Easter Island is one of the most remote places in the world so it’s easy to see why people don’t make it here to visit. Seeing the Moai statues was definitely on my bucket list and I was determined to get here on my trip to Chile, remote or not. So if you’re wondering how to get to Easter Island–here’s everything you need to know.
Where is Easter Island
Easter Island is located off the coast of Chile almost directly west of Santiago in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. From Santiago, it takes about 5.5 hours to fly to Easter Island.
It’s not that Easter Island is necessarily hard to get to, but it does have two things going against it. And (in my opinion) is why most people don’t end up visiting.
Reason #1
Easter Island lies in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and is a pretty decent flight out to the island. If you’re already flying to Chile from another part of the world, you’ve likely already been on several planes for quite a few hours.
Chile is a very long, skinny country and most of the highlights to see are pretty spread out. So if you’re wanting to visit the Atacama Desert and Patagonia, you’ll already be doing some serious flight time.
To get to Patagonia from Santiago, you’ll be on a 3-hour flight. To go to the Atacama Desert from Santiago, you’ll be on a 2.5 hour flight plus 1.5 hour transit. And if you’ve already traveled far to get to Chile, it’s a lot to get to the other places already, let alone flying nearly 6 more hours off the coast.
And because each of the highlights are so spread out, it becomes a discussion of ‘what do you want to see more’.
I ended up doing a 10-day trip to Chile and did the Atacama Desert and Easter Island. It definitely felt like a lot of flights (and was) but again, I was determined to get there.
Luckily I had a direct flight from Miami to Santiago, but I ended up flying from Santiago to Calama (Atacama Desert) and back, then over to Easter Island and back, before then returning back to Miami. Six flights in ten days.
Reason #2
Because it’s in the middle of the Pacific, it can be pretty expensive to get there. There are few flights in and out during the week, so you’re a little limited on options. Flights can be anywhere from $600 to over $1,500 depending on when you go and how far ahead you book.
And again, if you’re already booking flights to Chile and to other parts of Chile, the costs can add up as can the travel time. And you don’t want to spend your whole trip in transit.
How to Get to Easter Island
The good news is that once you’re committed, it’s very straightforward. To get to Easter Island, you’ll fly into Santiago and then fly over to Easter Island.
The flight to Easter Island is about 5.5 hours from Santiago and usually departs in the morning and arrives mid-afternoon. The flight back is typically shorter with tail winds and takes about 4.5 hours to return.
Terminals
If you’re arriving internationally, the flights to Easter Island will be in the domestic terminal which you can get to simply by walking out the doors and across a long walkway to the terminal directly across.
For my flight to the Atacama Desert, the gates were on the same floor as check-in and I basically followed the crowd. The second time around, I assumed I’d go to the same area but the people at security were telling me I was in the wrong place. It took several people trying to translate for me to understand that Easter Island flights depart elsewhere.
Easter Island flights depart from the 2nd floor of the domestic terminal which is located downstairs (not upstairs) from check-in. I found some stairs right behind the check-in counters and it leads to a separate area for security and gates.
Airport Hotel
Because of the limited flights to Easter Island, you may not be able to arrive and catch an Easter Island flight all in the same day. I arrived back from Calama at about 9pm and my flight out to the island was the next morning.
The great news is that there’s an airport hotel that is literally right outside the doors in between the domestic and international terminals. It’s a Holiday Inn and is actually pretty nice. I stayed there two different times while transiting and it was SO convenient.
Easter Island Airport
Once you arrive, the airport on the island is pretty small and easy to navigate. (Don’t miss the Moai statue to the left of the airport entrance when you get off the plane!)
The exit doors are right next to the baggage claim and you’ll see drivers outside with signs with your name on them. I recommend arranging pick-up with your hotel ahead of time.
The airport is located in the main town of Hanga Roa (also the only town) and most hotels are within a short drive of the airport. Mine was only about 10 minutes down the road.
The town is very laid back and walkable. It’s easy to navigate and easy to get to in the sense that it’s just an additional flight, but it definitely takes some extra effort to get there!
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