Text, Videos and Photos: Ronian Carvalho
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| Moai on the paradisiacal Anakena beach |
Despite being a tropical island in the paradisiacal region known as the Polynesian Triangle (whose tips are Hawaii, in the north, New Zealand, in the west, and the Easter Island itself, in the east), the island of the Rapa Nui has only two sandy beaches, which are reasonably far from the village of Hanga Roa. The constant volcanic eruptions that shaped the island allowed only the northern coast to replace (but not totally) the cooled dark lava stones by the clear (but not always clean) sand that forms Anakena and Ovahe beaches.
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| The calm and clear waters of the Anakena beach |
Anakena is the most visited one, having even a restaurant and a camping. Bordered by two small cliffs at its tips, its coconut grove and its shallow, calm and crystalline waters give it the perfect tropical paradise atmosphere. Although at certain times of the year temperatures drop below 20° C, sea water never gets too cold. What can really bother you is the instability of the weather, which can bring sudden rains and strong winds. The beach is also a starting point for kayakers. So that no one will forget being still on the Easter Island, on the beach there's Ahu Nau Nau, with 7 moai (although 2 of them have been partially destroyed), maintaining that atmosphere of mystery in the air, typical of the island of the Rapa Nui . Due to this historical patrimony there, to have access to the beach it is necessary to go to the park ranger booth to stamp the entry ticket to the Rapa Nui National Park.
The translucent waters of the Polynesian sea
Speaking of mystery, to get to Anakena from Hanga Roa one must take the road that passes through the middle of the island. On this path you can see at least two very curious features of the Easter Island. First of all, as there are hundreds of horses and cattle being raised extensively on the island, it's not difficult to meet groups of these animals carelessly blocking the roads. What's more, it's possible to find them mating in the middle of the road (😲😲😲), something that may delay the journey for a few moments, but which may be bizarre, at least for those who have been raised in a city.
The beauty of Anakena beach
But the most curious fact of the way, for those who do it in a motor vehicle, is the magnetic field present on this road. At a certain slightly sloped point of this way, just before reaching Anakena, it is possible to turn off the engine of the car and yet the vehicle will continue to move, as if it were magical! Fantasies aside, experts say that magnetic fields are common in areas of volcanic soil, but they hardly ever have enough strength to move an automobile.
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| Road near Anakena beach |
That's enough reason for the trip, right? However, unless the visitor is accompanied by a resident of the Easter Island, this experience will go unnoticed, as there is no indication in the place about this magnetic field. So it's a great opportunity to get to know the Rapa Nui, who talk to each other in their incomprehensible Polynesian language. But the visitor can take it easy, because although some peoples from this Pacific region were cannibals, there's no evidence that the Rapa Nui want to devour travelers (😂😂😂). On the contrary, they're very friendly, take hitch hikers easily and love to ask about the countries where the foreigners live. After all, those who live on the smallest piece of inhabited land in the world must naturally be very curious about what the rest of the world is like. But those who don't have so much interest in having contact with the Rapa Nui can go on a tour to the island's main tourist attractions or rent a car, motorcycle or bicycle to travel the 18 km between Hanga Roa and Anakena.
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| Ahu Nau Nau on Anakena beach |
Especially in summer, when the flow of tourists on the island is higher, it's good to leave early to find a good spot on the sands of Anakena. Also, as it's close to the other beach, Ovahe, and not far from Ahu Tongariki and Rano Raraku volcano, it's a good idea to split the day among all these attractions, especially for those who have little time on the island. Ah! Don't forget to bring your bathing suit and towel. After all, you can't miss the chance to get into the paradisiacal Polynesian sea, right ?! (😉)
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| Weather change on Anakena beach |
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