Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:Big Island, Hawaii
Come visit Mo'okini Heiau in Oahu, where the remains of an ancient culture survive till today. Located on the north shore of the island, near the city of Hawi, Mo'okini Heiau is a 1,500-year-old temple that was once used by kings to pray and offer human sacrifices, and is now Hawaii's oldest, largest, and most sacred religious site.
Dedicated in 480 AD to Ku, the Hawaiian god of war, and added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966, the three-story tall Mo'okini Heiau is situated right near where King Kamehameha I, the first monarch to unify the Kingdom of Hawaii, was born in 1758. It is said that 18,000 men passed stones hand-to-hand from the Pololu Valley, 14 miles way, in order to construct the temple.
Visitors are only allowed into the temple on the third Saturday of every month, when volunteers gather to pull weeds and clean up the property in the area of Mo'okini Heiau in order to maintain the beauty of the area. Though Mo'okini Heiau and Kamehameha's birthplace were both damaged in a 2006 earthquake, they may still be visited from the outside. There are no restaurants in the area, so visitors are advised to bring food with them. After visiting Mo'okini Heiau itself, visitors are also encouraged to take the opportunity to go snorkeling off the shore at Kapaa Beach, just north of the 16 mile marker on Highway 270, where they can experience the beautiful waters of Oahu's northern coast while also getting a magnificent view of Maui.
The temple itself is about a mile and a half off the highway, reachable only by a dirt road. A four-wheel drive vehicle is recommended, especially after rain. Don't sacrifice the opportunity to visit a breathtaking site. Come see Mo'okini Heiau.