The Paro moai is the largest moai ever erected on a platform in Rapa Nui. It now lies toppled at Ahu te Piro Kura, located on the northeast coast of Easter Island.
Paro moai, a colossal-sized moai
Ahu Te Pito Kura is an archaeological complex located in front of La Pérouse Bay, about two kilometers southeast of Ovahe Beach. Within this ceremonial center stands Ahu o Paro, where the unique moai named Paro remains in the exact position it fell almost two centuries ago.
The Paro moai represents a milestone from the era when these statues were constructed, as it is the largest moai ever transported from the Rano Raraku volcano quarry and successfully erected on an ahu. Its dimensions are spectacular: it stands at 9.89 meters in height, with ears alone measuring 2 meters, and it is estimated to weigh around 80 tons.
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The moai lies fallen face down, with its body split in half as a result of its collapse. In front of its head rests its gigantic pukao, standing at almost 2 meters in height and weighing around 12 tons, considered one of the most voluminous headdresses carved and transported from the Puna Pau quarry.
According to tradition, it was a widow who commissioned the construction of this moai in memory of her late husband. The French admiral Du Petit-Thouars, during his visit to the island in 1838, had the opportunity to observe what was probably the last standing moai. Shortly after, the moai Paro would have collapsed from its ahu, as there are no records of any statues seen upright since that time.
It would take 118 years to see another moai erected on Rapa Nui. This happened in 1956 during Thor Heyerdahl’s expedition, who encouraged several islanders to raise the statue at Ahu Ature Huki, located in Anakena, to test his theories. This task was accomplished with a dozen men and 18 days of effort.
Paro moai is not the largest moai
Although the Paro moai holds the honor of being the largest statue raised on an ahu, it would not be the winner in a hypothetical competition for size. First place would go to Te Tokanga, ‘the giant,’ the largest moai ever carved on Easter Island, which still lies unextracted in the quarry of Rano Raraku volcano. With a length of almost 22 meters and an estimated weight of 250 tons, it could not have a more fitting name.
The second place would be for the Piro Piro moai, whose enormous 4-meter head welcomes visitors who traverse the first meters of the main path at the Rano Raraku quarry. The total length of its body, with two-thirds buried, reaches 11 meters, making Piro Piro the largest moai ever extracted from the quarry and erected.
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The moai at Ahu Hanga Tetenga, located on the south coast, takes the third spot on the podium from Paro moai by just a few centimeters. Its length is 9.94 meters, making it the largest moai ever transported to an ahu. Its body is broken into four parts on the platform. The eye sockets are not carved, evidence that they couldn’t control the final push to place it in an upright position. A massive effort ruined in the last stage of the process. One can only imagine the frustration that the desolate workers must have felt.
The bigger, the closer
How the ancient inhabitants of Rapa Nui managed to move such heavy statues to locations over 15 km from the Rano Raraku volcano quarry is still a mystery. It’s an enigma that many researchers have tried to solve through experiments and original proposals. What is clear, however, is that it was not the work of extraterrestrials, as claimed by the media personality Erich von Däniken and his followers. This tremendous feat was the result of highly organized “human” labor over long periods of time on one of the world’s most remote islands.
Several studies on the statues found on platforms and those abandoned along different paths conclude that the height of the moai is inversely proportional to the distance traveled. This makes sense, as the greater the distance, the greater the difficulty in transporting these stone giants. Thus, it has been observed that statues like Paro, about 10 meters tall, are within 3 km of the quarry; within a 5 km radius, the largest statue is 9 meters tall, at 12 km, the largest is 6 meters, and at over 14 km, the largest moai does not exceed 5 meters in height.
Tips for visiting Paro moai
A visit to Moai Paro can be arranged by booking one of the excursions that explore the northeast coast, which are offered by most of the island’s tour agencies. This archaeological site is typically included in one of the full-day tours, which come with a guide and transportation and also include visits to other points of interest.
Read more about Easter Island tours
The other option is to visit on your own, but for this, you’ll need to arrive by vehicle as it is quite far from Hanga Roa to walk.
In either case, it is necessary to purchase the entrance ticket to the Rapa Nui National Park in advance in order to access the site. The ticket is valid for 10 days to explore various points of interest, except for Orongo and the Rano Raraku volcano quarry, which can only be visited once.
More information about Rapa Nui National Park
You should present your ticket at the National Park entrance, which is open from 9:00 am until 6:00 pm.
It is strictly prohibited to stray from the marked trails and to touch the statues and other archaeological remains.
How to get to Paro moai
For those who do not wish to hire an organized tour, you can reach Moai Paro from Hanga Roa by vehicle via two routes. The quickest route involves taking the road that crosses the island toward Anakena. Just before reaching the beach, you’ll need to turn right at the intersection in the direction of Poike. About 2 kilometers after the Ovahe turnoff, you’ll get close to Caleta La Pérouse, where there is a small parking area.
The other option is to take the road that follows the southern coast toward Tongariki. Continue, keeping the Poike hillside on your right, and take the left turn to proceed along the road on the north coast. Te Pito Kura is located about 3.5 kilometers from this turn after passing through the Pu o Hiro site and the Papa Vaka petroglyphs.
Another highly recommended alternative is to go by bicycle. It’s possible to rent bikes in Hanga Roa where they also provide customers with maps and everything needed for their excursions.
The coastal road offers the opportunity to enjoy the sea breeze and the view of the cliffs throughout the journey, as well as making stops at other archaeological sites located on this side of the island. Be cautious of the horses that may cross your path and some sections of rough asphalt where potholes have formed.
Location map
Nearby places
Anakena Beach
Ovahe Beach
Papa Vaka