Hawi

About Hawi

The small town of Hawi is located near the northern tip of the Big Island in the North Kohala District. The downtown is just one block long, but it's packed with great little shops, cafes, and a couple local-based groceries. On Saturday mornings there's a farmers market a half-block from main street. Not far from town is Upolu Airport, Hawi Renewable Development Wind Farm (this is a windy place), and Kohala Historical Sites State Monument where you can hike to the birthplace of King Kamehameha the First and enter a large heiau temple (carefully). This monument is on the shore near Upolo Point and has continuous shoreline access but it doesn't have a sandy beach. The other parks in the area including Kapa'a Beach Park and Mahukona Beach Park also lack sand, but they offer swimming and snorkeling when the surf is mellow. Spencer Beach Park is the nearest sandy beach to Hawi (about a 20 minute drive south). All of the coastal parks near Hawi face west and are ideal spots for sunset photography. To learn more about Hawaiian history and see a large well-preserved ancient village, stop into Lapakahi State Historical Park and do the self-guided hiking loop (closes at 4pm). If you visit any of the Kohala beaches be sure to stop into Hawi to support the town.