Celebrate the Tapati Festival on Easter Island

During the month of February, one of the most important celebrations of the year takes place on Easter Island: Tapati. It is probably the most significant annual celebration of all of Polynesia, gathering numerous visitors from around the world for over four decades. For 15 days, the residents form alliances that compete against each other. Local artists and athletes revive the most ancient folklore to secure victory for their group and thus crown their candidate as queen.

From February 3 to 18, 2012, Rapa Nui will be the meeting point of the exotic, the ideal destination for any lover of the original and unique. Visitors will have the opportunity to not only observe but also participate in some of the events and activities. This includes the Vaka Tuai, where each alliance must build a reed canoe to sail with their candidate for queen of the festival; the Takona, where participants decorate their bodies with natural pigments; the Tau'a, better known as the triathlon of Tapati; and the Haka Pei, where participants slide down banana tree trunks down a hillside with a slope, sometimes, of 45 degrees, achieving speeds over 70 km/h.

At the top of Te Miro Oone hill is La Posada de Mike Rapu, a hotel recommended by the agency Explora that features 30 wooden-decorated rooms, making it the perfect base for enjoying this festival.