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An outstanding 13-km walk begins at the museum and follows
the west coast five km north to Ahu Tepeu. As elsewhere, keep your eyes
pealed for banana trees growing out of the barren rocks as these often
indicate caves you can explore. Inland from Ahu Tepeu is one of the island's
most photographed sites, Ahu Akivi, with seven statues restored in 1960.
From here an interior farm road runs straight back to town (study the
maps at the museum carefully, as you'll go far out of your way if you
choose the wrong road here).
A shorter hike takes you up Puna Pau, a smaller crater
which provided stone for the red topknots that originally crowned the
island's statues. There's a great view of Hanga Roa from the three crosses
on an adjacent hill and you can easily do it all in half a day. A different
walk takes you right around the 3,353-meter airport runway, which crosses
the island just south of town. Near the east end of the runway is Ahu
Vinapu with perfectly fitted monolithic stonework bearing an uncanny resemblance
to similar constructions in Peru.
 Easter
Island's moderate climate and scant vegetation make for easy cross country
hiking, and you won't find yourself blocked by fences and private property
signs very often. You could also tour the island by mountain bike, available
from several locations at US$10 a day. If you surf or scuba dive, there
are many opportunities here. A minimum of five days are needed to see
the main sights of Easter Island, and two weeks would be far better. The
variety of things to see and do will surprise you, and you'll be blessed
with some unforgettable memories.
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