destinations on the planet.
The island, known as “Isla de la Pascua” in Spanish and “Rapa Nui” in the island’s native language, is a volcanic island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Here, the indigenous Polynesian inhabitants of the island lived for hundreds of years until it was discovered by Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen in 1722.
The exact date of arrival of the Polynesian natives to the island is unknown, although most studies suggest that it probably occurred in the 12th century.
One of the great mysteries of earth exists on Easter Island, which is the presence of Moai statues throughout the island.
Over 1,000 of these statues of human faces and bodies are found scattered throughout the island.
The Polynesian residents of the island completed these Moai, it is estimated, between 1250 and 1500 AD.
It remains unknown exactly how they were able to carve these massive figures, some of which are taller than 30 meters. Common wisdom suggests that they had religious and/or political importance.
If possible, be sure to visit this magical island and discover this curiosity for yourself!
