Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Seiryudo Cave – named after Seiryu, the Azure Dragon, this cave features deep vertical columns surrounded by dense vegetation.
Genbudo Park
Hunter House Hamburgers
Jesus Backpacker
One of the chamber’s rooms.
Dr. Wolf’s Wunderkammer
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è Pasta... E Pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Our producer Manolo Morales would spend his final days perusing the shelves at Book Off.
Where Would You Go to Wait for the Apocalypse?
This event showcasing the bounty of the Traverse City region’s amazing agriculture, craft, and creativity culminates with a Grand Tasting on August 23.
The Atlas Obscura Guide to Traverse City’s Event Season
She’ll get you and your little dog too.
Dear Atlas: Where Can I Explore Witch History Without the Kitsch?
How to Turn Your Road Trip Into a Nature Scavenger Hunt

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Hawaii Captain Cook Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau

Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau

These ancient sacred grounds granted amnesty to those who managed to reach them.

Captain Cook, Hawaii

Added By
Emily Shaw
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  Julian Fong/CC BY-SA 2.0
  Joel/CC BY-ND 2.0
  Thomas Tunsch/CC BY-SA 2.0
  Robert Linsdell/CC BY 2.0
  Ekrem Canli/CC BY-SA 4.0
  Deb Nystrom/CC BY 2.0
  Ken Lund/CC BY-SA 2.0
  Ken Lund/CC BY-SA 2.0
Place Of Refuge, 1/2015   Jon Dilks
  Ken Lund/CC BY-SA 2.0
  lendog666 / Atlas Obscura User
  lendog666 / Atlas Obscura User
  neon astrolabe / Atlas Obscura User
  neon astrolabe / Atlas Obscura User
  neon astrolabe / Atlas Obscura User
  sophiestjacques / Atlas Obscura User
  National Parks Service/Public Domain
  neon astrolabe / Atlas Obscura User
  neon astrolabe / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

In Ancient Hawai’i—a period from the Polynesian settlement in 600 until Kamehameha’s monarchy in 1810—an extensive kapu system governed the islands. Kapu, roughly translated as “forbidden,” consisted of a series of laws that dictated daily life. Common men could not tread on royal ground. No one was allowed to step in the shadow of the chief. Women were forbidden from eating particularly phallic-looking bananas. The punishment for breaking these mandates? Death as human sacrifice.

Even unwittingly committing kapu warranted execution in certain circumstances. In a time where impaled heads lined the roads to temples and human sacrifices were burned on the slopes of volcanoes, it seems that the system was stacked against the common man. Yet, there was one glimmer of hope for those sentenced to death, resting on a rigorous test of strength, endurance, and unshakable faith.

The challenge for freedom seems simple: set foot on the grounds of Pu’uhonua o Honaunau (Place of Worship) and the slate was wiped clean. Yet this task was not as easy at it sounds. The journey was long and rigorous. If a convict did manage to elude his pursuers and arrive at the southwestern coast of the Big Island, there were still challenges ahead. The holy grounds were adjacent to a royal complex, separated by a wall that stood 10 feet high and 17 feet thick. And finally, if the refugee still managed to circumvent the royal guards, there was still nature to contend with as the temple lay beyond a shark-infested bay.

Today visitors can explore the ancient Hawaiian ruins in this sacred space and experience a recreation of traditional village life. And though sharks are a less frequent sight, the Bay of Honaunau is now a favorite resting place for sea turtles and spinner dolphins, which makes for some fantastic snorkeling.

Related Tags

Rites And Rituals Ruins Indigenous Sanctuaries

Know Before You Go

The Visitor Center has ranger-docents who are very knowledgeable about Hawaiian culture. It is located in Pu'uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park.

Community Contributors

Added By

EmilyYaMei

Edited By

hrnick, bberkey, ruthadar, neon astrolabe...

  • hrnick
  • bberkey
  • ruthadar
  • neon astrolabe
  • jondilks
  • michellecassidy1
  • lendog666
  • sophiestjacques

Published

October 31, 2011

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.nps.gov/puho/index.htm
  • http://www.aloha-hawaii.com/big-island/city-of-refuge/
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puʻuhonua_o_Hōnaunau_National_Historical_Park
Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau
1871 Trail
Captain Cook, Hawaii, 96704
United States
19.421539, -155.910525
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Painted Church

Captain Cook, Hawaii

miles away

Captain Cook Monument

Kealakekua, Hawaii

miles away

Kona Coffee Living History Farm

Captain Cook, Hawaii

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Captain Cook

Captain Cook

Hawaii

Places 3

Nearby Places

The Painted Church

Captain Cook, Hawaii

miles away

Captain Cook Monument

Kealakekua, Hawaii

miles away

Kona Coffee Living History Farm

Captain Cook, Hawaii

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Captain Cook

Captain Cook

Hawaii

Places 3

Related Places

  • An aerial view of Serpent Mound in the fall.

    Peebles, Ohio

    The Great Serpent Mound

    The largest earthwork effigy in the world.

  • Inside the church during the Lights of Gisewa.

    Jemez Springs, New Mexico

    Jemez Historic Site

    Once a year, the ruins of an ancient village come alive with hundreds of glowing farolitos.

  • Globe, Arizona

    Besh-Ba-Gowah Archaeological Park and Museum

    The remains of a large pueblo village constructed by the Salado culture, who occupied the region more than 600 years ago.

  • The ruins of El Cuartelejo.

    Scott City, Kansas

    El Cuartelejo

    The ruins of the northernmost pueblo in the Americas tell the story of a mixing of native cultures.

  • Montezuma Well

    Rimrock, Arizona

    Montezuma Well

    This sinkhole in the Arizona desert is filled with carbonated, arsenic-rich water

  • Abo kiva in foreground, church in background

    Mountainair, New Mexico

    Salinas Pueblo Missions

    The remains of Abó, Gran Quivera, and Qurai are monuments to the long, complicated history of the Indigenous people of the Southwest.

  • Kailua, Hawaii

    Ulupō Heiau

    Hidden behind a YMCA stands the remains of a ceremonial site that dates back hundreds of years, whose ground is still considered sacred to many Hawaiians.

  • Trinidad, Paraguay

    La Santísima Trinidad de Paraná

    Of the many Jesuit missions in South America, this complex is one of the best preserved.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.