Located in Hanga Nui, on the southeast coast of Easter Island and just 2 kilometers from the Rano Raraku quarry, Ahu Tongariki is the most majestic ceremonial platform on the whole island. Words can’t describe the impression one receives while contemplating this ahu and its 15 gigantic sculptures, framed by a turquoise sea background with the sound of the waves crashing on the cliffs. Ahu Tongariki represents the maximum splendor of the island’s sculptures. With a ceremonial 220-meter long platform, it’s the largest structure of this nature in all of Polynesia. The fifteen colossal moai lined up on AHU TONGARIKI make a sensational sight. This was the largest number of moai ever erected on a single ahu, which, at 200m long, was the largest built on the island. It was totally destroyed in 1960 when a massive tsunami, triggered by an earthquake in Chile, swept across this corner of the island, dragging the platform blocks and the statues 90m inland – a remarkable distance, given that the statues weigh up to 30 tonnes each.