North Kohala

North Kohala - It’s where time seems to stand still. Historic landmarks, galleries and restaurants await you, along with spectacular offshore views of Maui.

NORTH KOHALA: Developers have yet to discover this northernmost area of the Big Island. North Kohala is a mix of spruced up storefronts, picturesque chapels, historic landmarks and wide-open spaces. Throw away your watch and enjoy the unhurried pace.

Highway 270 passes through the towns of Hawi and Kapaau to the must see Pololu Valley Lookout. The morning vista is spectacular here at the end of the road—the rising sun illuminates sea cliffs and waterfalls fronting valleys.

Presiding over North Kohala is the original statue of King Kamehameha the Great on Hwy. 270 in Kapaau; the area is the monarch’s birthplace.

At Lapakahi State Historical Park, you can take a self-guided walking tour through an ancient fishing village. Hours are 8 a.m.-4 p.m. daily. Nearby is Mahukona Beach Park, a former island port that has a navigational heiau (temple). From here, you can enjoy impressive views of Maui and the Big Island’s three mountain peaks.

NORTH KOHALA PHOTO OPS
•Hawi’s Old Takata Store
•King Kamehameha Statue, Bond Memorial Library in Kapaau
•Tong Wo Society
•Pololu Valley Lookout
•Offshore Maui vista
•Mt. Hualalai, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa from Lapakahi State Park

DID YOU KNOW
•Hawi is the bike turnaround for the annual Ironman Triathlon World Championship
•Kohala is the boyhood home of Kamehameha I
•In 1883, six mills produced more than 7,300 tons of raw sugar
•Kohala was a visionary leader during the building and blasting of 20 miles of irrigation ditch in 1905