Snorkelling and diving in Rapa Nui (Easter Island): the 2 Los Motu tours, prices in CLP and what's included (2026)

Snorkelling and diving in Rapa Nui (Easter Island): the 2 Los Motu tours, prices in CLP and what's included (2026)

The 2 ways to get into the water at Los Motu, Rapa Nui: a snorkelling trip at CLP $41,990 (approx. USD 44) and a first-time dive at CLP $81,990 (approx. USD 85). What each includes, how long it takes and the transfer neither covers.

Seasonal promotional prices: the checkout price is the one that counts, and it is charged in Chilean pesos (CLP). Dollar figures here are an approximate reference only. Everything in this guide comes from each tour's listing on Tuki.

Rapa Nui has 2 published tours that get you into the water at Los Motu: the boat-and-snorkelling trip at CLP $41,990 (approx. USD 44) and the Bautismo Submarino, a first-time dive, at CLP $81,990 (approx. USD 85), both per person. They go to the same place — the islets off the island's south-western tip, below the cliffs of Rano Kau where the Birdman competition used to begin.

Two things are worth knowing before you book. Neither tour includes transport to the boarding point, so that short leg is on you. And the dive needs no previous experience or licence: it is a first immersion with one certified instructor per participant, and the photos and video are already inside the price.

Want to watch the reef from the surface? Snorkelling, CLP $41,990. Want to breathe at 12 metres without ever having dived? Bautismo Submarino, CLP $81,990. On both, getting to the boat is paid separately.

The 2 tours, with what each one includes

  • Los Motu boat trip and snorkelling — CLP $41,990 (approx. USD 44) · 1.5 hours · 25-minute boat ride + 20 to 25 minutes of snorkelling · includes snorkel gear and an instructor · does not include transport to the boarding point
  • Bautismo Submarino, first-time dive — CLP $81,990 (approx. USD 85) · 2 hours · briefing + guided 30-minute dive to a maximum of 12 metres · includes full gear, one certified guide per participant, photos and video · does not include transfers

Los Motu boat trip and snorkelling — CLP $41,990

Los Motu are the three islets off the south-western corner of Rapa Nui: Motu Nui, the largest, Motu Iti, and the sea stack Motu Kao Kao. For close to two centuries this was the finish line of the Tangata Manu, or Birdman, competition: one man from each clan climbed down the cliffs from Orongo, swam out to Motu Nui and waited for the first sooty tern egg of the season. Whoever brought it back gave his clan control of the island for a year.

The tour starts with a 25-minute boat ride along that same coast. You pass the sea caves at Ana Kai Tangata, which are only visible from the water, and the Kari Kari, the lowest point of the cliff where the swimmers went in. Then comes 20 to 25 minutes of snorkelling over the reef with an instructor in the water next to you. The whole outing takes an hour and a half.

  • Included: 25-minute boat ride
  • Included: Guide and snorkelling instructor
  • Included: 20 to 25 minutes of snorkelling
  • Included: Snorkelling gear
  • Not included: Transport to the boarding point
  1. 00:00 — Boat departure

    25 minutes along the coast: the hidden caves of Ana Kai Tangata and the Kari Kari cliff, the starting point of the Birdman swim.

  2. 00:25 — Snorkelling

    20 to 25 minutes over the Los Motu reef, with an instructor in the water.

  3. 00:50 — Return

    Boat ride back to the departure point.

Experiencia: snorkeling-los-motu — Desde $41.990

Bautismo Submarino, first-time dive — CLP $81,990

The Bautismo Submarino is for people who have never dived: no licence and no prior experience required. It opens with a short briefing on how the equipment works and how to communicate under water, continues with kitting up and practising at the surface, and once the instructor sees you are comfortable, you go down for a guided 30-minute dive to a maximum of 12 metres over the reef. Each participant has their own certified guide.

Back on land there are showers, changing rooms and lockers, and you receive the photos and video of your dive — they are part of the price, not an add-on. The whole thing takes 2 hours, with tea and coffee available throughout.

  • Included: One certified guide per participant
  • Included: 30-minute dive
  • Included: Full diving equipment
  • Included: Photos and video of the dive
  • Included: Tea and coffee station throughout
  • Included: WiFi
  • Not included: Transfers
  1. 00:00 — Briefing

    Diving basics: the equipment, communicating under water and safety rules.

  2. 00:30 — Kitting up and surface practice

    Each participant gets fully equipped and practises at the surface.

  3. 01:00 — Dive

    Guided 30-minute dive to a maximum of 12 metres, exploring the reef and its fish.

  4. 01:30 — Out of the water

    Showers, changing rooms and lockers. Photos and video handed over.

Experiencia: bautismo-submarino-rapanui — Desde $81.990

How to book and what is paid separately

On both tours, tapping Book opens a WhatsApp chat with Tuki to agree a date and time — the listings do not publish fixed departures. That is also the moment to sort out the one cost that sits outside both prices: getting to the boarding point. Boats to Los Motu leave from the small harbour area in Hanga Roa, so from anywhere in town it is a short trip, but confirm the exact meeting point in the chat. For the dive you do not need to bring any equipment; everything, down to the photos, is included.

Water temperature and visibility through the year

The sea around Rapa Nui carries very little plankton, which is why visibility often reaches 40 metres and beyond — on the snorkel trip you read the reef clearly from the surface. Water temperature moves between roughly 20 °C in July–August and 24 °C in January–February, so December to March is the warmest window; the rest of the year you still go in, with a wetsuit and, on some days, more swell. Sea conditions decide whether the boat goes out on a given day, so leave some slack in your plans rather than booking the water for your last morning on the island.

Getting to Rapa Nui

LATAM is the only airline flying non-stop from Santiago (SCL) to Mataveri (IPC). The flight takes around five and a half hours over open Pacific and, as of mid-2026, runs roughly daily — check the current schedule when you plan. Lock in the flights first and book the water tours after: the dates are coordinated by WhatsApp anyway, so there is nothing to lose by waiting a day.

Destino: rapa-nui

See everything published in Rapa Nui

This guide also exists in Spanish — <a href="https://tuki.cl/guias/rapa-nui-snorkel-buceo-precios-2026">Snorkel y bautismo de buceo en Rapa Nui</a> — and in Portuguese — <a href="https://tuki.cl/guias/rapa-nui-snorkel-mergulho-passeios-precos-2026">Snorkel e mergulho em Rapa Nui</a>. Same two tours, same checkout prices in CLP.

Frequently asked questions

How much does snorkelling cost in Easter Island?

The Los Motu boat trip and snorkelling costs CLP $41,990 per person (approx. USD 44): a 25-minute boat ride plus 20 to 25 minutes of snorkelling over the reef, with gear and an instructor included. The price that counts is always the one at checkout, in Chilean pesos.

How much is a first-time dive in Rapa Nui?

The Bautismo Submarino costs CLP $81,990 per person (approx. USD 85). It lasts 2 hours in total, with a guided 30-minute dive to a maximum of 12 metres, full equipment, one certified guide per participant, and the photos and video included.

Do I need a diving licence for the Bautismo Submarino?

No. It is designed for people who have never dived: it starts with a briefing, continues with equipment practice at the surface, and the dive itself is guided, with a certified instructor for each participant and a 12-metre limit.

Are photos included in the dive?

Yes, for the Bautismo Submarino: the listing includes photos and video of the dive in the price, handed over at the end. The snorkelling trip does not list photos among its inclusions.

What are Los Motu?

Three islets off the south-western tip of Rapa Nui — Motu Nui, Motu Iti and Motu Kao Kao — and the site of the Birdman competition, in which swimmers from each clan raced to bring back the season's first sooty tern egg to decide who controlled the island for the year. The boat also passes the Ana Kai Tangata caves, visible only from the sea, and the Kari Kari cliff.

Is transport to the boat included?

No, on neither tour. It is the one cost outside both prices: the snorkelling trip does not include transport to the boarding point and the dive does not include transfers. You arrange it in the WhatsApp chat when you book, together with the exact meeting point.

Can I snorkel from the beach at Anakena instead?

Yes, and it is free: Anakena, on the north coast about 25 minutes by car from Hanga Roa, has rocky edges on both sides of the bay where you can snorkel from the shore with your own mask. What you do not get there is the boat, the guide or the Los Motu reef and cliffs — that is what the CLP $41,990 trip is for.

When is the water warmest in Rapa Nui?

December to March, at around 24 °C. July and August sit closer to 20 °C. Visibility is high all year because there is little plankton, so the choice of month is mostly about comfort in the water and about swell, which can keep the boat in port on some days.