Eight days circuit visiting the Chilean Central Valley and the mystic Easter island. City tour by Santiago, excursion to Valparaiso port and Veramonte Vineyard, finishing in the middle of the pacific ocean, at Easter island.
Itinerary
Day 01: Santiago City Tour
Reception at Santiago airport. Transfer to choosen hotel
City tour in Santiago visiting the main tourist attractions, such as, old district, Club Hipico, San Francisco church built between 1572 and 1618. Government Palace, Main square, Central Post office, Santa Lucia Hill founded in 1541, majesticly located in the center of the city. The trip follows until San Cristobal Hill where a panoramic view of Santiago city is appreciated. Finally we will visit the most modern district in the city. Come back to hotel. Lodging.
Day 02: Valparaiso / Vina del Mar
We begin the route from your hotel, in a trip of 120 kilometers to the Pacific Ocean. Here we will apreciate the great variety of the landscape of Curacavi Valley to follow until Casablanca Valley known mainly by the great production of white wine Sauvignon Blanc among others. Arriving to Valparaiso (Main port of our country), recently declared Cultural Humanity Patrimony by UNESCO. We will be supraised by its houses in the hills it makes Valparaiso a very beautiful city: We shall visit the main atractives of the city: Victoria square, Sotomayor square, Glorias Navales Monument, 21 de Mayo Boulevard; (we will follow up to the viewing point to apreciate this wonderful port, one of the most important of our country); we also walk among its hills in its differents elevators, (1883-1902) to be in contact with the port enviroment. We follow the trip until Vina Del Mar, known like Garden city. In this place we see the flower match, Casino and Renaca; place where we will stop to lunch; after that we will make a short walk by the beach. Arriving to Santiago, by coastal way we will show and visit Quinta Vergara, place known due to International Song Festival. Come back to Santiago finishing in your hotel.
Itinerary:
Departure from hotel in Santiago by the morning towards the city of Valparaiso . Visit the city and stop to have lunch. By the evening a visit to Vina del mar city and Renaca. Come back to Santiago.
Day 03: Easter Island
Breakfast. Transfer to airport. Flight to Easter island.
Reception at Mataveri airport and typical welcome. Transfer to hotel. Overnight.
Day 04: Easter island
Breakfast in hotel. Half day excursion. We will begin our tour at about 8:30 hrs. from Hanga Roa to Tahai's Archaeological Complex, ceremonial center with 3 Ahu, Ahu Vai Uri with 5 moais, Ahu Tahai with 1 moai, and Ahu Lo Te Riku with 1 moai. From this site the visitors can appreciate wonderful landscapes. Then, we will go to Orongo's ceremonial city, ancient ceremonial city located in the west summit of the volcano Rano Kau. It is composed by approximately 53 houses of elliptical shape with flagstone walls and a small square access looking at the sea. In this place were realized the most important ceremony of the second period of the island, the Tangata Manu (“the bird man”). It was carried out until approximately 150 years ago, with the arrival of the first Christian missionaries. Return to Hanga Roa, total duration 3,5 hours.
Day 05: Easter island
Breakfast in the hotel. Full day tour. Departing from Hanga Roa's town at about 9:30 am, going to the southeast and northeast coast of the Island visiting the Ahu Vaihu temple, which is located 10 km from Hanga Roa. It consists of a stone platform with 8 Moais and 8 pukao dispersed in the proximities. Then, we will go to Ahu Akahanga, the also called as the "platform of the king". The legend tells that Hotu Matua'a's tomb is near this place. There, we will find 4 platforms, 12 Moais, 8 Pukao and towards the interior of this Ahu; it is possible to see the best preserved village of the island.
Later, we will go to Ahu Tongariki, with 15 moais being the biggest Ahu of the island. Then, we will meet Ahu Te Pito Kura, which possesses the highest statue of the island raised in an Ahu, the moai Paro (10 meters of height and 85 tons with a Pukao of 11,5 tons). Close to this ceremonial temple is the great spherical stone that is identified as the center of the universe (Te Pito o Te Henua), as the legend tells, it was brought to the island by Hotu Matua'a in his craft.
Later, we will arrive to Ahu Nau Nau, temple of a complex construction due to its different levels where we will find 5 Moais with Pukao. There, we will see petroglyphs in the backs of the statues. We will continue our excursion to the volcano and quarry Rano Raraku, where there was carved most of the moais of the island using the volcanic rock of its hillsides. There are an estimated number of 400 moais in several stages of carved.
To finish our adventure, we will go to Anakena's wonderful beach. It is a beach of white sands chosen for the arrival of the Ariki Hotu Matua'a and his sister Avareipua. Anakena corresponds to the name of a small cave of an adjacent gully.
Returning to Hanga Roa, we will realize our last stop in the Fundo Vaitea, country estate with an extension of 6.560,80 hectares, which represents 39,6% of the total surface of the island and it was created to achieve an agricultural production capable of sustaining the needs of the whole island, which was achieved years behind.
Return to the populated Hanga Roa, total duration 8 hours.
Day 06: Easter island
Breakfast in the hotel. Half day tour. We initiate the tour about 15:00 hrs. from Hanga Roa's settlement visiting Ahu Vinapu. It was used for the islanders in the year 1.200 A.C. it includes 3 Ahu. The first has 6 moais demolished and painted of red color. The second one has a supposedly feminine moai which had two heads. Finally, the third and the most ancient moai has only removed stones. We will continue our way to the quarry Puna Pau, archaeological site to the east of Hanga Roa. It is a small crater of red dross, from where were obtained the Pukao or hats with which were crowned the moais. Along its antique exit way, there are some incomplete and abandoned moais. We will go on our tour towards Ahu Akivi, the first Ahu restored by the science in the island in the year 1960. The platform with 7 moais is characterized for being one of the few ones located in the center of the island, with its statues facing the rising sun. According the legend, these 7 moais would represent 7 exploratory young men sent before Hotu Matua'a's arrival to investigate the island. Our adventure takes to us to the cavern of Te Pahu, a place used as housing and as temporary refuge in war times. Then, we will return to Hanga Roa, total duration 3,5 hours.
Day 07: Easter island - Santiago
Breakfast in the hotel. Transfer to airport and typical farewell. Flight to Santiago. Transfer to hotel. Lodging.
Day 08: Santiago
Transfer to airport for international flight.