Easter Island Volcanoes
CONTENTS
General information
Easter Island emerged as a result of the various volcanic eruptions that happened thousands of years ago in this part of the Pacific Ocean. Despite the small size of Easter Island, along the whole surface can be counted several volcanos, however there are three main volcanoes that formed and gave rise to the triangular shape of the island : Rano Kau, Poike y Maunga Terevaka.
Nowadays all of the Easter Island volcanoes, both the main ones and the secondary ones, are dormant and discovering its shapes, craters, and lagoons is an amazing and unforgettable experience.
It was these volcanoes, especially Rano Raraku and Puna Pau, that provided the Rapa Nui with the raw material needed for the construction of their stone giants. The quarries of these volcanoes still seem to expect the return of the sculptors to finish a job that was unfinished and abandoned for unknown reasons.
Main volcanoes of Easter Island
Rano Kau
The Rano Kau, located on the southwestern part of Easter Island, is the largest volcanic crater and the most amazing natural wonder that can be seen during the tour. Read more »
Rano Raraku
The Rano Raraku volcano is one of the major milestones on Easter Island and perhaps most surprising, so it is worth spending the time to take it all in. Read more »
Terevaka
The Terevaka volcano is the highest point in Easter Island. Standing at 511 meters above sea level, its summit offers a 360° view of the island and a chance to get an idea of how far away it is from any other inhabited area. Read more »
Poike
Located on the east end of Easter Island is the Poike volcano, the oldest on the island and one of the three main volcanoes that led to its formation. Read more »
Puna Pau
Puna Pau is a small extinct volcano whose name means “dry spring”, so it’s assumed that at some point it contained water or that somehow there was water in its surroundings. Read more »