See Beaches, Historical Sites, Sacred Areas, and Waipio Valley North of Kona Coffee Country
Once you have sampled the sweet brew of Kona Coffee during tours of Kona coffee farms, and also visited thriving Kailua-Kona Town and its wonderful shops and restaurants, then you may want to take a drive north - you will be amazed at all there is to see and do!
Just north of Kailua-Kona town is the Old Kona Airport Beach Park on Pawai Bay. This long beach is very easy to get to and has plenty of tide pools for kids to play in. Parking is on the old airport runway so there is plenty of room for everyone.
Offshore of this beach park is a popular local surfing spot called Old Airport. During low tide it is fun to take the 20-minute walk northwest along the beach to reach Pawai Bay which has very clear and nice water.
Pawai Bay is also a great place for snorkeling as there are plenty of colorful fish as well as arches and underwater caves. Beware of rip tides however, as there may be surges of water that move outward into Pawai Bay.
This area is usually uncrowded on weekdays and is a wonderful place to enjoy the Big Island sunsets. The old runway is also a nice area for roller blading or other activities, and nearby are some community recreation fields.
About two miles northwest of Kailua-Kona is Honokohau Harbor where fishermen are often seen weighing in their catches of marline and ‘ahi, or yellowfin tuna. Also at the harbor is a bar and restaurant as well as a fish market.
Not far from Honokohau Harbor is Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park located along 1,160-acres of coastline between Kaloko and Honokohau Harbor.
Numerous important Hawaiian cultural sites are found in this area along with three lovely beaches. The first beach isAiopio Beach, which is located just north of Honokohau Harbor and has a nice protected area where kids often play.
The second beach is Honokohau Beach, which is also located just to the north of Honokohau Harbor. Honokohau Beach is about ¾-mile long and features the remains of ancient Hawaiian fishponds.
To get to Honokohau Beach take Queen Kaahumanu Highway to the Honokohau Harbor road and then turn right and go about ¼-mile and look for the trail that starts at the gap in the lava rock wall.
The third beach is Alula Beach, which is located at the southern end of Honokohau Harbor.
About one mile of an ancient stone footpath within Kaloko-Honokohau has been restored here, and is known as theMamalahoa Trail, or King’s Trail. Also in this area are ancient burial caves. Some people claim that King Kamehameha himself was laid to rest somewhere in this vicinity.
Another cultural feature of this region is a place once used for holua sledding - Hawaiians used wooden sleds to slide down very steep slopes. Nearby are petroglyphs (carvings in the rocks) as well as ancient fishponds including Kaloko Fishpondto the north and Aimakapa Fishpond to the south.
Just inland from the north end of Honokohau Beach is a lava pool known as Kahinihiniula (Queen’s Bath). This 20 by 15-foot brackish water pool is located in the middle of a lava flow area and connected to the ocean yet spring fed.
Kohala Coast Resorts
Continuing to head north from Kailua-Kona Town along Queen Kaahumanu Hihway (Highway 19) is a lovely 33-mile drive along the Kohala Coast.
The Kohala Coast is an area of posh, upscale oceanfront resorts including The Four Seasons Hualalai, Kona Village Resort, Royal Waikaloan, Hilton Waikoloa Village, Waikoloa Beach Resort, Mauna Lani Resort, Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, and the Mauna Kea Beach Resort.
These resorts can be visited on sidetrips off the main road, which is a vast lava moonscape for much of the route. You will be mesmerized by the many shapes and colors and textures of the lava flows that go for miles and miles.
Located near the large resorts are numerous important Hawaiian cultural sites.
On the King’s Trail at Waikoloa Resort on Anaehoomalu Bay there are ancient stone carvings known as petroglyphs, and also ancient Hawaiian fishponds.
Anaehoomalu Bay
Commonly called A Bay, Anaehoomalu Bay is usually a great place for swimming because the waters are protected from large waves by an offshore reef. The long and curving salt-and-pepper beach is popular among locals as well as tourists, and there are lots of palm trees to provide shade. Two large fishponds are located near the beach and the shore is dotted with tidepools and private coves.
Restrooms and showers are available at A Bay, and you can also rent a variety of water sports equipment from snorkel gear to kayaks. Guided scuba and snorkel tours are also available. A man-made white sand beach is located north in the Waikoloa Resort complex - this is a nice place for snorkeling and swimming when the water is calm.
Petroglyphs can also be seen near the Kona Village Resort, where there was once an ancient fishnig village at Kaupulehu. North of the Mauna Lani Resort is the Malama Trail which leads to a site known as Puako, which has more than 3,000 petroglyphs.
Located nearby is Puako Church, which was built in 1859 by American Protestant missionary Lorenzo Lyons.
Ancient Hawaiian fishponds have been restored just south of the Mauna Lani Resort where many archaeolgoical sites are located.
Hapuna Beach
Near the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel is beautiful Hapuna Beach, one of the nices beaches in all of Hawaii and one of the Big Island’s most popular beaches. The half-mile long crescent of white sand is about 200 feet wide in the summer months, with rocks at either end.
Hapuna Beach is located off Queen Kaahumanu Highway (Highway 19) near mile marker 69, about 12 miles north of Waikoloa, and is part of Hapuna Beach State Park which covers more than 60 acres along the Kohala Coast about 30 miles north of Kailua-Kona. Condé Nast Travel Magazine voted Hapuna Beach as top in the nation!
Hapuna Beach is wonderful for snorkeling or just swimming during the summer months when the water is usually calm. Snorkeling gear and body boards are available for rent at Hapuna Beach.
During the winter months Hapuna Beach can get some very strong currents that make it dangerous for swimming. Always check with lifeguards before entering the water.
Hapuna Beach is a great place for a family picnic as there are nice pavilions that provide shade, and there are also restrooms available.
A small cove located just north of Hapuna Beach usually has water conditions even calmer than the main Hapuna Beach. For rent at Hapuna Beach are some small A-frame cabins
Just north of Hapuna is Puukohola Heiau which overlooks the sea one mile south of Kawaihae. The Heiau (Hawaiian sacred place) is part of the Puukohola National Historic Site (808-882-7218, Akoni Pule Highway (Hwy. 270); open 7:30-4 daily).
Puukohola National Historic Site encompasses 77 acres and includes a nice visitor center that provides information about the important historical and cultural locations within the Historic Site.
Puukohola Heiau was built by Hawaii’s most famous ruler, King Kamehameha the Great. When he was still a rising warrior, Kamehameha constructed this luakini heiau (sacred place where human sacrifices were performed) to fulfill a 1790 prophecy that it would allow him to unite all of the Hawaiian Islands under his rule.
Thousands of workers participated in the construction of the 100-foot-tall, 224-foot-long Puukohola Heiau. Stones for this huge structure were passed from hand to hand along a 20-mile route and then laid by hand without using any mortar. Puukohola means “Whale Hill.”
Another heiau (Hawaiian sacred place) nearby to Puukohola is Mailekini Heiau, which was built around 1550 and later used as a fort by King Kamehameha. Submerged in the offshore waters is Hale o Kapuni Heiau which honored a Hawaiian shark god.
When the rising warrior Kamehameha finished building Puukohola Heiau in 1791 he asked a rival chief named Keoua to attend the dedication of the newly built sacred site. Keoua was the ruler of the Big Island’s Kau and Puna districts, and Kamehameha told him it was important for him to attend so there would be peace between them.
When Keoua and many of his chiefs and associates arrived at Kawaihae Bay in two large canoes. Kamehameha’s war canoes were located around Kawaihae Bay to greet the visitors, and also to prevent the escape of the rival chiefs.
Keoua and many of his chiefs were killed when they arrived at Kawaihae. Their bodies were then taken to Puukohola Heiau where they were sacrificed on the altar of the luakini heiau atop the hill.
Once Keoua was dead the island of Hawaii was under the control of Kamehameha.
Another site located near Puukohola is Pelekane, the place where Kamehameha’s royal court was located. Just across the highway is the old homestead of John Young, who was also known as Olohana. John Young was one of Kamehameha’s early military advisors, and he was later appointed to be the governor of the island of Hawaii (the Big Island).
Lapakahi State Historical Park
About 12 miles north of Kawaihae in North Kohola is Lapakahi State Historical Park (808-974-6200)
Located within this park is an ancient fishing village called Koaie where a one-mile-long self-guided walking tour is available to teach you about traditional cultural practices that occurred here many centuries ago.
Mookini Heiau
Yet another important site located north of Kailua-Kona is Mookini Heiau at the northern point of the Big Island. Mookini means “Many Lineages” and the structure is comprised of walls measuring about 259 feet by 125 feet. The walls of this formidable heiau are up to 10-feet thick and 25 feet tall.
The rocks for this heiau were passed hand-to-hand along a nine-mile chain of workers from Niulii along the shore to the site. An altar at Mookini Heiau is said to have been built by the famous priest Paao who was the first to bring the practice of human sacrifice to Hawaii.
Paao is also thought to be the high priest who initiated a new social order in the Hawaiian Islands, distinguishing alii (royalty) from kahuna (priests and experts) and makaainana (commoners) who were mostly farmers. There was also a lower class of outcast members known as kaua.
Mookini Heiau was dedicated to the new war god named Kukuilimoku, and was also a luakini, a heiau where human sacrifices were performed.
Hawi and Kapaau
Two historic sugar plantation towns north of Kailua-Kona are Hawi and Kapaau.
These former sugar plantation towns once were alive with the boisterous activities of saloons, hotels, a railroad and theaters. Today many of the historic buildings have been restored, and there are nice shops and places to eat.
A famous feature of the town of Kapaau is the King Kamehameha Statue which is located in front of the North Kohala Civic Center. Not far from this town is the birthplace of King Kamehameha, Hawaii’s most famous warrior king.
The 8½-foot-tall statue of King Kamehameha shows him holding a spear and wearing a malo (loin cloth) as well as a feather crested helmet, a symbol of royalty in ancient times. It is estimated that King Kamehameha was about 45 at the time.
The historic 9 ton statue was cast by Thomas Gould, an American sculptor, in Italy, who used an early engraving of the king to create the likeness in 1883. On its way to Hawaii the statue was lost, and then later found in the Falkland Islands.
By the time the statue was found a duplicate had already been made and had arrived in Honolulu, its original intended destination.
The duplicate statue of King Kamehameha can be seen in front of Aliiolani Hale in downtown Honolulu. This Oahu statue was unveiled with great celebration when King Kalakaua held a coronation ceremony at Iolani Palace in 1883.
Kalahikiola Church, located about one half-mile east of the King Kamehameha Statue in Kapaau, was built in 1855 by missionaries Ellen and Elias Bond. An earthquake damaged this historic structure though it was later repaired.
One lovely area on the Big Island’s northwest coast is Pololu Valley. A wonderful viewpoint is the Pololu Valley Lookout at the end of Akoni Pule Highway (Highway 270), providing great views of black-sand Pololu Beach hundreds of feet below.
The only way to get to Pololu Beach is by walking a very steep trail (a 15-30 minute walk), taking a mule down the trail, or kayaking to the beach. Beware, however, as these waters can be very rough. From Pololu Valley there is a trail that leads over to the next valley which is called Honokane.
Waipio Valley
One of the most amazing places on the Big Island is Waipio Valley which is reached by the Hamakua Coast Highway (Highway 240) and is located about 8 miles northwest of Honokaa.
The drive down into the Waipio Valley is one of Hawaii’s most exciting adventures. A four-wheel drive vehicle is required to make this extremely steep descent.
Waipio is known as the home of Hawaiian royalty in ancient times, and it is no wonder that they would choose this regal location for their home.
When you arrive at Waipio you will see the Waipio Valley Overlook where you can gaze downward more than 2,000 feet into this huge chasm.
The steep-walled valley is about one mile wide and five miles deep. At the head of the vally is the tallest waterfall on the island, Hiilawe Falls, pluning more than 1,200 feet down the Kohala Mountains.
Beyond Waipio Valley are six more of these stunning amphitheater valleys along this rugged northern region of Hawaii Island.
A short loop road from the Hamakua Coast Highway leads to the lovely town of Kukuihaele, which means “Traveling Light.” Here you can see the work of local artisans at Waipio Valley Artworks and get some supplies at the Last Chance Store.
If you are journeying north from Kona Coffee Country you will enjoy visiting these historic valleys and small towns. Stop into a local diner and you are sure to be offered some gourmet Kona coffee.
By the way, don’t forget to check out the 39th Annual Kona Coffee Cultural Festival from November 6-15 at various venues in Kailua Kona.
To read about more Kona Coffee Farms see Kona Coffee Farms, Tours, and Coffeehouses.
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