A small rock chapel and cemetery above Kawa Bay is dedicated to Punaluʻu resident, Henry Opukahaʻia. Several years after watching his parents get killed in a war between rival chiefs, he boarded a ship for Boston. Although he never returned to Hawaii (he died of typhus at age 26), his conversion to Christianity and desire to take it back home inspired the first wave of missionaries to the islands.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
24.62 MILES
Kilauea volcano lies at the center of activity in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. The unassuming bump on Mauna Loa's southeast flank would be easily…
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
22.47 MILES
Even among Hawaii's many wonders, this national park stands out. Its two active volcanoes testify to the ongoing birth of the islands: quiet Mauna Loa (13…
24.56 MILES
The original Halemaʻumaʻu Overlook off Crater Rim Dr was closed in 2008 due to volcanic activity and the very real threat of death. For the next decade,…
Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach Park
0.2 MILES
Beyond the nearly omnipresent green sea turtles basking in the sun, or the rare hawksbill turtles that lay their eggs here (be careful where you walk),…
27.45 MILES
The gentle, 1.3-mile round-trip to Puʻu Loa (roughly, 'hill of long life') leads to one of Hawaiʻi's largest concentrations of ancient petroglyphs, some…
26 MILES
When 'Little Kilauea' burst open in a fiery inferno in November 1959, it filled the crater with a roiling lake of molten rock fed by a 1900ft fountain…
Kilauea Visitor Center & Museum
26.1 MILES
Stop here first on your visit to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Extraordinarily helpful (and remarkably patient) rangers and volunteers can advise you…
11.99 MILES
Kahuku Unit's six hiking trails that lead through green pastures to volcanic cinder cones, lava tree molds, rainforests and lava flows come alive during…
Nearby Hawaiʻi the Big Island attractions
1. Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach Park
0.2 MILES
Beyond the nearly omnipresent green sea turtles basking in the sun, or the rare hawksbill turtles that lay their eggs here (be careful where you walk),…
0.33 MILES
Also referred to as Punaluʻu Nui, 800-year-old Kaneʻeleʻele Heiau was the region's luakani, or place of human sacrifice. A large flat stone below the…
1.88 MILES
Repeatedly a flash-point for coastal-access and land-rights issues, Kawa Bay is now a quiet, pebbly cove. It's bounded by a creek and cliff-top heiau …
3.73 MILES
Eroded hills from Mauna Loa's geologic past are visible from Hwy 11 between Naʻalehu and Pahala.
4.41 MILES
Northeast of Naʻalehu, this small park has tide pools, an ancient Hawaiian fishpond frequented by birds, and the photographic ruins of a historic pier…
4.98 MILES
For killer coastal views, pause at the scenic lookout above Honuʻapo Bay northeast of Naʻalehu. This sweep of shoreline and scrub is part of the longest…
7.43 MILES
This down-to-earth, someday-to-be hydro-powered coffee farm roasts its own award-winning beans – the wonderful aroma floors you – which some connoisseurs…
8.11 MILES
In 1866 Mark Twain wrote in yet another long letter home that in Waiʻohinu, 'trees and flowers flourish luxuriantly, and three of those trees – two…