Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, Honaunau

Beautiful, well-run gem of the national park system. Love spending tax dollars to make magic like this possible. Thank you, Uncle Sam! I drove out (south) to picnic area, walked further south, set out my blanket and shade structure by the path, away from waves and hopefully out of line of sight for water watchers. Soon saw a whale blowing spray and went over near 4-5 others watching. She was so close! 50 yards??! The lava formations are gorgeous and the crashing Pacific is majestic. Awesome place to embrace your connection to nature and the earth. Let’s preserve it for our great grandchildren.

There's something sacred, mystical, serene and sublime about this place. Not only is the history beautifully preserved but the location is beautiful as well. As you walk the grounds you can imagine what life may have been like for the people who lived here. I love history, geology, anthropology and this place had it all. Low key one of my favorite spots on the big island.

We were not sure how long we would be here when we stopped. Well it was almost 2 hours and we ate our lunch in the picnic area on the beach farther up. The area does have some calming effect in wearlt travelers too. The walk across the lava flows and seeing the tide pools was an added bonus aside from the Hawaiian history and culture presented. Free day and not sure why, but would have been worth the $20 car entry fee.

Apr 2022 we walked here after our snorkel at Two Step Beach as was shown on a youtube video we watched before coming to Hawaii. We enjoyed our walk through this impressive place. It was an overcast day so added a bit to the mystique of this area. Wish we would have had time to walk the longer part as well but rain was threatening so we just did the small loop.

As a national historic site, there is an entrance fee to this place, though I am not sure how much. When we visited recently they had the admission gate unmanned and we're not charging. This site gives an impressive look at the history and culture of earlier Hawaiian people, and the traditions that were sacred to them. Set in a beautiful section of rocky seaside, this site gives visitors a lot to see. And just a short distance from Two Step, it gives a great look at local sealife. As far as created amenities, the park has bathrooms, a visitor center, and a small "theater" where you can view a historical documentary on the site. A must visit for anyone with an interest in Hawaiian history and culture.