Eastern Kaua‘i

Lydgate Beach Park

Lydgate is one of Kaua‘i’s best beach parks for kids. Lifeguards are on duty during regular hours, and two stone-walled ocean pools provide safe areas for swimming. Be cautious, however, as the currents may be dangerous in the deeper offshore waters, particularly north of Lydgate Beach.

Also at Lydgate Beach Park is Kamalani Playground, an elaborate, community-built playground area that is a testament to the volunteer efforts of hundreds of Kauaians. Lydgate Beach also has picnic facilities, including pavilions and restrooms.

Lydgate Beach Park is named after the Reverend John M. Lydgate, a Protestant minister who founded the Līhu‘e English Union Church, and later was one of the founders of the Kaua‘i Historical Society (see above). An ancient heiau is also located on the site (see Wailua section below).

[Lydgate Beach Park, Leho Drive (at Mile Marker 5) north of Līhu‘e in Wailua, just south of the Wailua River (near Holiday Inn), off Kūhiō Highway (Hwy. 56), open dawn to dusk.]

Nukoli‘i Beach

Nukoli‘i Beach spans about 2 miles (3.2 km) in all, from Lydgate Beach along the length of the region fronted by the Wailua Golf Course. Though Nukoli‘i is not the best swimming beach, it is almost always uncrowded.

The southern part of Nukoli‘i Beach can be reached by taking the Radisson Resort entrance. The beach can also be accessed by the dirt road between the Radisson’s entrance and the golf course (near Mile Marker 4).

[Nukoli‘i Beach, fronting Wailua Golf Course, Wailua, Kūhiō Highway (Hwy. 56).

Wailua

In ancient times, Wailua was a political and religious center of Kaua‘i, with numerous heiau (sacred places of worship) as well as other culturally important sites. It was also home to many important ali‘i (royalty and chiefs). Wailua means “Two waters.”[i]

The coastal area of the ahupua‘a was known as Wailua Kai, and was home to many of Kaua‘i’s ruling chiefs as well as kāhuna (high priests). The region offered fertile agricultural lands, access to marine resources, and a good canoe landing. It was also a good place for he‘e nalu (surfing waves).

The region extending from the ocean at Wailua Bay, up to the mountain ridges above Nounou and Kālepa, was known in ancient times as Wailuanuiho‘ano (“Great sacred Wailua of the chief Ho‘ano”),[ii] referring to the 14^th century chief named Wailuanuiaho‘ano.

A trail along the course of the Wailua River led up through the length of the valley to six different heiau that were aligned from the shoreline to the top of the island. The chiefs traveled up through the groves of koa (Acacia koa), sandalwood (Santalum species), and ‘ōhi‘a lehua (Metrosideros species) to finally reach the small plateau atop 5,148-foot (1,569-m) summit of Mt. Wai‘ale‘ale.

The name Wai‘ale‘ale means “Rippling water or overflowing water”[iii] referring to a pond on the summit plateau. Also on the summit is a heiau (sacred place of worship) and altar dedicated to the god Kāne, considered the spirit of the water and the lord of the forests.

The summit heiau is named Ka‘awakō (“The kava drawn along”[iv]). It is said that Kāne remains there beneath Wai‘ale‘ale’s clouds.

 

Cultural Sites

of

Wailuanuiaho‘ano

The region from the ocean at Wailua Bay up to the ridges of Nounou and Kālepa was known in ancient times as Wailuanuiho‘ano (“Great sacred Wailua of the chief Ho‘ano”),[v] referring to the 14^th century chief named Wailuanuiaho‘ano.

Hauloa South bank of Wailua rivermouth

Likely included a pu‘uhonua (place of refuge)

Hikina-a-ka-lā Part of Hauloa (religious center)

395 feet (120 m) long;

56 to 80 feet (17 to 24 m) wide

Kukui Heiau North bank of Wailua rivermouth

Across rivermouth from Hauloa

Na Ki‘i Pōhaku (Petroglyphs) South bank of Wailua rivermouth

Sometimes covered with sand

Canoe Landing East bank of Wailua river mouth

Loko i‘a (Fishponds) Near Wailua river mouth.

Māla‘e Heiau West side of Kūhiō Highway (Hwy. 56)

Dimensions: 273 by 324 feet (83 by 99 m)

Walls were up to 10 feet (3 m) high,

Holoholokū Heiau South side of Kuamo‘o Road (Hwy. 580).

Bellstone

South side of Kuamo‘o Road (Hwy. 580)

Signaled royal birth.

Poli‘ahu Heiau

South side of Kuamo‘o Road (Hwy. 580)

Included several structures

Structures within Poli‘ahu included an ‘anu‘u (oracle tower), lele (altar), hale pahu (temple drum house), and hale umu (where temple fires were kept, and offerings prepared)).

Hauloa Heiau

Hauloa (“Dew of life”[vi]) is a large heiau (sacred place of worship) located at the mouth of the Wailua River, and is thought to have included a pu‘uhonua (place of refuge). The religious center at Hauloa was Hikina-a-ka-lā (“Rising of the sun”[vii]), located at the point where the sunlight first touches the island of Kaua‘i’s eastern shore each morning.

Hikina-a-ka-lā was built an estimated 1,200 years ago and oriented to Hōkūpa‘a (“Immovable star”[viii]), the Polynesians’ name for the North Star. Hikina-a-ka-lā was a stone enclosure about 395 feet (120 m) long, and from 56 to 80 feet (17 to 24 m) wide.

Though little of the original structure remains today, the walls of Hikina-a-ka-lā were once 11 feet (3.3 m) wide and 6 feet (1.8 m) high, and said to be watched over by Ka pae ki‘i o Wailua.[ix] It remains largely unknown what events and rituals took place at Hikina-a-ka-lā, though the heiau’s size and location leave little doubt that the site was very important in ancient Hawai‘i.

In the 1800s, the sacred area of Hauloa was abandoned as far as religious uses, and coconut palms and sweet potatoes were planted. In the 1900s the heiau’s rocks were taken away and used for road beds, leaving only the loose outline of the foundations stones that may be seen there today. Formerly at the site were many great slabs of stone set on end in a double row.

In 1962, Hikina-a-ka-lā and other Wailua heiau were designated National Historic Landmarks. A bronze plaque commemorates the heiau as “Hauola, City of Refuge.”

Located next to the plaque is an adze grinding stone as well as two flat, stone salt pans. Toward the beach are some petroglyphs known as Na Ki‘i Pōhaku, which are often covered by shifting sands.

Across Wailua Bay, on Alakukui Point, are the grass-covered remains of the foundation stones of Kukui Heiau.

[Hauola Heiau, end of Lydgate Beach parking lot near Wailua rivermouth.]

Māla‘e Heiau

Māla‘e Heiau is located near the mouth of the Wailua River, about 45 feet (12 m) from Kūhiō Highway (Hwy. 56), on the mauka (mountain) side of the road. Thought to be one of Kaua‘i’s oldest heiau and also the largest, Māla‘e Heiau encompasses about 2 acres (.8 ha).

The stone structure measures 273 by 324 feet (83 by 99 m), with walls up to 10 feet (3 m) high and 8 to 13 feet (2.4 to 4 m) thick. A 6-foot by 2-foot (1.8-m by .6-m) stone ledge lined the inside of the wall, providing a place for people to sit and watch the proceedings.

According to legend, Māla‘e Heiau was built by menehune about 1,500 years ago. The heiau is said to be an example of the menehune trait of forming a single line of people many miles long to pass rocks from one person to the next. (See Menehune section, Chapter 3.)

Māla‘e Heiau was converted into a cattle pen by Deborah Kapule (the last queen of Kaua‘i as the wife of King Kamuali‘i) after she converted to Christianity.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the rocks of Māla‘e Heiau were used by the sugar plantations for construction projects. This was the impetus for the founding of the Kaua‘i Historical Society by Reverend John M. Lydgate and others. More recently, the heiau has been cleared of overgrown brush by volunteers working to restore the site.

[Māla‘e Heiau, located on the west side of Kūhiō Highway (Hwy. 56), near the south bank of Wailua River.]

Holoholokū Heiau

Holoholokū Heiau is located on the south side of Kuamo‘o Road (Hwy. 580), just off the main highway. Said to be one of Kaua‘i’s oldest heiau, Holoholokū is relatively small, measuring about 20 feet by 40 feet (6 m by 12 m). Holoholokū Heiau was a luakini, where human sacrifices were performed.

A birthstone on the western side of the site is where ancient ali‘i (Hawaiian royalty) gave birth. A plaque on the stone reads “Pohaku Hoohanau Birthstone.” Another rock on the site has a plaque that reads “Pohaku Piko,” and this pōhaku (stone) was where the baby’s umbilical cord (piko) was left to ensure the child’s health.

A stairway near the heiau climbs to the top of a small hill overlooking the Wailua river. On this mound are dozens of Japanese gravesites, some marked with lava-rock gravestones.

[Holoholokū Heiau, alongside Kuamo‘o Rd. (Hwy. 580), about ¼ mile (.4 km) from Kūhiō Highway (Hwy. 56) on the left (south) side of the road.]

Bellstone

The Bellstone is located farther up Kuamo‘o Road (Hwy. 580), also on the south side of the road. Just after Mile Marker 1 and just before Poli‘ahu Heiau, a dirt road on the left leads about 200 yards (183 m) to the site. One of the two boulders at the edge of the hill is the bellstone (it’s uncertain which one).

In ancient days, the ringing of the Bellstone could be heard through the valley, and signaled that a royal birth had occurred. This bellstone may have also been used to send signals to heiau sites at lower elevations to warn them of approaching dangers (e.g., invading warriors in canoes).

Poli‘ahu Heiau

Poli‘ahu Heiau is located on the south side of Kuamo‘o Road (Hwy. 580). Considered the sister heiau to Māla‘e, Poli‘ahu Heiau is 242 feet (74 m) long by 165 feet (50 m) wide, and the site of ancient religious ceremonies led by a kahuna (priest).

Structures within Poli‘ahu were dismantled after the overthrow of the kapu in 1819 (see Chapter 11, Timeline: 1819, May 20), including an ‘anu‘u (a three-story wooden oracle tower), lele (altar, or raised platform), hale pahu (temple drum house), and a hale umu, described as an “...oven house where the temple fires were kept and offerings were prepared.”[x]

Visible from Poli‘ahu is Māla‘e Heiau, and it is likely that communication took place between the two locations in ancient times. Above Poli‘ahu is Kālepa Ridge’s last peak, called Mauna-kapu (“Sacred mountain”[xi]).

[Poli‘ahu Heiau, Kuamo‘o Road (Hwy. 580), on south side of the road just before ‘Ōpaeka‘a Falls Viewpoint, Wailua.]

Wailua River / Wailua Falls

Located on Kaua‘i’s east side, the Wailua River is widely cited in tour books as the Hawaiian Islands’ only navigable river, but this is technically incorrect since boaters and kayakers also frequently explore many of the smaller rivers in the Hawaiian Islands.

Wailua River State Park is Kaua‘i’s most visited State Park, with more than 1 million people visiting each year.

Large, flat-bottom boats are used to bring visitors upriver to the lush, natural cathedral known as the Fern Grotto is a fern-laced natural amphitheater cave accessible only by boat. Tour boats (see below) depart from the Wailua marina on the south bank of the Wailua River near Kūhiō Highway (Hwy. 56). Another way to see the Fern Grotto is to rent a kayak from one of the nearby outfitters, and paddle upriver to the site.

Smith’s Tropical Paradise is located west of Wailua Marina on the southern side of Wailua River. Encompassing about 30 acres (12 ha), Smith’s Tropical Paradise includes gardens and lagoons complete with exotic birds (e.g., peacocks).

There are also several recreated ethnic villages, including Japanese, Filipino, and of course, Polynesian. Smith’s also puts on a musical show each night in the lagoon theater, as well as a lū‘au (traditional Hawaiian feast) three times per week, complete with entertainment.

Wailua Falls is located on the south fork of the Wailua River, 3½ miles (5.6 km) up Mā‘alo Road from Kūhiō Highway (Hwy. 56). The turnoff from Kūhiō Highway onto Mā‘alo Road is located between Līhu‘e and Hanamā‘ulu. From the top to the bottom of this waterfall is about 80 feet (24 m).

The water usually cascades over in two separate falls, but if it’s been raining a single torrent gushes over the cliff. About 1/3 mile (.5 km) before the end of Mā‘alo Road is the beginning of the unimproved and potentially treacherous trail to the bottom of the waterfall.

[Wailua Falls, End of Mā‘alo Road (Hwy. 583), 3¾ miles (6 km) west of Kūhiō Highway (Hwy. 56). Directions: From Līhu‘e take Kūhiō Highway (Hwy. 56) north to Mā‘alo Road, and turn left.

[Wailua River, Kūhiō Highway (Hwy. 56), 7 miles (11.3 km) north of Līhu‘e.]

[Smith’s Motor Boat Service, 821-6892.]

[Wai‘ale‘ale Boat Tours, 808-822-4908; Tours leave every half hour, 9-3 except noon, no reservations required.]

‘Ōpaeka‘a Falls

Located just up Kuamo‘o Road (Hwy. 580) from Poli‘ahu Heiau is ‘Ōpaeka‘a Falls Viewpoint. ‘Ōpaeka‘a Falls is fed by the ‘Ōpaeka‘a Stream, a tributary of the Wailua River. ‘Ōpaeka‘a means “Rolling shrimp,”[xii] and refers to the swarms of shrimp that once filled the pools at the base of the waterfalls.

Just across Kuamo‘o Road (Hwy. 580) from ‘Ōpaeka‘a Falls Viewpoint is an overlook in the other direction, providing a great view of the Wailua River, and Kamūkila Hawaiian Village, a reconstructed Polynesian village located on the northern bank of the river. Kamūkila offers tours as well as Hawaiian craft demonstrations.

[‘Ōpaeka‘a Falls Viewpoint, Kuamo‘o Road (Hwy. 580).]

[Kamūkila Hawaiian Village, 823-0559, located off Kuamo‘o Road (Hwy. 580), 8:30-4:30, Mon.-Sat.]

Keāhua Arboretum

At the top of Kuamo‘o Road (Hwy. 580), at a stream crossing 6¾ miles (11 km) from Kūhiō Highway (Hwy. 56), is Keāhua Arboretum. A short trail leads to a picnic area with a view of a steep ridge.

The 5,243-foot (1,598-m) summit of Mt. Kawaikini is visible on the south end of the ridge. About 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Kawaikini is the 5,148-foot (1,569-m) peak of Mt. Wai‘ale‘ale.

[Keāhua Arboretum, Kuamo‘o Road (Hwy. 580), 6¾ miles (11 km) from Kūhiō Highway (Hwy. 56).]

Nounou Ridge (Sleeping Giant)

Nounou Ridge runs north from ‘Ōpaeka‘a Falls and climbs to an elevation of 1,241 feet (378 m). The ridge slopes to the east toward the ocean, providing a physical reminder of the former slope of the ancient Mt. Wai‘ale‘ale before erosion carved away at the massive volcano.

From Kapa‘a and Wailua, the view to the west is dominated by a mountain ridgeline likened to the shape of a giant reclining figure known as Sleeping Giant. The head is toward the middle of the ridge (south) and the feet to the right (north).

It is said that the menehune tried to awaken the giant by throwing stones, but so many stones landed in the giant’s mouth that it gave him an incurable case of indigestion. This caused the giant to remain there sleeping ever since.

Kapa‘a

Kapa‘a is an old plantation town that is now a major commerce area along the main highway.

Keālia Beach

Keālia Beach is located north of Kapa‘a alongside Kūhiō Highway (Hwy. 56). This area was once the site of a steamer landing and train depot that provided service to the nearby sugar mill.

Though Keālia is a popular surfing and sunbathing beach, the offshore currents may be extremely dangerous. A lifeguard tower at Keālia Beach provides some measure of safety, but if waves are large, only the experienced should venture into the water.

[Keālia Beach, Kūhiō Highway (Hwy. 56), just north or Kapa‘a, past Mile Marker 10.]

Anahola

Anahola is located several miles north of Kapa‘a, near Mile Marker 13 on Kūhiō Highway (Hwy. 56). At the bottom of a hill is the town’s only commercial establishments, including: a convenience story; hamburger stand (Ono Burgers); and a post office. Anahola is also the site of Hawaiian homelands. (See Chapter 11, Timeline: 1921, July 9.)

Anahola is located beneath the eastern end of Anahola Range beneath the Kalalea Mountains. The summit of the peak on the left is called Hōkū‘alele (“Shooting star”) and is the site of an ancient three-terraced heaiu (sacred place of worship).

The next peak over is Kalalea (“Prominent”[xiii]), commonly called Kong Mountain, or King Kong’s Profile. The ancient Hawaiians likened the shape of this peak to a shark fin. To the right (north) of Kalalea, a small hole through the mountain can be seen from Kūhiō Highway (Hwy. 56).

Larsen’s Beach

Larsen’s Beach was formerly the site of the beach house of L. David Larsen, who managed the Kilauea [Kīlauea] Sugar Plantation. A rocky area on the right (southeast) side of Larsen’s Beach provides good snorkeling when the waves outside the reef aren’t too large.

Pākalā Point is on the left (northwest) side of the beach where lava rocks jut out into the water. Pākalā Channel (visible as you approach from above), has a strong current that pulls out to sea. Beware of swimming near this area. Beyond Pākalā Point are two sandy beaches extending toward Kepuhi Point.

[Larsen’s Beach—Directions: From Kūhiō Highway (Hwy. 56), take Ko‘olau Road between Mile Markers 16 and 17 for 2.3 miles (3.7 km)—or the other Ko‘olau Road entrance at Mile Marker 20 for 1.2 miles (1.9 km)—to the unpaved access road to Larsen’s. Look for the Beach Access sign. The dirt road goes for about 9/10 mile (1.4 km), and then a trail leads down to the beach.]

Moloa‘a Beach

Moloa‘a Stream drains into the center of the bay’s long crescent of sand, which is fronted by 200-foot (61-m) bluffs. Numerous drownings and near drownings have occurred at Moloa‘a Beach, so use extreme caution if swimming in this area.

[Moloa‘a Beach—Directions: Take Kūhiō Highway (Hwy. 56) to Ko‘olau Road between Mile Markers 16 and 17. Take Ko‘olau Road 1.2 miles (1.9 km), then continue on to the right on Moloa‘a Road to the end. A sign points left to the beach access.]