Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park on The Big Island, Island of Hawaii, USA
Written: Nov 22 '02 (Updated Apr 01 '03)
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Pros: Historical site of ancient Hawaiians. A beautiful view and walk/hike.
Cons: It may be boring for some, especially young children.
The Bottom Line: This is an interesting, though, in my opinion, not a must see site. Stop by if you are driving up the coast.
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| jo.com's Full Review: Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park |
Puukohola Heiau was one of our stops during our vacation this summer. It is on the Island of Hawaii also known as The Big Island in the state of Hawaii. Heiau means an Hawaiian temple or place of worship. There are many in Hawaii, but most are informal rather than part of the National Park Service, which this one is.
Location, hours, parking and fees:
Puukohola Heiau is located on the northwestern coast one mile south of Kawaihae off Hawaii 270. Kona International Airport is 27 miles south and Hilo is 68 miles east – just to get your bearings. There is a small visitor center, which sells books and has some exhibits.
There is no fee to visit this park.
The visitor center is open from 7:30a.m.– 4:00p.m. year round. The Heiau is just a short walk away and you will find one main trail, which is closed when it is too windy, so if you are not sure, call before you go- 808-882-7218. There is enough parking and it is free. The day we went we were the only ones visiting this Heiau!
About Puukohola Heiau:
This is a National Historic Site and is considered to be the most dramatic structures that the ancient Hawaiians built. The temple is on the seacoast and in addition to visiting the Heiau you will be treated to one of the most beautiful views on The Big Island. The temple is 224 feet long by 100 feet wide. It was built by King Kamehameha from 1790 to 1791 after a prophet told him he would conquer and unite the islands if he built it.
There is one main trail that passes by this Heiau and other trails that go to other sites I will mention later. The structure is large and, of course, you can’t go on or in it in any way. In order to see it the best thing to do is what we did and take Kawaihae Harbor Road, which is the one that leads out to the breakwater with Mauna Kea beach in the background. We went late in the day and since we were the only ones there and we ventured fairly far from the visitor center, I must admit to being a little spooked. There is no reason to be. I found all the Hawaiian Islands very safe. Perhaps it was the history of the Heiau itself that gave me the creeps and the fact that although it is right off a busy highway it is in a fairly isolated area.
The Heiau was built from waterworn lave rocks by people who formed a human chain. We are told that this chain of people may have been 20 miles long and the rocks were brought to the top of Puukohola. From close up it is a bit difficult to know exactly what you are looking at. What you are seeing is the Heiau with 16-20 feet high walls. Three long, narrow terraced steps cross the side that faces the ocean. When it was built the inside was left open so canoes that were offshore could be seen.
There was a platform that back then was crowded with ceremonial structures. Now it is the location of cultural events. Each August there is a weekend of celebration here with Hawaiian crafts and the demonstration of ancient crafts, the wearing of traditional dress, workshops and games.
Some important information:
All natural and cultural features are protected by federal law. That means that the rocks used to build the Heiau and filled in with smaller pebbles (No mortar was used – I can’t help but think of my seawall that we recently had built and was built boulder by boulder and filled in with small rocks. No concrete can be used in my town.) that you may find lying around within easy reach cannot be pocketed as a souvenir. Please remember that and respect that.
There are designated trails. There is one main one as I said but several that are off shoots of that one. Stay on the trails. There really is no need to go off of them. The trails to the major features in the park (the temple is the main one but there are other things to see.) are long and it can be hot. Some of the trails are steep and rugged. If you have a hard time, just stay on the main one. You can see everything if you do, just not as close up if you can get onto other trails. Along the trails are what I now know are called waysides, which give information about what you are seeing.
Make sure you have water, a hat, sunscreen and sneakers or hiking shoes. You probably won't need bug spray, but I found it to be a good idea to always have it with me.
There is a restroom in the visitor’s center.
Don’t smoke in this park because the region is prone to grass fires.
Camping, picnicking and swimming are not allowed within the park but you can go to Spencer Park (Which I mentioned in my Big Island review as a great place for a quick dip.) The other temple on site is called Mailekini Heiau. Both are very fragile and sacred so, of course, they care closed to the public and you will be violating sacred laws if you attempt to intrude.
What else you will see at this park:
The other temple in the park is Mailekkini Heiau. This is between Puukohola Heiau and the ocean. You will see ruins of this temple rather than anything that looks like a structure you can identify. I found this true at all the temples. Over a couple of hundred years, it is unfortunate. but due to time, weather, what the structures were made of and people, these structures need to be restored and there is talk of restoration of some of the historical landscapes in this park.
It is thought that is temple was used as a war or agricultural temple by the ancestors of Kamehameha. This temple is older than the previous one and although almost the same size is wasn’t made as well, another reason for it being in “ruins.” John Young, an important person during this time, helped the king covert this temple into a fort.
If you look off shore you will see the site of Hale o Kapuni Heiau. The site is marked by The Stone Leaning Post, which overlooks this site. The site itself is submerged. The temple was last seen in the 1950. This one is dedicated to the shark gods. Black-tipped reef sharks are often in the bay in front of the Heiau year-round. We didn’t see any, however.
On the coast below Puukohola and Mailekini is the site of the royal courtyard at Kawaihae. The site is called Pelekana.
The paved trail goes from the parking lot to Mailekini Heiau and there is another trail that is paved which hugs part of the coast. A long unpaved trail to Makeahua Gulch will take you to the site of John Young’s Homestead. He was a British sailor stranded on Hawaii in 1790, became a trusted military advisor of the King who made him Governor of the Island. There is very little left of his compound, which is too bad but it was not built very strongly. Young is one of only two foreigners buried on the grounds of the Royal Mausoleum on Oahu. If you don’t want to walk to the site, although it is a beautiful walk, you can drive to it on route 270.
In summary:
The Big Island was the only island or site of all my reviews that I gave 4 stars. I found that there was not enough to keep us busy for 5 days. If you find yourself in this position and are driving up the coast, this is a nice stop especially if you like to hike, bird watch, possibly see whales during the winter and spring and sharks. If you are interested in the history of the Hawaiian people, especially the Heiau which are found on all the islands, you will enjoy this especially since it is free. I would not recommend making this a destination, just part of a day trip up the coast. Since it is free you can spend 15 minutes there and leave or enjoy it for an hour or more.
Although if you go you may have children, don't be surprised if they are bored. This is not a hands on experience.
There are links to all my Hawaii reviews, including The Big Island on my profile page. Please feel free to leave me a comment or ask a question if you are heading to Hawaii.
Some of this information has come from Frommer's and the brochure from the National Park Service.
Feel free to leave me a comment or ask any questions.
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Recommended:
Yes
Best time to go: Anytime
Recommended for: Anybody
Review Topic: Overview
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