Lanai Sacred Places

Sacred places on Lanai

Below is a list of sacred places on the island of Lanai, also known as the "Pineapple Island."

Kaunolu Archaeological Park

Location: Kaunolu Trail, South Lanai

Facts: Kaunolu is a small fishing village and many years ago it thrived here. If you visit you will find a temple, some gravesites and other archaeological structures.

Halulu Heiau

Location: Kaunolu, South Lanai

Facts: Not too far from the Kaunolu Archaeological Park is another sacred place, the Halulu Heiau, which you can access only by 4-wheel vehicle. The Halulu Heiau is known as King Kamehameha’s favorite fishing place and that’s why he built a temple here. A few years after he built the heiau, missionaries arrived in Hawaii and things took a different wind of change. So the Halulu Heiau is one of the last sacred temples built in Hawaii before the missionaries' time.

Luahiwa Heiau and Petroglyphs

Location: Petroglyph Rd., near Lanai City

Facts: The picturesque location is fascinating with its rocks on which you can see drawings of images. It is believed that the rocks tell stories of the rain gods.

Birdman of Lanai Petroglyphs

Location: Shipwreck Beach

Facts: If you don’t know about the Birdman of Lanai Petroglyphs it is easy to overlook them. The Birdman of Lanai Petroglyphs are little stick figures about 12 inches tall with unusual and mysterious heads similar to birds. The place is accessible only with a 4-wheel vehicle followed by a short hike.