Mataveri International Airport - Atlas Obscura
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Mataveri International Airport

Rapa Nui, Chile

The world's most remote airport. 

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Moai at the airport Carlos Reusser / CC BY 2.0
Moai at the airport Carlos Reusser / CC BY 2.0
Terminal exit to board plane Rapa Nui faustopalafox (Atlas Obscura User)
Waiting to leave Rapa Nui faustopalafox (Atlas Obscura User)
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The distance between Mataveri International Airport and Santiago, Chile is equivalent to a trip from Washington D.C. to Las Vegas.

A whopping 2,336 miles across the Pacific Ocean from Chile, Mataveri is the most remote airport in the world. Strangely enough, it is also a well-traveled gateway for thousands of tourists visiting the strange world of Easter Island, and the massive Stone Moai statues.

Until the 1970s when Boeing 707 aircraft were employed for travel to the island making tourism possible, the single air strip was planned for use as an abort site for United States space shuttles, though it never had to be used.

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faustopalafox
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Edited by
faustopalafox, Collector of Experiences, JoeDeRose
Published
October 18, 2011
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Nearby
Ana Kai Tangata (Cannibal Cave)
0.75 miles
Kotepokouri Rano Kau
1.52 miles
Orongo
2.24 miles
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Near This Place
Rapa Nui, Chile

Ana Kai Tangata (Cannibal Cave)

The ominously named cave is home to some remarkable ancient art.
Rapa Nui, Chile

Kotepokouri Rano Kau

A volcanic crater that visitors can look inside.
Rapa Nui, Chile

Orongo

This was once the center of the Birdman cult, and is now a World Heritage Site.
Rapa Nui, Chile

"El Gigante" and the Moai of Rapa Nui

The largest stone moai on Rapa Nui.
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