Ahu Akivi

Introduction

Ahu Akivi is the odd one out among Rapa Nui's moai: seven statues of equal size gaze out to sea, while almost every other ahu faces inland to watch over its village. It also stands inland, on farmland at 140 metres on the southern slope of Maunga Terevaka, about 10 km north of Hanga Roa and 2.3 km from the coast. The platform came in two phases: a central base with north and south wings and a 25-metre ceremonial plaza to the west in the 16th century, then the seven statues in the early 17th. William Mulloy and Gonzalo Figueroa re-erected the fallen figures in 1960. The seven face the sunset at the spring equinox and turn their backs on the sunrise at the autumn equinox, often read as evidence of Rapanui astronomy; oral tradition instead makes them the seven scouts sent by King Hotu Matu'a, looking back toward the homeland of Hiva. The site belonged to the high-ranking Miru clan and names one of the park's seven districts. A national park pass is required, raised in October 2025 to CLP 95,000 (USD 95) for foreign adults and valid ten days, so the USD 80 figure still circulating online is out of date, and most core sites now require a licensed local guide.

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