#1 - The Royal Grounds

As you enter the Royal Grounds, remember that this is a wahi kapu, a sacred place.

NPS

Quick Facts

Location:

Makai (towards the ocean) of the Visitor Center

Significance:

One of the primary religious and political centers within the traditional district of Kona

Designation:

National Register of Historical Places

Amenities

3 listed

Audio Description, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Scenic View/Photo Spot

Journey back to ancient Hawaiʻi and walk in the footsteps the ancestors. Realize that as you step onto the sands of the park’s Royal Grounds, you are setting foot on what is revered by native Hawaiian’s as wahi kapu, a sacred place. Please make sure to visit respectfully.

Ano ai ke aloha. Welcome. Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park was established in 1961 as a monument to the first Polynesian voyagers to cross Oceanic distances and make their home in this remote island world. Today our mission is to preserve unimpaired the cultural and historical heritage unique to this Hōnaunau region here on the island of Hawai’i. Throughout the region, many archeological sites paint a picture of life throughout 15^th, 16^th and 17^th century Hawaiʻi.

Realize that with your first steps onto the sands of the Royal Grounds, you are setting foot on what is revered by native Hawaiian’s as wahi kapu, a sacred place. These Royal Grounds encompass an area known as Kauwalomālie, a place traditionally reserved for the aliʻi or ruling chiefs and their guardians, stewards, and advisors. For the Makaʻāinana, who were the common folk, cultivators, and laborers, setting foot upon Royal Grounds was strictly forbidden. Indeed, casting so much as a shadow upon a wahi kapu such as Kauwalomālie was prohibited due to the law of the ʻaikapu – or kapu system. This system organized society and maintained a complex fabric of laws and responsibilities. Kapu were absolute, and so the penalty for breaking a kapu was severe and most often resulted in death for the offender.

Today we are fortunate that these Royal Grounds can be made open for all to experience, while remembering the history and traditions that make this place a wahi kapu.