Explora’s 30-room lodge on Easter Island, Explora Rapa Nui, reopens on September 24, 2022, following a pause of over two years. With flights once again landing at the world’s most remote landing strip, Mataveri International Airport, a whopping 2,336 miles across the Pacific Ocean from Chile, the island is finally welcoming international travelers again.

For nearly three decades, Explora has practiced social distancing. But the travel company called it differently, guiding small groups, family units, and solo travelers to adventure and cultural discovery in the remote regions of South America, where they keep company with only themselves and locals.

On Easter Island or Rapa Nui, as locals call it, travelers can choose from over 30 explorations with guided hikes, bike rides, snorkeling, and scuba diving choreographed to immerse them in Rapa Nui culture. All Explora explorations are enjoyed in small groups and range in levels of difficulty from easy-going to expert and challenging for a half-day or full-day outing.

A minuscule triangle born from the eruption of three volcanoes at the outmost border of the Polynesian triangle is surrounded by crystal clear water, covered in low vegetation, and dotted with rounded extinct volcanoes. The very definition of ‘remote,’ the island was once the cradle of the enigmatic Rapa Nui culture that endures today. Its proud inhabitants keep the language, music, and traditions alive, while the enormous and haunting carved stone Moai are tangible testimonies of a mysterious past.

Starting in October, LATAM will offer three flights a week to Easter Island on Mondays, Fridays, and Sundays, increasing to four days a week in January 2023.

In keeping with health regulations instituted by Chilean government authorities, all travelers to Easter Island are required to follow entry health measures to keep everyone — locals and visitors — safe. Current requirements include a negative PCR test taken within 24 hours of departure and accommodations reservations. For more information on current Easter Island entry measures, please click here.