The climate on the island is sub-tropical, so the tourist season is year round. If you're visiting Chile in January or February, plan your trip to the island to coincide with the festival of Tapati Rapa Nui. The two-week event is a celebration of the islanders' ancient culture, and features singing, dancing and feasting.

Another of the year’s highlights takes place in the last two weeks of January—the Rapa Nui Olympics. Many events take place around the island, the most famous of these is the race to get the egg and become Orongo (The Bird Man of Rapa Nui). The movie Rapa Nui depicts how these kings were once chosen. Young men climb a steep cliff, then dive down into the crashing, shark-invested waters of the Pacific and swim to a rocky, offshore island. Here, they must obtain an egg from a seabird’s nest and return safely to the cliff top with the egg unbroken. The first to return with his egg intact would be Bird Man for the next year.

Also of interest to the most dedicated runners, the Easter Island marathon (as well as half-marathon and 10km race) takes place early June. If traveling from North America, you can book the trip through the specialized operator Marathon Tours (www.marathontours.com).