Easter Island, Chile
Sunrise at Ahu Tongariki
Local time now09:35
Dedicate this sunrise · from $4.99Local time at the place (Pacific/Easter) · 27.1258° S, 109.2769° W · calculated live with the same rules as our certificates.
Ahu Tongariki on Easter Island is the largest ceremonial platform on the island, with fifteen moai standing in a row with their backs to the sea. Toppled by a tsunami in 1960, the statues were raised again in the 1990s.
The moai face inland, toward the island, and the sun rises behind them out of the Pacific. In the minutes before sunrise the fifteen figures appear in dark outline against a sky going from violet to gold — one of the most powerful sunrises anywhere on Earth.
A sunrise at Ahu Tongariki is a gift from one of the most remote places on the planet — two thousand kilometres from the nearest inhabited land.
The best season
The southern summer, December to March, is warm and mostly clear. Winter, June to August, is cooler and rainier. Around the June solstice the sun rises almost directly behind the platform.
Where to watch
The field in front of the platform, facing the moai with the sea behind them, gives the classic sunrise view. Access opens before dawn with a park ticket.
Give this moment
Dedicate a sunrise, sunset or full moon night at Ahu Tongariki to someone you love, the nearest one or on the day you choose — from $4.99. They get a gift page with a live countdown, and a certificate with the exact minute, ready right after payment.
The SunriseDedicate this sunrise
The SunsetDedicate this sunset
The Full Moon NightDedicate the full moon night
Questions
What time is sunrise at Ahu Tongariki today?
It changes by a minute or two every day. This page calculates today’s sunrise and sunset live for the exact point (27.1258° S, 109.2769° W), in local time (Pacific/Easter), with the same rules as the almanacs: the moment the upper edge of the sun clears the horizon.
Can I dedicate the sunrise at Ahu Tongariki to someone?
Yes. Choose The Sunrise, The Sunset or The Full Moon Night with this place, the nearest one or on the day you choose: it is dedicated to the person you name, they receive a gift page with a live countdown, and the certificate with the exact minute of the moment is ready right after payment.
What if it is cloudy?
The sun rises and sets whatever the weather. The certificate records the real astronomical moment, and the gift page tells the story of the sky at that minute.
Why do the moai at Ahu Tongariki face away from the sea?
Most moai face inland, toward the villages they watched over; the sun rises behind them from the ocean.
How remote is Easter Island?
It is more than 3,500 km from mainland Chile and about 2,000 km from Pitcairn, the nearest inhabited island.
Nearby places
- Sunrise at the Perito Moreno Glacier · El Calafate, Argentina
- Sunrise at Machu Picchu · Cusco, Peru
- Sunrise at Bora Bora · French Polynesia