Motu Nui is the largest islet off Rano Kau and one of the key places in the story of Rapa Nui's birdman competition. Contestants once descended the cliffs near Orongo and swam out toward the islet to collect the first sooty tern egg of the season.
Visitors normally see Motu Nui from the rim near Orongo rather than land on it. That distant view is enough: the gap of ocean between crater, cliff, and islet makes the old ritual feel physically daring, not just symbolic.