Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site

Hawaii · United States of America

Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site, United States of America
Photo: Bamse, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Good to know

Best time to go
October to April
Budget
$
Accessibility
limited
Coordinates
Open in maps

Puʻukoholā Heiau on the Big Island's Kohala Coast is the last major luakini heiau — a war temple — constructed in the Hawaiian archipelago, built by Kamehameha I between 1790 and 1791 as he consolidated control over the island chain. The massive dry-stone platform measures approximately 60 by 37 meters and sits on a ridge overlooking Kawaihae Bay, where a submerged heiau dedicated to sharks lies offshore. The site is considered one of the most significant archaeological and cultural landmarks in the state.

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