Tahai is the most visited ceremonial center on Rapa Nui, just one kilometre north of Hanga Roa. It brings together three platforms — Ahu Vai Uri, Ahu Tahai and Ahu Ko Te Riku — and is the resting place of William Mulloy, the archaeologist who dedicated his life to restoring the island’s monuments. Its lookout point is, without dispute, the best place on the island to watch the sunset.
Three Platforms, Three Stories
Tahai is one of the most important ceremonial centers of the Island, located on the west coast, just one kilometre (3,300 feet) north of the village of Hanga Roa, covering an area of 20,000 square metres (4 acres). Along with Ahu Vinapu, it is one of the oldest centres, constructed in the main period of settlement around the years 700 and 800 A.D. According to local lore, it belonged to one or more lines of the ruling Miru clan. One of the reasons for selecting this spot was, without a doubt, the shallow boat landing which serves for fishing from shore, called Hanga Moana Verovero.
The archaeological complex, restored between 1968 and 1970 under the direction of American archaeologist William Mulloy, consists of three platforms: Ahu Vai Uri with 5 moai, Ahu Tahai with one moai — the oldest of the three, standing 4.5 metres tall — and Ahu Ko Te Riku with a single moai, the only one on the entire island with restored white coral eyes and a Pukao. The oldest of the three platforms is the one which lies underneath the current restored Ahu Tahai.
The Grave of William Mulloy
William Mulloy, the American archaeologist who led the restoration of Tahai, Ahu Akivi, Orongo and Vinapu, is buried at Tahai itself alongside his wife Emily Ross Mulloy. It is a quiet tribute to the man whose work, alongside the Rapanui community, returned much of the island’s monumental landscape to the form visitors see today.
The Village: Hare Paenga, Hare Moa and the Sunset Lookout
The old stories tell that priests built their houses (Hare Paenga) close to the Ahu, while the rest of the people lived inland in caves or huts built with sticks and reeds. The Hare Paenga were residential constructions with a base of worked stones in the form of an upturned canoe hull, with rounded ends. They could reach an average length of 15 metres, covered with a frame of branches and plant fibres. Other living areas were the Hare Maea, or stone houses.
In this ceremonial center, there are also stone chicken houses (Hare Moa), Polynesian ovens (Umu Pae) — similar to those still used today in the ancestral Umu rite — water receptacles (Taheta) and small caves where people could spend the night admiring the starry skies. The Tahai overlook is the best place on the island to enjoy the beautiful sunsets.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tahai Ceremonial Center
What makes Tahai Ceremonial Center special?
Tahai brings together three ceremonial platforms — Ahu Vai Uri, Ahu Tahai and Ahu Ko Te Riku — just one kilometre from Hanga Roa, making it the most accessible archaeological site on the island. Ahu Ko Te Riku holds the only moai on all of Rapa Nui with restored white coral eyes, and its lookout is considered the best place on the island to watch the sunset.
Who is buried at Tahai?
American archaeologist William Mulloy, who led the restoration of Tahai between 1968 and 1970, as well as Ahu Akivi, Orongo and Vinapu, is buried at Tahai alongside his wife Emily Ross Mulloy, in tribute to his lifelong work in Rapanui archaeology.
What are the three platforms at Tahai?
Ahu Vai Uri, with 5 moai; Ahu Tahai, with a single 4.5-metre moai, the oldest of the three; and Ahu Ko Te Riku, with a moai that retains its Pukao and the only restored white coral eyes on the entire island. The oldest platform of the complex underlies the current restored Ahu Tahai.
Why is Tahai the best place to watch the sunset on Easter Island?
Tahai faces west on a small rocky cliff by the sea, with no obstacles between the lookout and the Pacific horizon. Its proximity to Hanga Roa — just a kilometre’s walk — makes it the most accessible and popular spot on the island to enjoy sunset alongside the moai.