Easter Island: Inn At The End Of The World

The urge to trek to the middle of nowhere has inspired polar expeditions, mountain ascents and mid-ocean atoll explorations. But staying there? That's an opportunity to bask in the wonder of journey's end.

Awaken to wild horses grazing just outside your picture window at Posada de Mike Rapu on Easter Island. Owned by the Chilean company Explora, it's the first luxury resort on this 63-square mile speck in the Pacific Ocean midway bet- ween Chile and Tahiti. Get a massage in an open-air hut modeled on local dwellings, with shutters framing a volcanic peak. Come nightfall, watch the sky fill with stars uninterrupted by light pollution. By day, set out like explorers past and present to discover the mysteries of Easter Island step by step with Explora's local guides. Littered with ancient stone busts felled like fallen soldiers, the hike to Rano Raraku quarry introduces the enigmatic moai statues. The remains of an ancestor-worshipping culture that dates back to 700 A.D. are what bring most visitors to this far-flung island. Spelunk into a cave that opens to the ocean, summit an extinct volcano and witness the solemn dignity of some 1,000 moai around the island. Once you come this far, you'll never want to leave. explora.com

Rate Information

• Explora Rapa Nui – Posada de Mike Rapu: Three nights, double accommodation from $2,089.

More Remote Resorts

• Enjoy unspoiled views of deserted bays, mountains and oceans from your bungalow at Hanakee Hiva Oa Pearl Lodge, on Hiva Oa in the Marquesas Islands. Rates from $235. pearlresorts.com
• Find North Atlantic solitude swathed in contemporary luxury at the northernmost hotel in the Faroe Islands, Hotel Norð on Viðoy in the Norðoyggjar region. Double from $900. hotelnord.fo