With its fierce, haunting idols, this sacred site on the black-lava Kona Coast certainly looks forbidding. To ancient Hawaiians, however, Puuhonua O Honaunau served as a 16th-century place of refuge, providing sanctuary for defeated warriors and kapu (taboo) violators. A great rock wall -- 1,000 feet long, 10 feet high, and 17 feet thick -- defines the refuge where Hawaiians found safety. On the wall's north end is Hale O Keawe Heiau, which holds the bones of 23 Hawaiian chiefs. Other archaeological finds include burial sites, old trails, and a portion of an ancient village. On a self-guided tour of the 180-acre site -- which has been restored to its precontact state -- you can see and learn about reconstructed thatched huts, canoes, and idols, and feel the mana (power) of old Hawaii. A cultural festival, usually held in June, allows you to join in games, learn crafts, sample Hawaiian food, see traditional hula, and experience life in precontact Hawaii. Every Labor Day weekend, one of Hawaii's major outrigger canoe races starts here and ends in Kailua-Kona. Call for details on both events.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Hawaii 2008, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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