Rano Kau - Rapa Nui volcano with crater lake

A near-perfect crater lake and the cliff-edge stone village of Orongo—Rano Kau ties geology to the birdman era in one panorama.

Rano Kau is one of the three volcanoes (Terevaka and Poike being the others) whose eruption caused Rapa Nui to emerge from the open sea. The island has during thousands of years detached from its original location, which means that the volcanos now are extinct. Rano Kau is home to the ancient stone village of Orongo, where the birdman competitions tooks place.

The volcano used to be an important source of drinking water. Natives would climb down the 150 m high ridge, pack some water and climb back up again.

The lake at the bottom of the volcano, which is 100 m above sea level, is covered by floating isles of grass. Legend has it that this lake doesn't have a bottom - that it reaches the very core of Earth.

This great cauldron holds a mini-ecosystem with a hotter climate than the rest of the island, so exotic fruits such as oranges and pineapples grow more easily here without needing any care.

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