Pablo Neruda’s selected work:

1923 – Crepusculario – Book of Twilight
1924 – Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada.  Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair. Poem.
1924 – Paginas escogidas de Anatole France. Anthology.
1926 – Tentativa del hombre infinito.  The Trying of Infinite Man. Santiago: Nascimento
1926 – Anillos. Rings. Poem. Santiago: Nascimento.
1926 - El habitante y su esperanza. The Habitant and his hope. Prose. Santiago: Nascimento.
1933 – El hondero entusiasta. Santiago: Empresa Letras.
1933 - Residencia en la tierra. – Residence on Earth. Vol 1  Poem. Santiago: Nascimento.
1935 – Residencia en la tierra. – Residence on Earth.  Vol 2. Poem. Madrid: Cruz & Raya.
1937 - España en el corazón: Himno a las glorias del pueblo en la guerra .  Spain in Our Hearts: Hymn to the Glories of the People at War. Poem. Santiago: Ercilla.
1939 – Las furias y las penas. Santiago: Nascimento.
1943 – Canto general de Chile: Fragmentos. Mexico City: Privately published.
1947 – Tercera residencia: 1935-1945. Buenos Aires: Losada.
1947 – Alturas de Macchu Picchu. The Heights of Macchu Picchu. Santiago: Librería Neira.
1950 – Canto general. General Song. Poem. Mexico City: Talleres Gráficos de la Nación.
1952 - Los versos del capitán: The Captain’s Verses.  Poem.  Naples: L’Arte Tipografica.
1954 – Las uvas y el viento. The Grapes and the Wind. Poem. Santiago: Nascimento.
1954 – Odas elementales. Elementary Odes. Poem.  Buenos Aires: Losada.
1956 – Nuevas odas elementales.  New Elementary Odes.  Buenos Aires: Losada,.
1957 – Obras completas.. Poem  Buenos Aires: Losada.
1957 – Tercer libro de las odas. Third Book of Odes. Poem. Buenos Aires: Losada.
1958 – Estravagario. Extravagaria. Poem. Buenos Aires: Losada.
1959 – Navegaciones y regresos.  Voyages and Homecomings. Poem. Buenos Aires: Losada.
1959 – Cien sonetos de amor. One Hundred Love Sonnets. Poem. Santiago: Editorial Universitaria.
1960 – Canción de gesta. Song of Protest. Havana: Casa de las Américas.
1961 – Las piedras de Chile.  Stones of Chile. Poem. Buenos Aires: Losada.
1961 – Cantos ceremoniales. Ceremonial Songs Poem.  Buenos Aires: Losada.
1962 – Plenos poderes. Fully Empowered Poem. Buenos Aires Losada.
1964 – Memorial de Isla Negra. Isla Negra, A Notebook. Poem. Buenos Aires: Losadal.
1966 – Arte de pájaros.  Art of Birds. Poem. Santiago: Sociedad de Amigos del Arte Contemporáneo.
1966 – Una casa en la arena. The House in the Sand. Prose poem. Barcelona: Lumen.
1967 – Fulgor y muerte de Joaquín Murieta: bandido chileno injusticiado en California el *23 de julio de 1853. Splendour and Death of Joaquín Murieta. Play. Santiago: Zig-Zag.
1967 – La barcarola. Buenos Aires: Losada.
1968 - Las manos del día. The Hands of Day. Buenos Aires: Losada.
1969 – Fin de mundo. World’s End. Santiago: Sociedad de Arte Contemporáneo.
1969 – Aún. Still Another Day. Santiago: Nascimento.
1970 – Maremoto. Santiago: Sociedad de Arte Contemporáneo de Santiago.
1970 – La espada encendida. Buenos Aires: Losada.
1970 – Las piedras del cielo. Stones of the Sky. Poem. Buenos Aires: Losada.
1972 – Geografía infructuosa. Buenos Aires: Losada.
1973 – Incitación al nixonicidio y alabanza de la revolución chilena. A Call for the Destruction of Nixon and Praise for the Chilean Revolution. Buenos Aires: Losada.
1973 – La rosa separada. The Separate Rose Poem. Buenos Aires: Losada.
1973 – El mar y las campanas. The Sea and the Bells. Poem. Buenos Aires: Losada.
1974 – Jardín de invierno.  Winter Garden. Poem. Buenos Aires: Losada.
1974 - El corazón amarillo. The Yellow Heart. Poem. Buenos Aires: Losada.

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Arts and literature in Chile

Social and political circumstances have had a strong impact on Chilean society and culture inspiring groups of artists to protest against policies of the regime and rousing strong emotions which translated into works of art and cultural achievement in different fields.

Chile Holidays and Festivals

Chile’s holidays and festivals have their roots in historical events and religion. Religion plays an important part in Chilean’s lives, some of Chile’s most important celebrations are based on religion believes combining Spanish and Indian tradition.

Chilean Cuisine

All the different regional cuisines are a combination of traditional native Chilean dishes and ingredients, European and in a lesser extent Middle Eastern influences, creating the Chilean Creole cuisine.

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Children performing at La Tirana Festival

Religious holidays

Among the most important religious holidays are Easter and Christmas. The entire Easter weekend including Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday are official holidays. The Sunday after Easter Sunday Chileans observe Domingo de Cuasimodo to celebrate the resurrection of Christ.

Christmas coincides with the beginning of summer and many celebrate it outdoors. The celebration starts on the eve of Christmas Day with dinner with family members and friends, presents are exchanged after midnight. Many Chileans attend a midnight mass called misa de gallo.

Other major religious holidays include Feast of Saint Peter and Paul celebrated on June 29^th, Fiesta de la Virgen del Carmen on July 16^th, the Assumption of Virgin Mary remembering Mary’s passage to heaven on August 15^th, All Saints Day celebrating the dead and martyrs on November 1^st and Immaculate Conception.

One of the most magnificent and colorful festivals is Fiesta de la Tirana celebrated on July 16^th  in the village La Tirana in the north of Chile where Chileans celebrate their patron mother Virgen del Carmen. It is the biggest celebration in this area and the second largest in Chile after Fiesta del Rosario de Andacollo. The population of La Tirana is 560 inhabitants and during the week of celebration it receives between 200,000 and 250,000 visitors from Peru and Bolivia in addition to Chileans. La Tirana is an Andean celebration with roots in Pachamama, the Inca goddess of agriculture. Its modern day celebration was created by miners working in the copper and silver mines in the north of Chile, Bolivia and Peru.

Independence Day – Fiestas Patrias

Apart from religious holidays Chileans also celebrate many historical events and contributions. On September 18^th or “dieciocho” the country celebrates Independence Day or Fiestas Patrias commemorating the beginning of their road to freedom from Spain although Chile officially proclaimed its independence the 12^th of February, 1818. Fiestas Patrias is a weeklong celebration that includes Armed Forces Day on the 19^th during which soldiers and important politicians gather in the main plaza and military and naval parades celebrating Chile’s military victories take place. This day is also the first day of Spring in the Southern hemisphere.

Military parade in outside the presidential palace

The entire week is celebrated with lots of Chilean food, drinking, dancing and lots of flag waving. Chileans are very proud of their heritage, history and economic and cultural achievement in the last decades and this is the occasion where they display their national pride.

A Huaso folklorist sings the Cueca, the Chilean national dance during  celebrations of Independence Day

Many of the celebrations are held in fondas or ramadas. Many fondas are in large gathering halls but they are also set in temporary open sites with thatches roofs made from tree branches, a dance floor and a makeshift stage for musicians. There are tables to eat, music, dancing, a wide variety of Chilean food and drinks. Fondas operate for five or six consecutive days.

Celebrating Chile’s cultural heritage is part of this weeklong celebration. There are cueca, the national dance, competitions and shows and Chilean huaso rodeos. Huasos take part in parades wearing a traditional costume that includes a straw hat called chupalla and a poncho called manta over a waist jacket and leather leggings.

Other holidays

Like in much of the world Labor Day is celebrated on May 1^st. Navy Day is May 21^st where Chile honors those who gave their lives in the Battle of Iquique in the War of the Pacific against Peru and Bolivia in 1879. September 11^th is the anniversary of the Pinochet military coup. Columbus Day is celebrated in October however this holiday represents the conquest and mistreatment of the local indigenous people by the Spanish conquerors. In recent years South Americans have used this occasion to celebrate their Spanish heritage instead of the oppression and subjugation that followed the arrival of the Spanish.

Related Information

Official Public Holidays

List of government declared official public holidays in Chile.

Arts and Literature

Chile has a remarkable record of literary achievement. Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda were recipients of the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Population of Chile

Chile is a diverse society with roots in South America and Europe, about 44% of its population is mestizo, a mix of European and Amerindian descent.

Chile Highlights

What not to miss when in Chile. A list of memorable and historical places and cultural insights of Chile.

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According to Chile’s National Statistics Institute (INE) 40% of the population live in or around the capital Santiago. Santiago is the fifth largest city in South America, it has a population of 7.5 million and is facing most of the problems that megalopolis have. The gap between the rich and the poor is wider in the capital.

Chile’s second largest city is Valparaiso with a population of 803,683 inhabitants. Valparaiso is the country’s second most important seaport in terms of volume and an emergent cultural center in South America.

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What not to miss when in Chile – Chile Highlights

The capital city of Chile, Santiago

Chile Cuisine

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Most holidays in Chile are related to religion, in particular the Catholic religion, and historical events. More than 70% of the population in Chile is Roman Catholic. Over the past few decades the Evangelical and Protestant faiths have been gaining ground accounting for 15% of the population who declare themselves as belonging to those religions according to Chile’s National Statistics Institute (INE). To recognize their increasing importance in 2008 the government established a new official public holiday, Reformation Day, celebrating the Evangelical and Protestant churches.

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Holidays and Festivities in Chile

Chile celebrates many festivals that have roots in religion and history alike. They reflect their culture, heritage and tradition.

History of Chile

A Chile history timeline that helps understand historical events.

Chile Travel and Places

Memorable and important places and cultural insights of Chile.

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The conquest of Chile by the Spanish and the immigration of Europeans brought new artistic forms to Chile, all of which followed classic European styles. These artistic expressions were influenced by the local culture, especially folk arts and crafts as the Mapuche were skilled crafters.

Fine arts

Chile’s churches and cathedrals are the expression of early Chilean art with European influence. In the early eighteenth century many well-known painters who worked in Chile came from other nations such as Raimundo Monvoicin  and Jose Gil de Castro. In 1849 the creation of the Chilean Academy of Painting as part of a new art school in the University of Chile cultivated a new generation of local painters. Many of them lived and worked abroad for long periods of time, one of them is Roberto Matta (1911-2002), probably the most internationally known Chilean artist. He used surrealist and abstract techniques in his work.

Other artists who achieved notoriety in the field are Nemesio Antunez (1918-1993) a painter and an engraver who promoted art in Chile. He founded the famous Workshop 99 and served as director of the National Museum of fine Arts. Carlos Sotomayor (1911-1988) is considered one of the leaders of neocubism from South America. Camino Mori Serrano (1896-1973) was the founder of the Group Montparnasse. Claudio Bravo (1936-2011) was a hyperrealist who lived and worked in Morocco since 1972.

Local Indian art is part of Chile’s cultural heritage. Found in markets and sold as souvenirs we can find pieces of lapis lazuli jewelry, colorful cotton and wool textiles and skillfully handcrafted baskets.  One example of a piece of folk art that has a powerful meaning in Chilean culture is a type of tapestry known as arpillera. Arpilleras are decorative wall pieces made of burlap or other coarsely woven fabric such as sackcloth. During the Pinochet regime, women whose relatives disappeared or were jailed gathered to make arpilleras to protest against the regimes policies. These pieces of cloth tell the story of the lives of women in Chile.

Many disappeared during the Pinochet regime, the mother is asking Where are they?

The most prominent sculpture in Chile is displayed outside the Museum of Fine Arts in Santiago. Its author is Rebeca Matte and the sculpture is called “Icarus and Daedalus”. The original sculpture was commissioned by the government of Chile as a gift to the Brazilian government, it can be found in a park in Rio de Janeiro. The bronze copy of the statue is located in front of the main entrance of the museum and in its base it reads  “Unidos en Gloria y Muerte” which translates to “United in Glory and Death”. Another internationally known sculptor of the twentieth century is Marta Colvin who had her work exhibited in countries around the world.

“Icarus and Daedalus” at the main entrance  of the Museum of Fine Arts in Santiago

Literature

It is generally accepted that Chilean literature began with Alonso de Ercilla y Zuñiga, a Spanish conquistador who arrived in Chile in 1557. He wrote an epic poem, La Araucana published in three parts in 1569, 1578 and 1589. La Araucana is a major part of Chile’s cultural heritage depicting the heroism and bravery of both the Spanish and the American Indian, two distinct cultures that molded a new nation. Even though Ercilla y Zuñiga was fighting the Mapuches he recognized and appreciated their bravery and strength.

The 20th century saw the development of four remarkable writers: Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957) who was awarded the Nobel Prize of Literature in 1945, Vicente Huidobro (1893-1948), Pablo de Rokha (1894-1968) and Pablo Neruda, who was awarded the Nobel Prize of Literature in 1971.

By mid 20th century there was another generation of fine Chilean writers, among them:  Jose Donoso (1924-1966), Jorge Edwards, Gonzalo Rojas, Isabel Allende, Antoni Skármeta and Ariel Dorfman.

Gabriela Mistral

The twentieth century was marked by extraordinary literary achievement. In 1945 Gabriela Mistral became the first Latin American woman and the first Chilean to win the prize. Gabriela Mistral was the pseudonym of Lucila Godoy Alcayaga, she was an elementary and high school teacher for many years until her poetry made her famous. Sonetos de la muerte (1914) are love poems in memory of the dead which made her famous as a poet in the continent. Her collection of poems, Desolacion was published in 1922, two years later in 1924 it was Ternura and in 1938 Tala. The subjects in Ternura and Tala were childhood and maternity themes.  Gabriela Mistral was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature “for her lyric poetry which, inspired by powerful emotions, has made her name a symbol of the idealistic aspirations of the entire Latin American world”.

Gabriela Mistral receiving Nobel Prize of Literature from King Christian X of Denmark

Pablo Neruda

In 1971 another Chilean, Pablo Neruda, won the Nobel Prize in literature. Born Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto, Pablo neruda started writing at a young age. In 1923 at age 18 he published Crepusculario and the following year Veinte poemas de amor y una cancion desesperada – Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair, which was notorious for its eroticism. In 1926 he published Tentativa del Hombre Infinito – The Trying of Infinite Man and Tentativa y su Esperanza. The following year in 1927 he started his political career when he was offered an assignment as honorary consul in Burma, now Myanmar. Neruda experimented with many literary forms and later wrote about social and economic injustice he witnessed traveling the world. His production is exceptionally extensive. Because of his unique style he was recognized with the highest award in literature.

Poet and diplomat Pablo Neruda

Isabel Allende

Throughout the twentieth century politics played an important role in Chilean literature. Isabel Allende, niece of Salvador Allende, became known after the publication in 1982 of La Casa de los Espiritus – The House of Spirits which deals with political and social conditions in pre and post military coup in Chile. De Amor y de Sombra – Of Love and Shadows deal with political violence under the Pinochet regime. Later Allende moved away from political themes and her experiences in her native country. Among her works are Paula, Hija de la Fortuna – Daughter of Fortune and the latest one El Cuaderno de Maya.  Her novels and short stories are noted for their powerful and dramatic story telling from a feminine point of view, it also depicts romance and female struggle in a male dominated world.

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Because of Chile’s long coast seafood is the main ingredient of its many dishes, mostly in the center and the south of the country. Local crops are the staple of each regional cuisine which have been prepared for thousands of years by native Indians before the Spanish arrived. Among the most important agricultural crops are maize also known as choclo, quinoa and potatoes which have been cultivated since pre-Inca times providing nourishment in the high altitudes of the Andes. Although it originated in Europe, olives from the north of Chile are widely used in many local dishes. Among fruits lucuma and chirimoya, both native of Peru, and murtilla, endemic to Chile, are among those widely used in desserts.

Since the time of the Spanish conquest Chile has been producing grapes in its soil rich central region. The wine making tradition that Chile started after its conquest gave origin to other alcoholic drinks such as chicha, pisco and aguardiente. Among Chile’s beverages pisco is considered to be the national drink. Pisco is a strong spirit that contains 40% alc/vol and it is made of the colorless grape brandy. Pisco was developed by the Spanish and it was named after the town of Pisco in the department of Ica, Peru. Today there is controversy as to its origin and the rights to use the Pisco name.

Among the most popular and widespread “comida tipica” or typical dishes of Chile are:

Empanada

Popular in most of Latin America and brought by the Spanish to New World, empanada is a stuffed pastry made by folding a round shaped dough around the stuffing forming a half moon or they can be folded in a square shape. Empanadas can be baked or fried and stuffed with a variety of fillings. In Chile there are three basic varieties: empanada de mariscos or seafood empanada, empanada de queso or cheese empanada and the most popular one is empanada de pino. Pino is a mixture of ground beef, onions, raisins, black olives and hard boiled eggs.

Baked empanadas de pino

Pastel de choclo

Pastel de choclo is one of the most popular comfort foods in Chile. This dish is made of ground corn or choclo mixed with ground beef, chicken, onions, black olives, pieces of hard boiled eggs and spices and covered with a corn dough that crusts when baked. It is traditionally baked in a an earthenware bowl called paila.

Pastel de choclo served in a paila

Curanto

According to archeologists who found a 6,000 year old curanto dish in Puento Quilo, curanto might be one of the oldest food dishes in the world. It is a traditional food of Chiloe Archipelago and popular in the south of Chile. This dish consists of shellfish, fish, cuts of beef, chorizo, potatoes, vegetables and chapaleles, a kind of dumpling made from boiled potatoes and flour. It is accompanied by potato bread called milcaos. The original way of cooking curanto is in a one and a half meter deep underground stone oven, similar to pachamanca in Peru. The bottom is covered with stones and heated. Once they are hot enough the ingredients and seasonal herbs are wrapped in nalca leaves and placed in the oven for 1 to 2 hours. Other non traditional ways of cooking curanto is in a large stew pot, grill of pressure cooker.

Curanto is a traditional dish of the Chiloé Archipelago

Humitas

A typical Andean food where maize originated, humitas are made from fresh ground corn (the South American type), sweet basil, lard, onion and paprika or aji de color. The mixture is wrapped in corn husks and secured with a string or with strips of corn shuck. The Chilean variety is usually baked or boiled.

Humitas is a typical Andean dish

Caldillo de Congrio

Caldillo de Congrio was immortalized by Nobel Prize winner Pablo Neruda in his “Oda al Caldillo de Congrio”. This dish is a hearty soup made of conger, a type of eel, potato, carrots, cilantro, onion and garlic served with marinated boiled or fried conger. It is a classic soup of the Chilean coast.

Hearty conger soup

More information about the Culture of Chile

Arts and Literature

Chile has an impressive record of artistic and literary achievement. Political and social circumstances have inspired groups of artists to develop works  of art and other cultural accomplishments.

Population of Chile

Chileans are a diverse group of people who find their roots in South America and Europe.

Holidays and Festivals

Chile’s holidays and festivals have their roots in religious believes and historical events.

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During the 1800’s and early 1900’s Chile experienced a large wave of immigration from European countries other than Spain. They settled in Chile looking for a better life. Emigrants from these countries in particular Germany, Yugoslavia, France, Italy, England, Scotland and Ireland were educated people who brought new skills to Chile and most of them adopted the local culture or blended their own with the Chilean culture. A few groups settled with their own country fellows creating small communities where their traditions and costumes were kept.

Chile received many European Jewish immigrants following World War II. The last wave of immigrants came from the Middle East during the past half a century, these people have become prosperous by applying their entrepreneurial skills.

The majority of the population speaks the official language, Spanish. About 4.6% of the population speaks one of Chile’s indigenous languages such as Mupudungun spoken by the Mapuche; Quechua and Aymara by indigenous Incas; and Rapa Nui by natives of Easter Island.

The Roman Catholic religion is predominant in Chile with 70% of the population following that faith, 15% consider themselves Evangelical, 0.9% belong to the Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint, 1% Jehova’s Witnesses, 0.1% Jewish and 8.3% Atheist or Agnostic.

Members of Chilean families are close; family comes first for many Chileans. People usually live with or near their extended families. Typically offspring live with their parents until they get married. It is conventional for Chileans to use two last names. The first is the father’s last name and the second is the mother’s.

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Arts and Literature in Chile

Chile has a remarkable record of artistic and literary achievement considering its relatively small population. The twentieth century was marked by extraordinary literary achievement. In 1945 Gabriela Mistral became the first Latin American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature and in 1971 it was Pablo Neruda who was awarded the laureate.

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Map of Tierra del Fuego National Park, Argentina

The park was created in 1960 to protect the sub Antarctic forest and its local flora and fauna as well as archeological sites from the Yamana Indians that remain within the park. One special distinction of the Tierra del Fuego National Park and the rest of the protected parks is that it is the only one with a maritime coast, a total of 6 kilometers along the Beagle Channel. The park is located within two eco-regions, the Patagonic forest and Altos Andes, which is characterized by sudden and unpredictable changes in weather.

Bahia Lapataia, the end of the Pan American Highway, a 17,848 km ride from Alaska

The rare Patagonian Culpeo Fox

Tierra del Fuego National Park is open during summer months from December to March. Visits to the park are usually organized by tour companies but you can do it on your own. Bus tours take you through the park and make several stops letting you explore the park, buses make rounds at set intervals so after you are done exploring you can catch the next bus. For the more adventurous there are horseback riding tours and canoe excursion that take you to Lapataia Bay.

Camping is an opportunity to enjoy nature even closer, for camping sites, fees and trails you can find information at the park entrance or at the Ushuaia Tourist Office.There are four main camping areas Bahia Ensenada, Lago Pipo, Lago Roca and Lago Verde. The former two are free and the latter two require a fee as they are better maintained and boast the best campsites in the park.

Lago Roca, offers one of the best campsites in the park

You can enjoy boat expeditions to the wildlife refuge of Isla Redonda where you can sail through the Beagle Channel and see plenty of local flora and fauna. You cannot leave the park without visiting Lago Roca and Laguna Verde. The former is a mountain ringed lake that offers spectacular views. Laguna Verde or Green lagoon as its name suggests gets its emerald green color from the algae at the bottom of the lake.

The Tren del Fin del Mundo or End of the World Train is a 4.5 km trip. The train departs from a station 8km from Ushuaia and and takes you inside the park. The 40 minute ride is a simulation of the trip that El Presidio prisoners took daily into the  beech covered forest in order to chop wood.

Most moai faced the village and not the sea

The moai are upright, humanlike figures with large heads and stylized angular faces, prominent noses, ears and lips, most of them have hollow eye sockets which were once filled with white coral and red stones. Not all the moai have their eyes filled, it is believed that only the most prominent ones had them filled during special ceremonies. Their bodies are long and end at their hips, their arms are at its sides and their hands with long fingers wrapped in front of their abdomen.

The moai were carved from soft volcanic tuff which is formed when volcanic ash hardens and compresses. The statues were carved on site and then moved to the desired location. Most of the statues found at Easter Island were carved at Rano Raraku which is a volcanic cone formed by the eruption of Maunga Terevaka, the largest volcano in the island. This tuff was the perfect material for statue carving; carvers made the best out of each section of the volcano and used the rock from inside and outside the crater walls. Their creations had to be perfect, if they found a defect in the rock the statue was abandoned and moved on to another section. About 400 finished and unfinished moai can be seen inside the crater and laying on the nearby grassy slopes.

Volcanic tuff was used to carve statues

Moai carvers where skilled stone cutters and honored craftsmen. From oral tradition scholars have concluded that these artists were part of a privileged class fully dedicated to carving statues. The tools used by the Rapa Nui are called toki, they were sharp picks made out of basalt, a hard volcanic rock. The moai were carved in the walls of the crater. The first step was to outline the shape of the body with its back attached to the ground by a thin keel which was only chipped away when the carving was complete. When the front of the statue was finished it had to be removed from its keel and slid carefully down the slope of Rano Raraku. To accomplish this difficult task they used ropes to tie the statue to tree trunks. At the bottom of the crater the statue was erected and its back carved, they gave the moai its final touches and smoothed its surface with coral.

An unfinished moai found on the walls of the crater at Ranu Karaku

Once the moai was completely finished it had to be moved to its final location. Moving the moai was a challenge in itself, many of them were destroyed on its way. The average moai weighs 10 tons and its final location was as far as 14 miles or 22.5 kilometers. The first step was to move the moai from quarry was to establish a line wrapped around a log placed upright in the ground to make lowering easier while the crew assisted by holding a lever. Next the moai is secured in a sled made by logs which would be pulled by the crew along the track. According to scholars who tested this theory it is estimated that an average moai could have been moved from the quarry to Ahu Akivi in less than 5 days, using approximately 70 men. The last step was the positioning of the moai onto the ceremonial platforms or ahu. A stone ramp was built to assist in levering the moai into the ahu, people used logs as levers.

We will never know exactly how the moai were transported the mystery will remain with us. However by modern experiments researches have been able to replicate the transportation of the moai, which from a distance appear to be walking just as the legend suggests.

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Easter island History

Travel Easter Island

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Easter Island is a tiny piece of land located in the south east of the Pacific Ocean, it is best known for its 887 giant statues called moai created by the Polynesian indigenous Rapa Nui .

Its territory covers 64 sq miles or 166 sq kilometers, it is about 24km or 15m long and at its widest point 12 km or 8mi. The island was formed by volcano eruptions 750,000 years ago; today there are three volcanic cones: Terevaka, Poike and Rano Kau, each one corresponding to one angle of the triangular shape island. According to geologists the last volcanic activity on the island happened 10,000 years ago. Terevaka is the highest and rises 11,674 feet above sea level,  Rano Kau is the largest and visible from space.

Easter Island is one of the most isolated inhabited islands in the world, it is part of the Polynesian group of islands that make up the Polynesian triangle and Easter Island occupies its farthest eastern end. The nearest population centers are Tahiti and Chile located over 2000 miles away. The island’s time zone is abbreviated EAST – Easter Island Standard Time, EAST is GMT -6 from April through mid October and during Daylight Saving Time (EASST) GMT -5 from mid October until mid April.

Easter island covers 64 sq miles and has a triangular shape.

History of Easter Island

Isla de Pascua as it is known in Spanish or Easter Island was named by the Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen. He was the first European to visit the island on April 5, 1722, Easter Sunday. There is much controversy and debate about the origin of the first inhabitants, the Rapa Nui. Archeologists have conducted radio carbon studies that estimate that the first settlers inhabited the island as far back as 700 CE and 1200 CE. Many theories exist but the most accepted one is that the Rapa Nui came from the west led by King Hoto Matua. Read more about the history of Easter Island

The giant statues or moai

The moai are upright, humanlike figures with large heads and stylized angular faces, prominent noses, ears and lips, most of them have hollow eye sockets which were once filled with white coral and red stones. Not all the moai have their eyes filled, it is believed that only the most prominent ones had them filled during special ceremonies. Their bodies are long and end at their hips, their arms are at its sides and their hands with long fingers wrapped in front of their abdomen.  Read more about the giant statues of Easter island

Travel to Easter Island

Easter Island is one of the most unique places to visit because of its remoteness, concentration of archeological sites, geography, sightseeing and cultural heritage. The busiest time of the year is during the Tapati Festival, a celebration of the Polynesian culture which takes place during the first half of February, when flights and hotels are likely to be fully booked. There are sports events, dance and singing contests, fishing competitions and the unique Rano Raraku triathlon.

LAN Airlines, formerly LanChile, Chile’s national airline, is the only carrier that flights to Mataveri International Airport or Isla de Pascua Airport, considered the most remote airport in the world. Mataveri is located 3,759 kilometers (2,336 mi) from Santiago and is the main point of entry for the thousands of tourists that visit the island every year.  Read more about Travel to Easter Island

From LA to Easter Island via Miami and Santiago

Related Information

Easter Island Weather

Table of monthly average low and high temperatures as well as monthly precipitation.

Santiago

The capital city of Chile, Santiago is a cosmopolitan and modern city located at the feet of the Andes mountains.

Tierra del Fuego

Located at the southernmost part of the South American continent Tierra del Fuego offers the most magnificent experience for adventurers.

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Where is Easter Island?

Easter Island is a tiny piece of land located in the south east of the Pacific Ocean, it is best known for its 887 giant statues called moai created by the Polynesian indigenous Rapa Nui .

Moai at the Ranu Karaku quarry

Its territory covers 64 sq miles or 166 sq kilometers, it is about 24km or 15m long and at its widest point 12 km or 8mi. The island was formed by volcano eruptions 750,000 years ago; today there are three volcanic cones: Terevaka, Poike and Rano Kau, each one corresponding to one angle of the triangular shape island. According to geologists the last volcanic activity on the island happened 10,000 years ago. Terevaka is the highest and rises 11,674 feet above sea level,  Rano Kau is the largest and visible from space.

Easter Island is one of the most isolated inhabited islands in the world, it is part of the Polynesian group of islands that make up the Polynesian triangle and Easter Island occupies its farthest eastern end. The nearest population centers are Tahiti and Chile located over 2000 miles away.

Easter island covers 64 sq miles and has a triangular shape.

Travel to Easter Island

Easter Island is one of the most unique places to visit because of its remoteness, concentration of archeological sites, geography, sightseeing and cultural heritage. The busiest time of the year is during the Tapati Festival, a celebration of the Polynesian culture which takes place during the first half of February.

Celebrating at the Tapati Festival

Flights to Easter Island

LAN Airlines, formerly LanChile, Chile’s national airline, is the only carrier that flights to Mataveri International Airport or Isla de Pascua Airport, the most remote airport in the world. Mataveri is located 3,759 kilometers (2,336 mi) from Santiago and is the main point of entry for the thousands of tourists that visit the island every year.  According to the season they have from five to seven flights a week from Santiago and two flights a week from Tahiti. LAN also has two direct flights a week from Lima, Peru, cutting the  trip a few hours shorter for those who come from Europe or North America. Due to its remoteness flights to Easter Island are not cheap, however if you book your flight in conjunction with your international flight LAN will give you a discount on the Easter Island portion.

Another way to visit Easter Island is to book a flight as part of your Round-the-World itinerary with One World Alliance. LAN is part of the One World Alliance, which includes Alaska, British Airways, American and other Airlines.

From LA to Easter Island via Miami and Santiago

Easter Island Hotels

Easter Island Weather