Rich History
Hawaiian Cultural Heritage
Hawai’i has a rich cultural heritage dating back to the first settlers 800 – 1200 years ago. The Hawaiian people and the place of Hawaii itself are knit tightly together, with the both the ‘aina (land) and kanaka (people) contributing.
Hawaiian Religion
Religion was the paramount aspect of Hawaiian life, permeating every daily activity, every aspect of secular affairs, and every significant event, such as birth, marriage, death, house construction, fishing, agriculture, and war.
Read the rest of A Cultural History of Three Traditional Hawaiian Sites on the West Coast of Hawai’i Island at http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/kona/history1h.htm
Hawaiian Petroglyphs
The largest concentration of petroglyphs in the Pacific (over 3,000 carvings) is on the Big Island near the small town of Puako. Petroglyphs, or kii pohaku, are lava rock carvings etched into stone by Native Hawaiians.
Most of the petroglyphs on the Big Island were made thousands of years ago. No one really knows why the carvings were made or what they mean, although speculation abounds.
Another large collection of petroglyphs is within Volcanoes National Park.
Kona Boys draws our the inspiration for our surf, kayak, snorkel, and SUP glyphs from this ancient Hawaiian tradition.
Hawaiian Language – Olelo Hawaii
The Hawaiian Language (??lelo Hawai?i) came from other Polynesian languages in the South Pacific like Tahitian and Marquesan and is the state’s official language along with English.
The Hawaiian alphabet has only 13 characters a e i o u h k l m n p w ‘. That’s right, 5 vowels and 8 consonants.
The ‘ character is a glottal stop called an “‘okina.” As compared to English, the Hawaiian alphabet lists all the vowels first and then the consonants.
The language declined in use sharply for many years as westerners influenced the culture. Luckily, more recently there has been a resurgence of Hawaiian speakers through dedicated efforts of the people and the government.
Check out some more on the history and speaking of Hawaiian here. Or you can see a Hawaiian word of the day here.
La’aloa Bay Beach
La’aloa means “very sacred” in Hawaiian. Often called “White Sands,” “Magic Sands,” or “Disappearing Sands,” this small, fun beach on the main drag in Kona is one of our favorites. So-named for the fact that the beach’s sand comes and goes seemingly overnight when big storms come, when the sand is in, it is a great place to relax and play in the shore break.
La’aloa was an ahupua’a–an historic land division–which still has some retained Hawaiian rights today. You can find the remains of Haukalua Heiau near the parking lot. The Haukalua Heiau is around 800 years old. Much of the temple was taken apart to build the parking lot and then placed into the current stone platform. No one is certain for sure how the heiau was used and what its particular origins were, but locals and ancestors of the land have strong opinions. The heiau is open, so please be respectful of what is left of this sacred place.
An interesting tidbit: St. Peter’s Church, currently sitting on Kahalu’u Beach next to the Ku’emanu Heiau was originally here. It was decided to move the blue church from La’aloa to Kahalu’u in 1912. How’d the do it? The church was placed on poles and carried/dragged by hand (with donkeys also)…and this was before pavement.
When the waves are down, we enjoy snorkeling a few hundred yards out and to the right. There are nice corals, a bit deeper waters, and a few larger fish. When the waves are up, boogie boarding is killer–just be careful.
Because of the amount of activity at this beach, its archaeological importance, and the often powerful shore break, this is one of the few beaches on the Big Island that posts a full-time lifeguard station.
You can find La’aloa immediately off Ali’i Drive just north (toward town) of mile marker 4.
Photo by W Nowicki.
Captain Cook Discovers Hawaii
Captain James Cook and his ships, the Resolution and Discovery, entered the sheltered waters of Kealakekua Bay (Path of the Gods) on the morning of Jan 17, 1779.
Unbeknownst to him, Cook had entered the bay during Makahiki, which might have led some of the Hawaiians to think he was part of the Lono festivities. This was also a traditionally peaceful time of year, so he was welcomed and given food. Cook and his crew stayed for several weeks, returning to sea shortly after the end of the festival; but after suffering damage during a storm, the ships returned two weeks later on February 14, 1779. This time relations were not as smooth.
Kealakekua Bay
Kealakekua Bay is a sacred and beautiful place. We are privileged to enjoy it and share it with others. Frankly, it’s one of the main reasons we choose to live in the South Kona, Captain Cook area.
This sweet pocket of historical importance, unmatched snorkeling, and onshore adventure is the most protected deep water bay in all of Hawaii. The rugged pahoehoe lava and land surrounding Kealakekua Bay include the old Hawaiian royal village Ka’awaloa where Captain Cook met his end, the Hikiau Heiau that was dedicated to the god Lono, and the Pali-kapu-o-Keoua (“pali” = cliffs) that contain several visible lava tubes that were once used as burial caves.
Kealakekua (Hawaiian for “path of the gods”) was home to several Hawaiian ali’i (kings) including Kalani’opu’u, the last ruling chief of Hawaii island. Kalani’opu’u was uncle to Kamehameha the Great. Kamehameha returned to Ka’awaloa for a short stay at Kealakekua Bay afer uniting the Hawaiian Islands and before moving his kingdom and court to Kamakahonu in Kona.
The Bay’s marine life sanctuary is one of the world’s top snorkeling spots. Its pristine waters and underwater diversity including fish and coral make it a breath-taking experience. A local pod of Hawaiian spinner dolphins is often found resting and playing in the bay. It’s not uncommon to see whales, manta rays, spotted eagle rays, sea turtles, and more.
We recommend exploring Kealakekua Bay by kayak or stand up paddle board to soak in the turquoise waters, sea life and unique history!