Anakena

Anakena is a white coral sand beach in Rapa Nui National Park on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), a Chilean island in the Pacific Ocean.

Anakena has two ahus; Ahu-Ature has a single moai and Ahu Nao-Nao has seven, two of which have deteriorated.

Anakena is unusual for Easter Island in that it is one of only two small sandy beaches in an otherwise rocky coastline.

According to island oral traditions, Anakena was the landing place of Hotu Matu'a, a Polynesian chief who led a two-canoe settlement party here and founded the first settlement on Rapa Nui.

Anakena has been the site of several archaeological digs including those of Katherine Routledge in 1914 and both William Mulloy and Thor Heyerdahl in the 1950s, and both of its ahus have been restored.

Ahu Ature on Anakena Beach.
A colour photo from space showing a brownish triangular island in a dark blue sea; all partially obscured by white clouds especially on the left.
Easter Island from space with Anakena bottom left, its sandy beach and turquoise shallows almost the only gap in the island's surf. Rano Kau is at top with Hanga Roa just below it and Terevaka prominent above Anakena. A west up photo from NASA .