Escaping Death at Pu’uhonua O Honaunau

Heiau (Hawaiian temple) at Pu’uhonua O Honaunau (Place of Refuge) National Historic Park. Photo Credit: Andrea Belgrade

It was our first full day in Hawaii, as we had flown in from the West Coast the day before (see How to Arrive in Hawaii Fresh as a Daisy). After some of the best crepes I’ve had in a while – think chocolate banana, caramel apple, or green tea mochi ice cream – we decided to start out with some native Hawaiian culture at Puu’honua O Honaunau, the Ancient Hawaiian Place of Refuge.

Ancient Hawaiians abided by a set of sacred laws, called kapus. The kapus ranged anywhere from preventing Hawaiians from looking directly at the king to preventing men and women from sharing a meal together. There were several foods that were forbidden to Hawaiian women. The punishment for breaking a kapu was death, and kapu breakers were hunted down by warriors until they were killed.

Imagine you’re living in ancient Hawaii and you have just broken a kapu. Your only hope as a violator of the kapu system was to make it to a pu’uhonua, or a place of refuge. Kapu violators swam the open ocean to escape to a pu’uhonua, and if they made it to the sacred site, they were absolved and allowed to return to society.

One of these pu’uhonua is Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historic Park, on the Kona Coast. Fortunately, the kapu system was abolished long ago, and we were able to visit Pu’uhonua O Honaunau under less dire circumstances.

Puuhonua O Honaunau Beach Path. Photo Credit: Andrea Belgrade

Fun fact: The kapu system was abruptly ended shortly after King Kamehameha’s death, when his son Liholiho publicly disobeyed the one of the most sacred kapus by sitting down to eat at the same table as his wife. Don’t think of Liholiho as the hero though. It was his wife, Ka’ahumanu, who was behind the whole thing. She had been pressuring Liholiho to abolish the kapu system as soon as he returned from his mourning period. Liholiho was so nervous to break the kapu system that he drank steadily on his journey home and arrived to the welcome-home festivieis drunk. He did come through for his wife, and sat down to eat at the womens’ table bringing food that was allowed only for men and the gods. That was the end of the kapu system, and the end of the Pu’uhonua.

Glad to be able to visit Pu’uhonua O Honaunau at our leisure, without Hawaiian warriors on our tails, we happily paid the measly $5 entry fee (per car) and meandered the park grounds, set on a sunny beach on a South Kona Coast lava flat. The park had a very peaceful air to it, and it was easy to imagine the scene as kapu breakers swam to shore 200 years ago, securing their freedom. Several thatched roof huts, carved wooden statues, and fish ponds help to set the scene for life at the Pu’uhonua. Now the sacred site functions as a refuge for green sea turtles, who snack on seaweed in the tide pools and bask in the sun.

As we wandered through the palm trees and carved wooden statues (ki’i) we saw dozens of cute, green geckos that were surprisingly unafraid of my camera.

Gecko at Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historic Park

Succulents at Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historic Park

Accessibility Note: Pu’uhonua O Honaunau is handicap accessible and they offer free beach wheelchairs to use on the sand. The lava rocks and tide pools are not wheelchair accessible, but the place of refuge is a great experience even without walking out to the tide pools.

Snorkeling at Two Step

After exploring the park for an hour or so, we were hot from the sun, and ready to cool off with some snorkeling! We kept our car parked in the lot and walked about a block outside the park entrance to the boat ramp, where we explored the underwater wonderland of Two Step. Two Step is aptly named for it’s lava formation that is shaped like two giant steps from which you can plop into the water and be immediately surrounded by beautiful coral, large schools of fish, and my favorite, sea turtles! The turtles didn’t seem afraid of our goofy snorkel-covered faces and big fins. In fact, we had trouble making sure we didn’t get too close! Sea turtles are protected by law in Hawaii and it is illegal to touch them. Seems like no one told the turtles.

Feeling satisfied from all the underwater exploring and sleepy from the sun, we waited for a lull in the waves, scrambled back up the two steps, and were on our way. We stopped at Island Naturals Grocery on the way back to Kailua for some picnic supplies. They had a great selection of artisan cheeses and a tasty bakery that was offering samples of perfectly crumbly Irish soda bread. We all but had our credit cards out when the clerk told us the soda bread wasn’t available until the next day (St. Patty’s Day). Noooo!!! Clearly, we would have to come back. We picked up some cheese, non-soda bread, and fruit and drove a couple minutes down the road to a completely tourist-free park with a great up-high view to the ocean. We sat at the picnic tables by the playground and munched away as several birthday parties played games of tag around us. We had brought a bottle of wine, but considering we were smack dab in the middle of a playground, it seemed prudent keep the cork in.

We spent the aftenoon hanging out in Kailua-Kona, walking around the shops that set up stands along the waterfront every 3rd Sunday of the month. Then we made the quick drive back South on Hwy 11 to Annie’s Island Fresh Burgers. I don’t know what I loved most about this place. Was it the incredibly fresh mojitos with mint picked from their organic backyard garden? Or could it be the big juicy flavorful burgers made from grass-fed island-raised beef? Perhaps it was the fries with sweet roasted garlic and fresh hunks of garden-picked basil that hooked me. Whatever it was, we were sure to come back. We tried a large portion of their menu between the five of us, and we all loved every single thing we ordered. They had a wide variety of options from classic burger joint fare to more creative burgers and sandwiches. They even had delicious vegetarian and vegan options. If you are a beer drinker and are interested in that stuff, they had some good craft beers on tap as well. If you go to the big island, you really shouldn’t miss this place. Go early in your trip because you will want to come back at least once!

Pretty good for our first day on The Big Island. We fit a lot in, but it didn’t feel rushed. It probably helped that we woke up at 5am thanks to the 5 hour time difference from Minnesota (and still 3 hours from San Francisco, where we spent the night). Hawaii is a great place to limit your adjustment to the time difference, because waking up early and going to bed early can really help maximize your daylight hours, which is what Hawaii is all about! Stay tuned for my next post as we drive around the southern tip of the island and see beautiful black sand beaches and giant sea turtles! Leave a comment if you have any questions about visiting Pu’uhonua O Honaunau, the Place of Refuge, Two Step, or any of the other places I mentioned.