Kamakahonu / Kailua Pier

After uniting the Hawaiian kingdom, Kamehameha I returned to rule from his compound at Kamakahonu, meaning eye of the turtle, from 1812 until his death in 1819. 'Ahu'ena Heiau, the religious temple that served Kamehameha, was rebuilt in the 1970's as an accurate 2/3 scale model replica, and its distinctive 'anu'u, or oracle tower, indicated a heiau of ruling chiefs. Kamakahonu was also the site of royal residences served by a series of anchialine pools, upwellings of fresh and salt water found on young lava fields, which were used to raise bait fish and shrimp for larger catches. Kailua Pier has anchored the village since the early 1900s, first as a center of transportation and shipping where paniolo loaded cattle, and later as a gathering place for fishing and ocean recreation.

Kalaoa, Hawaii · United States