Pu'uhonua o Honaunau, the Place of Refuge is a beautiful beachside park that preserves aspects of Hawaiian history. Admission is $2. Park rangers will give you a map of a self-guided tour of interesting spots.

On King Kamehameha's royal grounds, you will see recreated thatched temples and dwellings, a royal fish holding pond and a boathouse where you may watch a Hawaiian in traditional garb carve a Koa canoe. Play the ancient game of Konane, with black and white pebbles on a special lava playing surface.

The Great Wall separates the Royal Grounds from the Place of Refuge. The wall is built in 1550 of close-fitting lava rocks and measures up to 10 feet tall and 17 feet thick. On the other side was Pu'uhonua, the Place of Refuge, a holy ground. If someone broke a law1 in ancient times, he or she would scramble to get to the place of refuge, running barefoot over lava, swimming across the bay, to elude spear and club wielding pursuers. Safely in the refuge, the outlaw would go through rituals with a priest and be released, absolved.

Also, men who were too old or weak to fight could wait out a battle here. When the battle was over, they'd be aligned with the winning side.

To get there:
Take Highway 11 south. Do not turn onto the winding Napoopoo Road (also called Hwy. 160) but continue about 6 miles and turn right on Highway 160 which leads to the beach. Turn left at the sign for Place of Refuge National Historical Park.