Tapati Rapa Nui 2024: Traditional Festival and Competitions in Easter Island - Live Coverage and Requirements

2024-02-14 01:53:02

Since Friday, February 9, the 56th edition of the traditional Tapati in Rapa Nui is taking place. The celebration will take place until Saturday the 17th of this month. Additionally, you must keep in mind that if you want to travel to Easter Island, you must meet a series of requirements.

Tapati is a festival of competitions and celebrations that take place every year on Rapa Nui as a tribute to the traditions of the island and Polynesia. “Tapati Rapa Nui” means “Rapa Nui week” and is a date where a series of competitions are held and the queen of the festival is chosen. You can see all this through ADN.cl.

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The Tapati consists of a competition between the different family clans of the island, where each group chooses a candidate for queen. During the celebration, different competitions are held that add points.

One of the most recognized and demanding tests is the Tau’a, a marathon that takes place around the Rano Raraku volcano. This test has three parts:

– Vaka Ama, a rowing race in reed boats.

– Aka Venga, a run carrying bunches of banana that weigh around 40 kilograms.

– Swimming in the river with the help of a Pora, a small reed board.

Another test is the Haka Pei, where participants descend from Cerro Pui backwards on a sled made of banana trunks. There are 120 meters of steep land, where falls can reach 70 km/h, according to Chile Travel.

The official closing of this traditional celebration, or Hana Vare-Varel, will be on Saturday, February 17, when the queen is elected and makes her closing speech. The end is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.