Ahu Tahai at Sunset

Ahu Tahai is the easiest moai site on the island to reach and one of the most rewarding. It sits on the shore just a short walk north of Hanga Roa, and it is the one place where you can see the statues with the sea behind them rather than the sky, which is why the sunset here has become a ritual. The complex has three platforms. Ahu Tahai itself carries a single moai, Ahu Vai Uri has a group of five, and Ahu Ko Te Riku holds a statue with a topknot and, most unusually, a pair of reconstructed eyes of white coral and red scoria. Seeing a moai with eyes gives the face a startling life. The grass around the platforms is cropped by horses, and the stone foundations of boat-shaped houses can be traced in the turf. The site stays open until sunset.

The eyes are the key to the visit. Archaeologists found coral fragments inside the sockets of moai and eventually concluded that the figures once had eyes, installed for ceremonial events. The eyes at Ahu Ko Te Riku are modern reconstructions, but they give you a clear idea of what the original statues looked like when they were active ritual objects, watching over the community. Many visitors say it changes how they see every other moai on the island, which now look blind by comparison.

This was also a lived-in place. The remains of boat-shaped houses, ovens and gardens show that Tahai was a village, and a nearby cemetery holds the grave of William Mulloy, the archaeologist who restored many of the sites on the island. The proximity to Hanga Roa makes Tahai a good place to orient yourself on the first afternoon. A short trail leads from the harbour area north along the coast, passing small coves where fishermen launch boats and where local children swim in the afternoon. You can also arrive on horseback or by bicycle.

For sunset, arrive at least 45 minutes early to claim a spot, because the best position is the grass in front of the ahu with the sun dropping toward the horizon behind the statues. Bring a jacket, since the wind picks up quickly after the sun goes down, and a torch for the walk back to town. Conditions vary through the year.

In summer the sun sets late and the crowd is large, while in winter the sun drops earlier and the evenings feel crisp. Cloud is common, but even then the colours over the Pacific can be striking. The site is a useful reminder that the island's heritage is not only in remote quarries but also in everyday life on the edge of town.

Make an evening of it. Walk down from Hanga Roa in the late afternoon, spend time looking at the eyes of Ko Te Riku and the five statues of Vai Uri, and then choose a seat on the grass for the show. Take a small bottle of water, a light jacket and a torch, and keep your voice low as the sun goes down, since locals use the place too.

Afterwards, walk back along the coast to one of the harbour restaurants for fresh fish. Photographers should arrive early to set up, and everyone should stay behind the low barriers and off the platforms.