Easter Island's southeastern side is home to most of its archeological wonders. A 4-wheel drive vehicle is a worthy investment, as the road is essentially a dusty path from one side of the island to the other. Maps of the archaeological sites are available in Hanga Roa, and your hotel may provide you with one. Most bus tours head right past the first few sites, on their way to the quarry and better known statues. This makes stopping at the first few ahus essential, as the experience of observing them in the absence of dozens of tourists is both peaceful and humbling.

Ahu Akahanga:
The twelve statues at this ahu rest where they were toppled, though they used to stand on the four large platforms, or ahus, that you'll also notice. Legend has it that this is the burial site of Hotu Matu'a, the first man to set foot on Te Pito O Te Henua, as well as the island's first ruler.

Ahu Hanga Te Tetenga:
The largest moai ever transported lies broken at this ahu. It measures 33.1 feet in height. Researchers believe that the statue fell while it was being erected, as the finishing touches were never made to its eye sockets.

Ahu Te Pito Kura:
Legend has it that Hotu Matu'a, the first man to land on the island, brought with him a large round stone, representing the island's namesake-the navel of the world. It can be found at this ceremonial site. The site is also home to the tallest moai ever successfully erected, called Paro, which is a mere 4 inches shorter than the fallen statue at Ahu Hanga Te Tetenga, standing at an impressive 32.63 feet.

Ahu Tongariki:
This ahu may be the most spectacular on the island with 15 proud moai facing a ceremonial area that has petroglyphs of fish and turtles. The 200 foot long ahu that provides a base for the statues is the longest on the island. In 1960, an earthquake in Chile triggered a massive tidal wave that hit Easter Island at Ahu Tongariki. The 15 moai were flung from their ahu and landed several hundred feet inland. Considering that some of them weigh up to 60,000 pounds, the force must have been tremendous. In 1992, a Chilean archaeologist spearheaded an effort to resurrect the moai, an effort which took five years to complete.

Ahu Vaihu:
At this ahu, you can find eight toppled moai, lying face down. Archaeologists believe that the ahu was used as a burial chamber after the statues fell, as evidenced by rocks piled on top of the statues.

Ana O Keke and Ana Neru:
These "caves of the virgins" are found in the cliffs along the southeastern coast. With the help of an experienced guide, you can see the caves where young women soon to be married were supposedly kept until their nuptials.

Ranu Raraku:
This volcanic crater is where each of the 887 Easter Island moai was born. Nearly half of the island's moai can be found at Ranu Raraku, where workers abandoned their works-in-progress hundreds if not a thousand years ago. Of all exhibits at the open-air museum that Easter Island has become, this is the most epic.

Surrounding the crater are 397 statues, ranging from those that are all but done to simply faces carved into the rock wall. A hundred and fifty of the statues were abandoned mid-creation. The largest moai at the quarry, dubbed El Gigante, is 72 feet tall, and remains part of the rock wall. It's hard to conceptualize how anyone could have moved the statue, which is projected to weigh between 145 and 165 tons. Tukuturi, the only moai in the kneeling position, is thought to predate the standing statues. It too remains at Ranu Raraku. Several completed statues at the base of the crater are partially buried from years.

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