EASTER ISLAND, Oct 7 — Everyone comes here for the giant heads.

Known by the local Rapa Nui (the original island dwellers) as moai, these iconic structures are believed to contain the mana or spiritual energies of their strongest ancestors.

The entire island is littered with them. It can be hard to see past the moai but there’s more to Easter Island, if you look beyond stones and spirits.

A large wave breaking on the island’s rocky coastline.

Our first couple of days were spent with a guide, someone who knows the island (Isla de Pascua in the official Spanish) like the back of his hand. Like other visitors, we soon learned the difference between Ahu Tongariki (the largest, with 15 moai statues) and Ahu Akivi (the only moai to look out towards the ocean; the others look inland).

We got our fill of moai soon enough.

That isn’t a bad thing. Now we have the rest of our stay to ourselves, to fill the days however we like. Renting a jeep means traversing the island is a simple enough endeavour, at our own pace. I’ve seen glimpses of the sea before — it’s hard not to; we are on an island, after all — but now I want to revel in it.

The near-barren wilderness viewed from a dirt track.

Hiking along well-trodden trails.

Easy enough to hunt down spots where there are no other sign of civilisations, old or new, if you have a mind to. No formidable moai, no houses, no boats. Just the slopes behind us, remnants of an extinct volcano, and the deep blue sea beyond, seemingly endless.

It’s a thrilling sensation, to be a small speck in the middle of nowhere, this wonderfully desolate place. Nature can be a cruel force, with hurricanes and earthquakes, but on a beautiful day like this, the sun is out, the sky is blue, and the sea more so.

Not that it’s entirely calm, mind you. The waves break furiously on the rocks. The sound they make, hypnotic, a morning lullaby. We daydream with our eyes closed and our feet planted on ancient soil.

Photographers being approached by a curious chicken.

Dogs play the role of cowherds on Easter Island.

When we open our eyes, we are startled to see some horses grazing not far away. These aren’t domestic animals though their forebears, originally introduced to the island by 19th-century Catholic missionaries, were tame. Today horses roam free and the Rapa Nui joke that there are more horses than there are humans.

Easter Island is full of surprises.

We return to our jeep, continuing our drive with no set itinerary. Plans can make you miss out on the mundane which, in a world where everyone wants to witness only the special and unique, can be a rarer experience than you might think.

Walls of stone with no signs of any mortar used.

The road is little more than a wide dirt track. We pass by barren land, lightly covered with grass for the wild herds to graze on. We spot other visitors: some hiking on clearly marked trails, others taking a break from a furious storm of photography.

They, too, seem to have had enough of the moai; now the local birdlife — a curious chicken or two — seem more intriguing.

A petroglyph of a sea turtle (left). Coral or stone? (right).

We pass by a couple of small farms, the cattle being guarded by boisterous dogs rather than cowherds. Their owners are probably dealing with the midday heat by taking a dip in one of the lakes, such as the one near Rano Raraku (considered the main quarry for the moai statues).

Wandering around on foot, we get a closer look at more of the island’s other unusual stone structures. There are walls made from stone with no sign of any mortar being used. Some we can’t decide if it’s a real stone or coral. (Could it not be both?)

Paintings of birds in the "Cave of the Men Eaters”.

Exiting the caves to sunlight and the sea.

Other stones tell stories. There are thousands of pictures carved into rock strewn all over the island. These are called petroglyphs. They were created to to mark territory, perhaps, or to commemorate great people. Some look like fish and sea turtles; others are clearly totems of the island’s mythic Birdmen tribes.

Easter Island is also riddled with caves. The Rapa Nui had used some as underground plantations in the past, to grow crops such as bananas, taro and sweet potatoes. Others were used to hide from the enemies, from cannibals from other islands to slave traders in the 19th century.

We marvel at a series of cave paintings in the macabre-sounding "Cave of the Men Eaters”; these resemble birds from another time. More of the Birdmen legend, we guess. Before we enter these caves, we say a quick prayer to ask for permission. The Rapa Nui themselves have a chant to placate the aku-aku, the guardians of the family caves. Either way, it doesn’t hurt and probably guarantees a safe exit...

Descending underground (left). A mini "geyser” or water spout (right).

If going underground feels a bit like Persephone descending into Hades, then leaving some of these caves certainly is akin to Orpheus escaping the underworld (albeit without the burden of looking/not looking back at ill-fated Eurydice). Sunlight, a light breeze, and the scent of the sea: We are free again!

The cliffs are too dangerous to go clambering around, but here and there are some flatter surfaces. Even these are slippery, soaked by mini "geysers” — water spouts, really — that gush whenever a particularly robust wave breaks upon the rocks. More hidden lava tubes beneath us, invisible till they become flush with the sea.

Fancy a dip in the lake to cool off?

We are starving from all that exploring so we head to Anakena, a white coral sand beach near the north-eastern tip of the island. Along the way, we pass by a cemetery, so dressed up in colourful bric-à-brac and flowers, we imagine an eternal rainbow lighting up the afterlives of the dearly departed here.

Yes, Easter Island is full of surprises, and some simply gladden the heart.

A dark, chocolatey Porter from Cervecería Mahina, possibly the world’s most remote brewery (left). Enjoy an empanada stuffed with shrimp and cheese (right).

Add a bit of kick to your empanada with some fiery pebre (left). Asado, barbecued skewer of sausage and bacon (right).

At Anakena, we fill our famished bellies with asado, barbecued skewers of sausage and bacon, and empanadas, fried pastries stuffed with shrimp or chicken. Tear an empanada in half and the gooey cheese strains to glue it right back again. Pebre, a spicy Chilean condiment made of puréed aji peppers and coriander adds a bit of a kick.

Wash it all down with a locally brewed beer from Cervecería Mahina (possibly the world’s most remote brewery given its location!) — they have a malty Pale Ale and a dark, chocolatey Porter. Full and rejuvenated, we can’t help but philosophise from the comforts of this sandy beach.

What’s east of Easter Island? The answer lies before us, the deep blue sea, but beyond that are continents and cities. Civilisation as we know it today. That’s why those who come to Easter Island come to escape all that, to return to Eden, if only for a spell.

A colourful cemetery on Easter Island.

Getting there There are weekly flights to Easter Island from Santiago (Chile) as well as Lima (Peru). The best time to visit, when there are fewer tourists and good weather, is during the months of March-May and September-November.