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Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park preserves an ancient Hawaiian place of refuge. This was the second stop on our ‘Best of Kona’ excursion.
If you broke a law, any law, in old Hawaii, the penalty was death. The only way to escape that sentence was to flee to the sanctuary of a pu’uhonua. There, a priest would provide absolution to the law-breaker.
Just outside the walls of the sanctuary are the remains and reconstruction of temples, royal fishponds and a village where the chiefs lived for generations. The ancient nobility were buried here, but their remains were moved to the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii in 1858.
We walked the path to the beach to see the Hale o Keawe temple and surrounding totems. From the lava jetty, we could see colorful fish swimming nearby. This is a sacred place, so snorkeling is not allowed, but one has only to stand at the water’s edge to glimpse the rich marine life.
Continuing on the path took us past some fish ponds and through a gap in the great wall, constructed of lava rocks. Then we headed up to the visitor center to listen to a ranger talk before heading back to the tour bus.
Kona Posts:
- St. Benedicts
- Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park
- Royal Kona Coffee (Coming Soon)
- Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park (Coming Soon)
- Huliheʻe Palace (Coming Soon)
- Mokuaikaua Church (Coming Soon)
Location: State Hwy 160, Hōnaunau, HI 96726
Designation: National Historical Park
Date designated or established: July 26, 1955
Date of my visit: 4/17/2019
Great statues/masks. I remember them from when I was there. Personality plus. –Curt
Yes, though I think they may be reproductions at this point. They were there when I visited in 86 too
Did you get out to see the petroglyphs not too far from there? –Curt
We saw petroglyphs in another nearby nps unit. That post is coming soon 😊
Looking forward to it.
I don’t know the significance of this, but the fish and the bird share the same cheerful color. 🙂
Yes…easier to spot and catch with my camera 💛🧡
Reblogged this on ravenhawks' magazine.
Thanks for sharing 😊
You are welcome
Great post
Thanks 😊