Pu‘u Koholā heiau, above; Mailekini heiau, below.

Aloha! Welcome to Kawaihae ahupua‘a on the "Big Island" of Hawai‘i, in the Hawaiian chain.

Pacific Worlds welcomes you to explore this remarkable place through a series of eight thematic topics. Within each of these, you will find short, focused sections exploring particular aspects within that theme. Provided also are bibliographies and links to external sites that will teach you more about the topics discussed.

Before you begin, use this home page to familiarize yourself with basic geographic information about Kawaihae:

Our Guides
Meet the community members who will guide our journey at Kawaihae. Each of these people offers distinct and valuable insights into the different faces of Kawaihae, past and present.

Location
Familiarize yourself with the location of Kawaihae within the Hawaiian Islands, and find the location of Kawaihae within the Island of Hawai‘i.

Orientation
From the sea to the mountains, this section provides orientation to the major physical, spatial, organizational, and cultural features of Kawaihae ahupua‘a. Go here to get the lay of the land before you arrive.

Getting Here
Describes the journey involved in reaching Kawaihae today, starting with landing at Keahole airport. This gives a sense of the relative location of Kawaihae within the Island of Hawai‘i.