Nayara Resorts has announced that Nayara Hangaroa on Easter Island is welcoming guests. Since the hotel joined the group’s portfolio during the island’s two-year COVID closure, this is the first time it is operating as Nayara Hangaroa.
The hotel is a five-minute walk from the town of Rapa Nui. The 75 guestrooms, designed by Chilean interior designer Paula Gutiérrez, prioritize natural light and natural materials such as cypress logs lining the ceilings, clay bathtubs and volcanic stones framing the bed and bathroom. The guestrooms intentionally lack televisions.
F&B options at the hotel include Poevara, the main restaurant with airy interiors and a large outdoor terrace; Kaloa, a minimalist lounge with large banquette seating; and Vaikoa, the poolside bar.
Spa Manavai offers therapies, massages and treatments that incorporate natural products from the island.
Most of the hotel’s guides are local Rapa Nui people who are well versed in the island’s history and culture. A range of experiences await guests at the hotel. They can go on guided tours of Ahu Tongariki to see the 15 moai. They can traverse one of the oldest paths on the island, Ara O Te Ao, which leads to the Rano Kau lookout point, the island’s largest crater, and onto Orongo, the ancient ceremonial village. At Ahu Akivi, guests can marvel at the only moai on the island that look out across the sea (all the others have their backs to the ocean). Guests can catch the sunrise at Tongariki and the sunset at Tahai. They can sail between the three islets in front of the Rano Kau cliff, known locally as the Motu Nui, to spot marine birdlife. They can also explore the island on bikes or ATVs, stopping at historic caves and empty beaches.
The Tapati Rapa Nui Festival on Easter Island is tentatively planned for February 1 to 15, 2023. The annual festival, which began in the 1970s to promote Rapa Nui culture, features cultural and sporting events. One highlight is the Haka Pei competition, which involves sliding down the island’s steepest slope on banana trunks.
Easter Island officially reopened in August. There are three flights per week from mainland Chile and LATAM is planning to add more services starting January 2023.
Good to know: Guests who book both Nayara Hangaroa and Nayara Alto Atacama (in Chile’s Atacama Desert) can avail of a 15 percent discount.
For more details, visit nayarahangaroa.com.
Related Stories
Explora Easter Island Reopens After Two-Year Closure
Chile Further Relaxes Entry Protocols for Travelers