The enigmatic carved face of Vai a Heva is located on the distant and little-explored Poike Peninsula. Its remote location and difficult access make Poike a rarely visited place. However, this mysterious territory contains secret corners and ancient legends that invite you to discover it calmly and learn more about the island’s past..
The Poike volcano and its three ma’ungas
The Poike volcano was the first piece of land that emerged from the sea and, together with subsequent volcanic eruptions, formed the current territory of Easter Island. Poike is located at the easternmost end of the island, and is the oldest of the three main volcanoes, along with Rano Kau and Ma’unga Terevaka, which caused its formation. It is estimated that this first eruptive center emerged from the sea about 3 million years ago, creating the so-called Poike Peninsula, although its activity continued until about 300 thousand years ago. Poike is now a dormant volcano with a fairly symmetrical conical shape.
On the northern slope of the Poike Peninsula, three unique mounds or domes rise, formed by the superposition of multiple lava flows. Their names starting from the coast to the interior are Ma’unga Parehe (broken hill), Ma’unga Tea Tea (white hill) and Ma’unga Vai a Heva (Heva’s water hill). These small elevations, which when viewed from the north coast form a striking “ridge” on the slope, have been the scene of several episodes in the history of the island.
Until the end of the 14th century, the Poike Peninsula was populated by tribes who migrated here in search of farmland to settle. Currently you can still see several archaeological remains that allow us to reconstruct the way of life of the ancient settlers.
These curious geological formations, called ma’unga in the Rapanui language, were used as quarries for trachyte, a dense white volcanic stone, with which several moai statues were sculpted. Most of the statues found at Poike were carved from this durable material, although a few come from the Rano Raraku volcano.
Furthermore, taking advantage of its elevated position, small ahu or ceremonial platforms used by priests and wise men during their sacred rites were built on the small plateaus of each of the three peaks. You can still see some remains such as the small, eroded statue at the top of Ma’unga Parehe, the closest to the cliff.
These hills were not only used by the natives of Rapa Nui to honor their ancestors and divinities, they were also noticed by the Spanish who arrived in 1770 on the second European expedition that arrived on the island under the command of Don Felipe González de Haedo.
On the morning of November 20, 1770, a detachment of 250 men ascended Pu’i Hill to reconnoitre the terrain and complete the details of the first cartographic map of the island. Later, another group made up of 250 soldiers, sailors, officers and chaplains landed on Ovahe beach with the mission of officially taking possession of the island.
This second detachment was joined by many islanders and together they headed in procession to the Poike. After a difficult climb they planted three wooden crosses on the tops of the three hills or maungas. An act of formal possession of the island was written in the name of Charles III, the King of Spain, and they named it Isla de San Carlos, in honor of his majesty. The document, which was signed by several officials and three native chiefs, is the first known written document that contains signs similar to those of the writing on the Rongo Rongo tablets.
Vai a Heva, the magic water
The dome-shaped hill closest to the summit of Pua Katiki is called Ma’unga Vai a Heva. Its name comes from a huge 3-meter head carved into the rock face, showing prominent eyes and a wide nose. The ancient natives sculpted this fierce face around a 2-meter-long natural cavity, which was used to represent a large open mouth and which possibly served to collect rainwater.
In fact, in various places on Poike, several tahetas or small cavities carved in the rock have been found that were used to collect rainwater, a resource that is always scarce on the island, as there are no rivers or streams. Although the largest natural water deposits were and continue to be the lagoons inside the craters, especially Rano Kau.
Its name (Vai, “water”; Heva, “magical”), according to tradition, refers to the legend that whoever drank or submerged in the water of this pool managed to always stay young. So this unique figure, reminiscent of ancient Roman masks, would be a kind of Fountain of Eternal Youth on Easter Island.
According to other sources, this name could have its origin in an ancient story that tells how two young men, named Raki and Mata Nui, murdered five of their six Rongo Rongo teachers, who were all brothers. The survivor, the eldest brother named Heva, carved a face into the stone with his mouth open as if he were crying for his dead brothers. To this face he gave the name Vai a Heva, and then named five tahetas or water wells with the names of the deceased: Vai U’utu Roroa, Vai Taringa Aku-Aku, Vai Tino He’e, Vai a Angi and Vai to Uri.
In any case, little is seen of this enigmatic face due to the action of the elements that has disfigured its features. In fact, it is difficult to find the carved head that emerges from the rocks located southwest of the lower slope of the hill.
On the upper plateau of the Ma’unga Vai a Heva, a few meters above the enormous ritual head, is the Ahu Vai a Heva, a platform of about 50 meters very destroyed with two moai torsos somewhat removed, one of them inside from a small cave.
Currently, the iconic image of Vai a Heva is reproduced in small dimensions and can be found in some Rapanui craft stalls where they sell it as a souvenir. It seems that its magical properties have given way to decorative and more prosaic functions such as serving as an ashtray.
Other places of interest in the Poike
About 500 meters from Ma’unga Vai a Heva, very close to the eroded Ma’unga Parehe, is the Ahu Toremu Hiva, with a stone wall quite destroyed and partly fallen on the cliff, in which you can see pieces of statues and a head half buried in the ground.
Near the Pua Katiki crater there are the remains of another ahu, and a small white trachyte moai in which the human form can barely be distinguished. Further inland of the peninsula, the Ahu Riki Riki (which means “little one”) stands out, in which there are several fragments of moai carved in white stone.
Finally, at the southeast end looking towards Motu Maratiri is the Ahu One One, a platform with a straight front wall and a semicircular rear wall, built on the edge of the cliff. No moai has been found here, but it is possible that there was one that could have fallen into the ocean.
At the northeastern end of the Poike Peninsula there are two volcanic rocks, almost hidden by vegetation, which were used as an astronomical observatory by the ancient islanders to predict the change of the seasons. The first of them is a small basalt outcrop called Papa Ui Hetu’u, which means “star viewing rock.” On its surface there are several figures engraved among which are 40 fishing hooks or mangai and a petroglyph of a sea creature that could be an octopus.
About 80 meters away, there is another isolated rock one meter high known as the “star map” and on its upper part 11 cavities made by man appear. According to several scholars, these small holes represent, quite realistically, the Pleiades constellation, called Matariki in the Rapanui language.
The Poike peninsula hides some of the most legendary, hidden and inaccessible caves on Easter Island, among which Ana or Keke, the cave of the virgins, stands out. However, unlike the popular caves in the Roiho sector at the foot of Terevaka, whose visit is suitable for everyone, in Poike the entrances to the caves are located on almost vertical cliffs, which are very dangerous. For this reason and their historical importance they have been declared tapu.
Tips for visiting Vai a Heva and the Poike
The ascent to the Poike is not usually a priority for travelers who have few days to tour the island, because the visit of the most important archaeological sites will occupy most of their available time. However, for those who are lucky enough to enjoy more than 3 days in Easter Island and like to practice a little hiking, it is highly recommended to spend a morning or an afternoon to make this excursion.
More information about Easter Island Tours
Increasingly, the tourism agencies of the island are offering activities related to nature that complement the classic organized tours, basically aimed at observing the moai statues. The proposals for the Poike are based mainly on ascending to the top hiking or riding a horse accompanied by an experienced guide. Horseback riding is a unique experience because it allows you to get to know the island without haste and to recover the feeling of adventure.
Read more about Easter Island horseback riding
The Poike volcano can only be explored on foot or on horseback because it is an area highly susceptible to erosion. It is a circuit representative of the Rapanui worldview, in a landscape of dramatic cliffs, isolated ancestral statues and interesting legends related to this remote area of the island that make your excursion a fascinating experience.
Poike is a route that requires the accompaniment of a certified Rapanui guide, due to the fact that the main sites of interest are not easy to find without a local guide, the high spiritual sensitivity of the place and to protect the visitor due to the presence of cliffs. and caves with extremely dangerous access, which in turn are Tapu (forbidden).
Likewise, it is necessary to purchase the entrance to the Rapa Nui National Park in advance. Although the ticket is valid for 10 days to visit the different archaeological sites, the visit to Orongo and the Rano Raraku volcano quarry can only be done once, so it is advisable to plan what you want to see each day.
More information about Rapa Nui National Park
Unlike the other volcanoes, at Poike there is no National Park post where you can present the ticket, but it can be requested at any time by the park rangers, so it is advisable to have it on hand.
Most of the Poike area is fenced with barbed wire, since the area that is visited is used by the islanders to graze the cattle. So that locals and tourists can move freely as long as they do not bother the animals and respect the rules of the National Park.
Another fact to keep in mind is that since it is a rural land, in Poike there are no toilets or food services for visitors. The closest ones are in Rano Raraku, so it’s better to go prepared and bring water and some food.
It is advisable to bring sunscreen, comfortable clothing and sports shoes with thick soles, as the trails along the route are steep and can be slippery, especially if it has rained recently. Its slope demands a certain physical demand, since you have to ascend to more than one peak to appreciate the landscape and archaeological riches. Despite the low elevation of Poike, the climate at the summit can be very different from that at the base, so it is advisable to carry a windbreaker or a raincoat to protect yourself from strong winds and occasional downpours.
Although the Poike can be traveled at any time, it is best to do it in the early morning or in mid afternoon to avoid the strong sun of the central hours, since except for a small eucalyptus forest, there are almost no shadows under which to protect.
On a clear day, the view from the top of Pua Katiki is amazing. To the northwest you can see the north coast and in the southwest you can observe the Ahu Tongariki, the Rano Raraku volcano and in the distance the Rano Kau. However, if the day is rainy it is not worth the effort because the experience can be frustrating.
How to get to Poike
Poike is located about 20 km from Hanga Roa. The shortest route is to take Hotu Matu’a Avenue that goes to the airport. After reaching the end, follow the road that crosses the island in the direction of Anakena for 2.5 km until you take the first detour to the right that leads to the south coast road. Continue to Tongariki and about 2 km later there is a small detour that leads to a small house. At this point, the vehicle is left and the ascent begins along the trails to explore the volcano.
There is another access, at the point known as Mahatua. located on the northeast coast of the Poike and is just over 2 km from the first point continuing along the road that borders the slope of the volcano.
Read more about Getting around Easter Island
Those people who do not wish to hire an organized tour that includes transportation, can easily reach Poike by renting a car, a quad or a bicycle. Another option would be to hire a taxi to take them to the volcano, and ask the driver to pick them up at an agreed time.
Location map
Nearby places
Rano Raraku
Ahu Tongariki
Pu O Hiro