Anakena is the only proper sand beach on Easter Island worth swimming at — a curve of pale coral sand backed by coconut palms, with the seven moai of Ahu Nau Nau standing on the platform behind. The water is warm by Easter Island standards and protected from the worst of the swell. There is a smaller second platform, Ahu Ature Huki, on the rise above, raised by a Thor Heyerdahl expedition in 1956 using only ropes and logs to test theories about how the islanders moved the statues.
A few simple kiosks at the back of the beach serve grilled fish, ceviche, and beer. Visit late afternoon to swim, eat, and then watch the moai catch the last light before driving back to Hanga Roa.