As of 2022, the only settlement on the Island is a small shelter on the north coast of Vaithua bay with a water tap.

Eiao is a remnant of a caldera wall in a 5 million year old volcano which measured 25 km across.

The center of this island is the high Tohuanui plateau, rising on the east side to 576 meters above sea level (1,890 feet), much of which has been devastated by herds of feral sheep and other animals brought here by humans.

The rest of the Island is mainly filled with tropical fauna, including coconut and candlenut trees.

Archaeological investigations have discovered workshops for the production of stone tools, especially adzes, made from local basalt.

[2]Broken adzes and unused chips of bassalt were found all across the southern part of the island and plateau.

[citation needed] This is a first step toward protecting its ecosystem, which includes a number of endangered species, some of which are endemic.

[9] Oral traditions and legends about the island include a story of Peruvian treasure brought by some Spaniards being hidden there.

Other stories tell that during World War II, a German submarine arrived there secretly to hide a Nazi treasure.