Ahu Vinapu

Approx. Time: 2 hours
Activity Level: Easiest

Ahu Vinapu, a temple whose moais (sculptures) are curiously similar to stone works created by the Incas — which some researchers believe is evidence that the first inhabitants on the island were of South America descent.

Moai are the statues weighing hundreds of tons that the ancient inhabitants of Easter Island carved from volcanic rock and then somehow moved to the coast. How they did so is one of the world's greatest mysteries, right up there with how the pyramids were built! Most Moai are found in sacred places known as "ahu."

If size signified importance, Ahu Vinapu was one of the most important ahu on Easter Island. The precisely fitted large basalt cut slabs have perplexed some archaeologists. This Inca-like stone ahu as a key indicator to a distinct Peruvian influence on the island. An average slab here is eight by 5.5 feet (2.5 x 1.7meters) and weighs seven tons.

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