Chile Guide

Getting around

The layout of the island's roads encourages you to visit the sites on several different trips: one taking in the south coast, Rano Raraku and Anakena on a long circular route; another going inland to Ahu Akivi, either returning along the west coast, via Tahai, or else covering the coastal path on foot in a separate trip; and finally climbing up to Rano Kau and Orongo.

It's worth putting some thought into how you want to get around the island, as the type of transport you choose can make a big difference to your experience of the place. The easiest, most hassle-free choice is to take an organized tour, but while this ensures you get to see a large number of sites, with guided commentary (and without getting lost), you can feel you're on a sightseeing conveyer belt – and it seems a shame to visit the most remote inhabited island in the world with a crowd of other tourists. Tours usually cost around US$50 for a full day, and US$30 for a half-day. Three recommended tour companies on the island are: Aku Aku Tours at Hotu Matu'a ( 32/100770, akuaku-stgo@entelchile.net), and Hanga Roa Travel at Avenida Tu'u Koihu ( 32/551158, hfritsch@entelchile.net), which provide a variety of extensive tours; and Mahinatur, at Hotu Matu'a with Atamu Tekena ( & 32/100220, www.mahinatur.cl ), one of the island's oldest tour operators with information on everything from scuba diving to bus rental. Both have comfortable vehicles and guides fluent in Spanish, English, French, Italian and German. In addition to these, numerous hotels, residenciales and local people offer jeep or minibus tours.

If you want more solitude and independence, you can hire a jeep or a motorbike, which can be quite an adventure as the roads can be bumpy. This is a very popular option, so you should book your vehicle as soon as you can after arrival (or even before), before the rest of your plane beats you to it. Another alternative is to visit the island on horseback. You'll find a lot of places offering horses, from residenciales to souvenir shops, but they're often wild, badly cared-for and rather mangy. For sleek, healthy beasts, contact Roberto ( 32/100474), French-born Patrice ( 32/100518), or Julio ( 32/100540) – or ask Sernatur for a recommendation. Finally, you could consider visiting some sites on a mountain bike or on foot, though walking round the whole island would be quite a challenge. Walking from Hanga Roa, easy targets include Ahu Tahai (30min), Rano Kau (1hr) and Vinapu (1hr 30min).