rano kau

fedfan

The view of the volcano crater is spectacular. One of the best calderas you'd ever see! Lots of interesting reeds and lagoons within. A nice break from just viewing moais

Smplysublime213

If visiting Easter Island, this view is not to be missed, it is like no other in the world! The two major reasons to to visit Rano Kau is there is a spatular view of the crater, which is filled with rain water and vegetation and the second is its one of the highest points on the Island, which gives you a great view of the entire Island. Bring your camera, a snack and some water you will want to spend sometime at Rano Kau!

Sandi0615

Standing over this crater is truly amazing - we learned from a guide who did some archaeological work there. It's with Onorgo so see both together.

JimmyJackk

Another must see spot. Absolutely worth the short hike. Beautiful 360 degree views of the area. Our guide did a wonderful job taking us to all the great places on the island.

HungryThirstyTravelr

We walked to this from town along the coastal path. It took us about two hours and there is no where to buy water at the top unlike all the other tourist spots (so make sure you take enough with you). The walk was long and hot but the view from the top was amazing. It is a caldera with water in it and you get views of the whole island. Totally worth it. The path also doesn't have much shade, so make sure you have a hat or loose shirt to cover you up should you need some shade on route. The route back down is a lot quicker!

ARCGlasgow

This place is totally amazing - the guide said you could probably walk across it on the reeds. Apparently they put tiny fish in the lake to eat mosquitos and try to keep the island free of things like Dengue Fever

pvschmieder

My title says it all.. .If you go to Easter Island aka Rapa Nui then you really should visit the iconic sites or it becomes an opportunity lost. This is one such site. From here the birdman culture flourished. A guided tour is suggested to glean the best of the details.

MarionW339

the crater is about a mile wide with. Have seat and take in the amazing views all around you.The crater is filled with water and vegetation. Apparently the lagoon isn't very deep at all - probably because of the layers of vegation. Rano Kau is at the end of the trail as you passed the Birdman caves, etc. I would consider this the highlight of the loop trail. You won't be disappointed.It's extremely windy up here. The trail is in great shape. You are about 300 meters up; somehow it seems much higher and gives a sense of being on top of the world in a very unique environment

AlderleyEdgeTiger007

This is no doubt the top natural attraction of Easter Island - a beautiful volcano with a whole bunch of lagoons inside its caldera - apparently these lagoons are 11 meters deep and where studied by Jacques Cousteau and his team who discovered endemic fauna and flora - some of the endemic flora has medicinal purposes.

LindaS562

Rano Kau is a volcanic caldera with a reed lake at the SW tip of the island. From the rim (300 M) you can look south and see the 3 little islands (or motu) of Itu, Kao & Nui. It is amazingly beautiful but don't be confused by some of the reviews - there are no maois up here. On the road up is a nice viewing opportunity to the right to see over the village of Hanga Roa, and the first viewing of the crater lake is just past that on the left. Further up the road at the Orongo ranger station is another wonderful viewing opportunity for the crater on the left. You don't need to pass the ranger station to access the viewing areas of the crater so you can drive up here as weather permits morning or evening for some great photo ops.

christyd61

I went with a guide but there is so much information at the actual site inside the guest building that you really don't need one. Just read everything and then walk around!There are great views and it is really a pleasant place. Nice enough to bring lunch for a picnic on a day with good weather!

NancyinIN

This is the volcano crater from which the island was created. it is a challenging hike up or an easy ride up on a motorcycle. It was well worth renting wheels for a day to revisit sites and explore the island the day after a tour.

GrandpaX4

Beautiful views of the crater and ocean from the top of an extinct volcano. Impressive views that will make the trip worthwhile.

ScottCJ

If you have a spare day, hike up here from Hanga Roa using the marked hiking path after you pass the airport (not on the road). It's a fair walk so only do it is not blazing hot and if you have sensible shoes (~2 hrs or so from Hanga Roa centre). Great views and then go on to Orongo. You can also go around the far side of the crater.

aimster9870

A great place to snap photos while experiencing what the inside of the volcanic crater looks like. Beautiful and rare indeed.