Pali Kapu o Keoua


Above Kealakekua Bay, the 'sacred cliffs of Keoua' were named for a chief and rival of Kamehameha I. Several high, inaccessible caves in these cliffs served as burial places for Hawaiian royalty, and it's speculated that some of Captain Cook's bones ended up here as well. In case you're wondering: there really is no way up to these caves, and they're sacred and off limits in any case.


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1. Hikiʻau Heiau

0.55 MILES

Veer right at the base of Napoʻopoʻo Rd to reach this broad stone platform temple dedicated to war god Ku that was Kealakekua's religious center. In front…

2. Captain Cook Monument

0.61 MILES

This tall white obelisk in Kaʻawaloa Cove is visible from a mile away at Kealakekua Bay. It marks the spot where Captain Cook was killed in an armed…

3. Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park

0.67 MILES

Beautiful, historic Kealakekua Bay is scalloped out of the mountains, a deep-blue half moon set against a low lava point to the north, tall reddish pali …

4. Manini Beach

0.77 MILES

On its southern side, Kealakekua Bay is rocky and exposed to regular northwest swells, so swimming and snorkeling conditions are poor. That said, Manini…

5. Kona Coffee Living History Farm

0.91 MILES

Many coffee-farm tours are perfunctory 15-minute affairs. This tour, run by the Kona Historical Society, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institute, is…

6. Keʻei Beach

1.5 MILES

Just south of Kealakekua Bay, Keʻei Beach is an attractive cove that's mostly too rough and rocky for swimming, except for a very narrow sandy stretch at…

7. Big Island Bees

1.52 MILES

At this roadside gift shop and tiny historical museum, genial staff will let you in on all the secrets of beekeeping, then give you a peek inside a living…

8. HN Greenwell Store Museum

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Housed in one of Kona's oldest buildings, this museum is a taste of 19th-century Hawaiʻi. Built in 1875 and meticulously restored, it has educational…

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