Kawaihae at a Glance
Kawaihae
is a small historical village along Big Island’s northwestern Kohala
Coast approximately 12 miles from Waimea and 35 miles north of
Kailua-Kona. Kawaihae is the northernmost point of the designated
research development area known as the “Gold Coast.” This area
covers Queen Kaahumanu Highway following Anaehoomalu and Kiholo
Bays.
During the 19th century, Kawaihae was just a small and busy whaling
and trading port. Historically, Kawaihae Harbor was also the place
where the ship that brought the first horses and cattle to Hawaii
docked. During the late 1950s, the Kawaihae Harbor was improved into
a deep draft harbor to accommodate more ships. Today, the Kawaihae
Harbor is one of the largest harbors of Hawaii. From the harbor, one
can view Puukohola, Mauna Kea, and Maui. Some scenes of the
Hollywood film “Waterworld” was shot here.
South of the harbor lies King Kamehameha’s 83- acre Puukohola
National Historic Site. The site features well-preserved ancient
heiaus (Hawaiian religious structures) and the house of John Young,
one of Kamehameha’s trusted advisors. Also called “hill of the
whale,” the historical site also features Hale o Ka Puni, the
remains of submerged shrine dedicated to the shark gods.
The coastal town of Kawaihe offers a lot of water-related activities
including sports fishing, scuba diving, and outrigger canoe
paddling. The town also boasts of shops, restaurants,
accommodations, bars, and rental shops. A major attraction of the
town is the Garden of Pua Mau Place, a botanical garden found on the
western slope of the Kohala Mountain. The garden showcases unique
sculptures, everblooming plants, Hibiscus Maze (planted with more
than 200 varieties of hibiscus), large lava rocks on ravines, and
the Magic Circle (a circular arrangement of stones patterned after
standing stone circles of the Celtics in the British Isle).
Kawaihe’s zip code is 96743.
Kawaihae in Bullet Points
Kawaihae Location
Kawaihae Map (top)
Loading...
Kawaihae Weather (top)
Now
72°F
Windchill:
72°F
Light Rain Shower
|
Location: Kamuela, HI, US
Wind: 20 mph NE
Humidity: 73%
Visibility: 0.1 mi
Pressure: 30.04 in steady
Sunrise: 6:35 am
Sunset: 6:36 pm
|
Mon
Hi: 81°F
Low: 70°F
Partly Cloudy
|
Tue
Hi: 81°F
Low: 70°F
Partly Cloudy
|
Kawaihae Photos (click to enlarge) (top)
Kawaihae Reviews and Comments (top)
|
