Anakena

Anakena is a white coral sand beach in Rapa Nui National Park on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), a Chilean island in the Pacific Ocean. Anakena has two ahus; Ahu-Ature has a single moai and Ahu Nao-Nao has seven, two of which have deteriorated. It also has a palm grove and a car park. A possible meaning of Anakena could be cave ("ana" in Rapa Nui language) of kena, an autochthonous name by which the masked booby (Sula dactylatra) is known, a sea bird that still nests in the island, forming an important part of the local spiritual and natural landscape.

Actually the real name of the beach and the small bay is Hanga Mori o One, also called Hanga Rau Ariki or Kings Bay, in honor of the first founder. The name by which the beach is actually known comes from a nearby cave where it seems that Hotu Matu’a could have been installed while building a house for him. Anakena is unusual for Easter Island in that it is one of only two small sandy beaches in an otherwise rocky coastline.