Hanga Roa is the island's only town and home to almost all of its 8,000 residents. A grid of dusty streets runs back from a small fishing harbour with a few palms, a couple of moai standing on the breakwater, and the daily tuna catch coming in around 4pm. The main drag, Atamu Tekena, has the supermarkets, the dive shops, the bank, the rental car offices, and most of the restaurants.
The town is friendly, walkable, and not pretty in any conventional sense. Use it as a base — almost all accommodation, food, and tour bookings happen here.