Places on Kauai: Hikinaakala Heiau

BASIC INFORMATION

• Name: Hikinaakala Heiau
• Where: Kauai, Hawaii
• Founded: ~1300 AD
• Cost: Free
• More Information: Hawaii DLNR brochure

Directions

From the main city of Lihue take the Kuhio Highway east towards Wailua.  Just before reaching the Wailua River the Hilton Garden Inn is visible on the ocean side of the highway.  Make a right and follow Leho Drive down to Lydgate State Park.

Parking

At Lydgate State Park there is a very large parking lot that is free for people to use.  In the morning there are very few people who use the park.  During the day there are many more people at the park, but there should still be no issues with finding a space.

Hawaiian Meaning

According to the book, “Place Names of Hawaii” the word “Hikinaakala” means “Rising of the Sun”.  The word “heiau” means “place of worship” or temple.  The Hikinaakala Heiau is located on Kauai’s east coast the side of the island the sun rises on each morning.  In the below image the temple ruins can be seen on the center right with the sun rising through the morning clouds above.

Narrative

For people who like to learn more about the cultural history of the early native Hawaiian people, some of the easiest places to visit are heiaus.  Across the Hawaiian islands heiaus can be found to include on Kauai.  The Hikinaakala Heiau is particularly easy one to access since it is located right next to the Hilton Garden Inn on the east side of Kauai:

The Hikinaakala Heiau is part of the Lydgate State Park which is a nice stretch of coastal land where various park facilities can found.  The best time to visit is early in the morning when there are more chickens then people out and about at the park:

While walking through the park I recommending checking out the nice signs that explain the important cultural history of the Wailua River which the Hikinaakala Heiau lies at the mouth of.  This area was called the Wailunuiaho’ano in Hawaiian which means “the great and sacred Wailua.  The word “Wailua” is believed to be the name a “ali’i” or chief that lived in the 14th century:

The Wailua River Valley was part of the ancient Hawaiian land division system that divided up each section of the island along various river valleys to be ruled by a chief and better manage resources:

The below picture show how Hikinaakala Heiau was just one of many temples located along the Wailua River:

Below is a picture of the mouth of the Wailua River which is now crossed by a large highway bridge:

Here is how the mouth of the river looked back in 1924:

Near the mouth of the river there is supposed to be petroglyphs that can be seen, but due to the tide and high waves I could not find them:

The mouth of the Wailua River was called the “Hauolo Pu’uhonua” or place of refuge.  Hikinaakala Heiau was the religious center of the place of refuge.  What made the temple so important was that someone accused of a crime could avoid punishment if they were able to flee and make it to the temple before getting caught:

Hikinaakala Heiau is believed to have been around for about 700 years, but the below illustrations show how the temple deteriorated after contact with the outside world:

Anyone seeking refuge today will not find Hikinaakala Heiau to flee to since over the past few decades it has become the ruins seen today.

Anyone looking for refuge will instead have to book a room at the Hilton Garden Inn.  Here is how the temple looks today when approached from the hotel:

At the perimeter of the temple there is a rock with the word Hauola on it designating this temple as a place of refuge:

There is also a sign letting people know to be respectful around the temple since it is sacred to native Hawaiians:

The original walls around the heiau would have been much larger.  This picture of the heiau walls around the Ulupo Heiau on Oahu demonstrates how big they can be:

In 1819 the traditional Hawaiian religion was banned by King Kamehameha II forcing the closure and tearing down of all Hawaiian temples.  By the late 1800’s improved roads were being constructed on Kauai and the rocks from Hikinaakala Heiau were used to help construct the roads leaving behind the few rocks seen today:

Conclusion

The Hikinaakala Heiau is a very easy location to visit on Kauai, especially if staying in the Wailua area.  It is well worth taking 30-60 minutes to walk along the seashore at Lydgate State Park to see the nice ocean views and then making a quick visit to the Hikinaakala Heiau to learn more about Hawaii’s cultural history.