Easter Island statues, or moais, that you can see up close on an incredible Easter Island tour.

The Rapi Nui islanders competed in a duathlon, swimming to the islet of Motu Nui and then running to Orongo, to bring back the first Sooty Tern egg. The first to bring the prize to the Orongo altar became the birdman for the year.

Easter Island was not thus named because of this elaborate egg hunt. The island, known to locals as Rapa Nui or Big Rapa, was so dubbed because the Dutch explorer, Jacob Roggeveen, landed on the island on Easter Sunday in 1722.

3700 km (2300 miles) off the coast of Chile, Easter Island was well-isolated from the mainland until the mid-1800s. Besides the Orongo Birdman ceremonial center, a number of fascinating landmarks tell of an utterly mysterious Pacific Islander culture.

The moais statues of Easter Island have become synonymous with mystery. These iconic, enigmatic statues stand guard in the Rano Raraku Quarry. There are over 300 of these monoliths, and some are in various stages of construction. One moai is over 70 feet tall. If you explore the Rano Raraku quarry, make sure to check out the crouching Tukuturi moai.

On an Easter Island tour, the sights of Easter Island will put you in a spell. Tour Hanga Roa, where you will see plenty of moais. Then head over to the eastern part of the island to see Ahu Tahai, where the moais bases were built to support the statues.

Also make sure to see Ahu Akahanga and Ahu Vaihu, where moais lie prone like toppled dominoes, a testament to the colonization that precipitated the downfall of this fascinating culture.

Another great activity to do on an Easter Island tour is scuba dive around Motu Nui, the legendary islet off the coast of Easter Island that the birdmen once swam to in search of the prized Sooty Tern eggs. Motu Nui boasts terrific snorkeling and scuba diving. The waters are clear and gentle. From the islet, you can glance back at the absolutely stunning edge of the Rano Kau crater.

February is a great time to visit Easter Island, as the ten day festival of Tapati Rapa Nui is celebrated in February. The peak season is January to March. Coldest months are July and August, but if you plan your Easter Island tour during this time, you will have the island nearly to yourself.

A spectacular solar eclipse is due to take place on Easter Island on July 11. Travelers wanting to witness this astonishing sight should explore Chile For Less’ special travel deal, Witness the Black Sunset.

But this isn’t any party. San Pedrans celebrate the Catholic feast day, Festival de San Pedro y San Pablo, with a distinctive blend of lively folk dancing, a thrilling rodeo, and solemn processions that infuse their Atacameño heritage into hispanic Catholic traditions.

The week-long religious festival culminates on June 29, known as Festival de San Pedro y San Pablo all over Catholic Latin America.

The otherworldly Salar de Talar, just outside of Chile’s northern desert town, San Pedro de Atacama. Courtesy of Wiki-Media.

Similar religious festivals are found in Costa Rica and elsewhere in Latin America, but San Pedro de Atacama goes to dramatic lengths to celebrate their namesake and patron Saint Peter.

On June 29, the major festival begins with mass in the Church of San Pedro – a white brick adobe relic from 1641. A procession of musicians, dancers, and onlookers heads to the main plaza.

Locals, visitors, and clergy all join in, carrying the image of Saint Peter through the streets. The procession returns to the church, and the clergy gives communion to the masses.

At an elevation of 2440 meters in the highlands near Chile’s Bolivian border, San Pedro de Atacama was an Inca – and later, Spanish – outpost on the way to the coast, later a mining center, then became a waystation during cattle drives from Argentina to the the desert.

Once a waystation, it is now a destination. The town relies on tourism, although some locals still farm on terraces from before the Inca era. The tourist high season is October to February, but during the offseason there is still much to see and do.

The crumbling dirt streets – lined with menu restaurants, sandboarding tour offices, and views of nearby volcanoes – are picturesque.

The Iglesia de San Pedro with its roof of cactus and pepperwood supports, is exquisitely preserved in the thin desert air. The Museo Arquelógico includes an interesting collection of artifacts left by the Belgian missionary Padre Gustave Paige.

Nearby, the salt flats of Valle de la Luna, or Moon Valley, create weird lunar landscapes dotted with gushing geyers. The valley is 12 km outside of town, walkable in three hours, or you can take a car. It’s best to make it for sunset – otherworldly on a clear day.

There are also remants from the pre-Inca era, such as the Pukará de Quitor fortress that was restored in 1981, or the ruins at Catarpe and Tulor. The El Tatio geyer and the Salar de Atacama, a 741316 acre salt lake inhabited by pink flamingoes, are both worth a trek as they show off Chile’s North Country at its most strange – and beautiful.

A few days or week-long skiing vacation after catching a tour on a Chile Travel Deal is a great way to see all Chile has to offer.

Three of the most popular ski resorts, Valle Nevado, La Parva, and Colorado, are known collectively as the Tres Valles.

The Valle Nevado slopes, along with Valle Colorado and La Purva, make for some of the widest-ranging skiable snow in all of South America.

These mountains huddle together in the Andes just 1.5 hours outside of Chile’s capital – Santiago.

Strung together like Christmas lights by an interconnected lift system, the Tres Valles combine to offer enough runs to keep an advanced skier busy for a week. The peaks range 2800-3700 meters (9186-12139 ft), and during the high season (July-Aug), get a generous dusting of crisp dry powder.

Valle Nevado is the most elegant of the three, with a resort that offers a luxurious touch to its rugged slopes. With 22.9 miles of ski runs open year-round to skiers and snowboarders of all abilities, plus heliskiers, this park offers an all-inclusive stay for snow-sport lovers.

El Colorado, the next peak over, is the largest of the three parks, with 16 lifts, 25 trails, and a view over Santiago. This is an excellent park to take the kids, with several beginners’ slopes and a lift designed specifically for little ones.

Colorado slides into La Parva, and boasts untrekked trails that stretch over 66 miles. It’s known for its advanced skiers’ slopes, and great backcountry bowls of completely untouched snow. Together with the borders of Valles Colorado and Nevado, La Parva makes for some of the widest-ranging skiable snow in all of South America.

When to go:

Ski season begins mid-June and high season begins in July. If you plan for late June, you’ll beat the crowds and hit the virgin snow. But if you have to wait, wait until late August to September, when the high season is winding down. Season ends October.

Where to stay:

The Valle Nevado Resort is every skiers dream come true – guests wake up to the best views of the mountains, the La Fourchette D’or restaurant is known for its terrific French cuisine, rooms are fully renovated, and the sauna, massages, and yoga classes will be sure to get out all the knots after a long day of hitting the slopes.

Tres Puntas Hotel, also in the Valle Nevado ski center, is an affordable alternative; great for groups that still provides comfort for the weather-weary skier. It’s within walking distance of the Ski Center, and offers many amenities such as a pub with karaoke and live music, a fitness center, swimming pool, games rooms, and child care center. The Sur restaurant serves from a traditional Chilean menu.

Hotel Posada de Farellones, the charming Swiss ski lodge in Farenolles, 10 minutes from the peaks, was one of the first lodges in the area. Outfitted with modern amenties, it offers a cozy fireplace in the living room, satellite TV, games, Jacuzzi, and shuttles to and from the ski resorts.

Where to eat:

Most hotels include breakfast and dinner in their accommodation prices, and lunches can be purchased in the ski centers. Still, the Tres Valles resorts are known not only for their slopes, they’re also famous for good food and wine.

Valle Nevado Ski Resort has the most eateries. Besides the aforementioned restaurants, there’s the Swiss Le Montagnard and the Italian La Trattoria in the Puerto del Sol Hotel, plus barbeque, sushi, and other options.
Farellones has a decent nightlife, with bars El Montanes and the Blue Tambo Lodge.

And then, total darkness. The birds – ibis, condors, flamingoes, parakeets – flock confusedly to their nests. Guanaco, hares, foxes, and pumas scurry to their burrows. The temperature drops as the day turns to night in a matter of seconds.

The next total eclipse is due on 11 July 2010, with a Black Sunset over Chile

You have just witnessed the Black Sunset. This rare natural phenomenon, a total solar eclipse, will pass over a tiny sliver of Chile’s breathtaking Southern Patagonia just as the sun sets this July 11.

Viewing a total solar eclipse is rare, but viewing a black sunset is even more so – it involves being in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. The eclipse will begin at 18.15.15 GMT in the Pacific Ocean, and will end as the Sun touches the horizon at 20:51:42 GMT in southeastern Chilean Patagonia. The next total solar eclipse will not occur until November 13, 2012.

The moment of “totality,” when the moon totally obscures the sun, will last 2 minutes and 45 seconds. At this breathtaking moment, the solar corona surrounds the dark orb of the moon like a lion´s mane. “Bailey’s Beads,” or bright spots of sunlight passing over the uneven surface of the moon, are visible, and sometimes even solar flares.

At the Hotel Remota, located in the fishing town of Puerto Natales in Southern Chile, you can witness the Black Sunset on a Chile Travel Deal with all the luxury of this beautiful glacial paradise.

All experiences include delicious full meals, guided tours to the surrounding city and glacier fields, and all transfers to and from the airport. Plus, during the eclipse, Dr. René Méndez, a well known Chilean astronomer will offer his expertise, eclipse-viewing sunglasses will be available, and a traditional Patagonian BBQ and cocktails will be served. Accommodations are limited and selling fast, so it is recommended that you book now for a chance to experience this rare natural phenomenon in this beautiful part of the world.

The landscape of Puerto Natales is awe-inspiring in itself. This tranquil town inhabited by fishermen in tin houses – is situated on the quiet waters of the Canal Señoret fjord and surrounded by mountains dusted with snow. Temperatures at sea level are relatively mild, and the days are clear and sunny.

The town makes a terrific launch point for ice hiking and camping through the glacier fields of the Balmaceda and Torres del Paine national parks. The Parque Nacional Torres del Paine is 700 acres with 15 peaks over 6561 feet. There are over 150 miles of well-marked trails. The parks are home to over 100 species of birds, including black-necked swans, flightless steamer ducks, condors, ibis, and flamingoes, as well as 25 species of mammals such as the guanaco and pumas.

Travelers wanting to witness this astonishing sight should explore Chile For Less’ special travel deal, Witness the Black Sunset.