Orongo (Tangata Manu, Manu Tara)

Approx. Time: 1 hours
Activity Level: Easy to Moderate

The city of Orongo is considered the center of the bird man-worshipping cult. This cult came about after the stone deities, and it is not presently active (a bizarre ceremony was traditionally held here each year to elect island’s religious leader).

Note that the houses in Orongo, made of soft stone, have been meticulously restored, but the cliff side has been left untouched: it is adorned with hundreds of petroglyphs such as Tangata Manu, the “Bird Man”, the Manu Tara, the sacred bird itself, and Makemake - the god once believed to have created the world. Pause to enjoy what is nothing short of a spectacular view of islets Motu Nui, Motu-Iti and Motu Kao-Kao.

A petroglyph-covered altar sits on a cliff near Orongo.

Courtesy of the Chile Tourism Board

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