Money exchange in Easter Island

Due to supply problems, everything is pretty expensive on the island. Food arriving by air every week and oil is delivered only three times a year. With the cost of transport and accommodation, the mythical Easter Island implies to have a budget accordingly...

- Credit cards: you can withdraw cash with your Visa card at the counter of the Banco del Estado, up to $ 400 per day (equivalent in pesos). The distributor outside the bank accepts only Cirrus and Maestro. Card payment possible in some stores and hotels, but they sometimes take a surtax of 4 to 10%.

- Change: you can pay in pesos or dollars, but it has no interest to pay in greenbacks. The rate is very unfavorable (you lose more than 10%).

- Traveller's Cheques in dollars, they are sometimes accepted, especially at the craft market or to access the site of Orongo, or museum. We do not recommend them too.

Budget

This is roughly twice as expensive than the mainland during high season. We rarely accept payment cards, and when it does, it's for an additional 4 to 10%. In low season, feel free to negotiate rates may decline significantly. Similarly, the average stay at Easter being 3 or 4 nights, if you plan to stay a week, ask for a discount.

- Cheap: up to U.S. $ 60.
- From average prices at more chic: 60 to 120 U.S. $.
- Chic: 120 to 180 U.S. $.

Purchases

Two craft markets in Hanga Roa. Among the most popular purchases are the moai statues of a few centimeters to over a meter high, and wood carvings kava kava, necklaces of seeds, coral or shells, pendants language (insignia of power), reproductions of rongo rongo tablets, and even the ornaments in traditional feathers, wooden hair picks, sometimes very successful, beautiful wooden boxes decorated with traditional designs, the beautiful fruit baskets, headed frigates or Birdmen. T-shirts and CDs of traditional music Rapa Nui.