the North Shore
Pu'u O Mahuka Heiau
The largest heiau on Oahu, on the bluff above Waimea Bay.
Why go
You can see the whole of Waimea Bay from the wall, and the scale of the place does more to explain pre-contact Oahu than any museum case.
The catch
A sacred site, not a viewpoint. The stacked walls are the structure itself, so do not climb on them, and leaving wrapped rocks or other offerings is not a local practice.
- How long
- 30-45 min
- With children
- Yes
- Effort
- Easy
- Cost
- Free
- Parking
- Limited
Before you go
- Busiest in the middle of the day
Getting there
Driving times on real roads, from the same data the trip planner routes on — not straight-line distance.
| From Waikīkī | 1 hr 15 min | 41 miles |
|---|---|---|
| From HNL airport | 1 hr 17 min | 37.5 miles |
| From Hale‘iwa | 19 min | 6.5 miles |
| From Turtle Bay | 22 min | 8.1 miles |
Add traffic. These are free-flowing times, and the H1 through town at eight in the morning is not free-flowing.
More on Pu'u O Mahuka Heiau: OpenStreetMap
Hours, fees and access rules have not been checked against a primary source for this entry yet. Confirm before you build a day around it.
See it on the map Build a trip around it
What else is close
Nearest by road, which is not the same as nearest on a map — and not the same as sharing a region either.
- Shark's Cove7 min awayA rocky cove with the clearest snorkelling on the North Shore. No sharks.
- Waimea Bay9 min awayA wide, deep bay. Flat and swimmable in summer, enormous waves in winter.
- Banzai Pipeline12 min awayThe most famous surf break in the world, right off the sand.
- Sunset Beach12 min awayA long golden beach famous for huge winter surf.
- Waimea Valley12 min awayA flat walk through a garden to a waterfall you can swim under.
- Laniakea Beach15 min awayA small beach where green sea turtles come up to rest on the sand.