The name translates as "Cave Where Men Eat," which has fuelled the cannibalism theories that the islanders themselves dismiss as a mistranslation. The cave is a wave-cut hollow at the base of a sea cliff just south of Hanga Roa, reached down a short rocky path from the road below the airport. The Pacific crashes into the entrance and the spray drifts back to the rear wall.
The interest is on the ceiling: ochre and white paintings of tangata manu birdmen, manutara terns, and komari fertility symbols, all faded but clear. The cave is short — a few minutes to look around — but combined with the cliff walk it makes a quiet sunset alternative to Tahai.