History
On Hawaiʻi Island’s northwestern coast at Kawaihae, Puʻukoholā preserves the ruins of what is regarded as the last major ancient Hawaiian temple and related historic places. Built in 1791 by order of Kamehameha I during his struggle to consolidate power, the massive luakini heiau was dedicated to the war god Kūkaʻilimoku and constructed by hand with thousands of people moving stone from Pololū Valley. Its completion set the stage for the killing of Keōua Kuahuʻula at Kawaihae, a turning point in Kamehameha’s rise. From here he continued the campaigns that led to the unification of Hawaiʻi in 1810.
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Puako, Hawaii · United States
