Spotlight's Big Island Gold Magazine

Like a Norman Rockwell painting, North Kohala’s rustic towns, wooden storefronts and rolling pastures harken a bygone era. Gone are the sleepy sugar plantations that once thrived here, but the lush greenery that make this a tropical paradise remain. The towns of Hawi and Kapa‘au are home to art galleries, general stores, eateries, and many other quaint establishments that can be fun to visit.

In Kapa‘au, you'll find the original statue of King Kamehameha I. The statue was cast in Boston, then lost when its cargo ship sank off the Falkland Islands. A replacement was cast and sent to Honolulu but the original was recovered from the shipwreck and brought to Kohala, Kamehameha’s home district.

Beyond Kapa‘au is Keokea Beach Park, the only coastal park in the area, with a rocky breakwater that protects the swimming area. There are picnic and restroom facilities.

Be sure to drive to the end of the road at Pololu Lookout and, if the path is dry, take the 25-minute hike down to the dark sand beach and spectacular valley. On the drive back, take the Kohala Mountain Road (Route #250) to Waimea. This tree-lined road winds through rolling pastures and past ranch houses while offering breathtaking vistas of the Kohala Coast and the Saddle Road between the volcanoes.