Religious, Spiritual sights in Hawai'i (The Big Island)
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A
Mo'okini Luakini Heiau
One of the oldest and most historically significant temples in the Hawaiian islands, Mo'okini Luakini Heiau sits on a grassy knoll near 'Upolu Point at the northern tip of the Big Island. The massive structure, which measures about 250ft by 125ft, with walls 6ft high, was a 'closed' heiau, reserved for ali'i nui (kings and ruling chiefs) for fasting, praying and offering of human sacrifices to their gods.
There's a clear view of Maui and, during winter, humpback whales, from the heiau site. There are no facilities. The heiau was dedicated to the god Ku, and built from 'sunrise to first light' by up to 18,000 'little people' passing water-worn basalt stones in complete sil…
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B
Moku'aikaua Church
On April 4, 1820, the first Christian missionaries to the Hawaiian Islands sailed into Kailua Bay. When they landed, they were unaware that Hawai'i's old religion had been abolished on that very spot just a few months before. King Liholiho gave them this site, just a few minutes' walk from Kamehameha's Ahu'ena Heiau, to establish Hawai'i's first Christian church.
Completed in 1836, Moku'aikaua Church is a handsome building with walls of lava rock held together by sand and coral lime mortar. The posts and beams, hewn with stone adzes, and smoothed down with chunks of coral, are made from resilient ohia, and the pews and pulpit are made of koa, the most prized native hardwo…
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C
St Benedict's church
John Berchmans Velghe was a Catholic priest who came to Hawai'i from Belgium in 1899. Upon taking responsibility for St Benedict's church, he moved it 2 miles from its original location near the pu'uhonua (place of refuge). It's not clear whether he did this as protection from tsunami or as an attempt to rise above - both literally and symbolically - a significant Hawaiian cultural site and what Christianity considered to be pagan ways.
Father John then painted the walls with a series of biblical scenes to aid in teaching the Bible. He designed the wall behind the altar to resemble the Gothic cathedral in Burgos, Spain. The painted palm leaves climbing the slender support…
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D
Kalahikiola Church
Protestant missionaries Elias and Ellen Bond built Kalahikiola Church in 1855. The land and buildings on the drive in are part of the vast Bond estate, proving that missionary life wasn't one of total deprivation. Large portions of the church crumbled in the 2006 earthquake, and the congregation immediately began fundraising to rebuild. Towering banyan trees and peaceful macadamia-nut orchards surround the church, making it a worthwhile detour.
The church is 900yd up 'Iole Rd, between the 23- and 24-mile markers.
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E
St Peter's Church
St Peter's Church, aka The 'Little Blue Church', is one of Hawai'i's most-photographed, and a favorite for weddings. Made of clapboard with a corrugated-tin roof, it sits practically in Kahalu'u Bay. Built in the 1880s, it was moved from White Sands Beach to this site in 1912. It now sits on an ancient Hawaiian religious site, Ku'emanu Heiau. Hawaiian royalty, who surfed Kahalu'u Bay, paid their respects at this temple before hitting the waves.
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F
Wood Valley Temple & Retreat Center
If you're into temples, this Tibetan Buddhist Temple outside of Pahala is worthy of a detour. It is decoratively painted in colorful detail and is striking against the backdrop of the center's lush, 25-acre property. Peacocks roam freely through the grounds and the relaxing property of the valley's silence is enhanced by the constant sounds of birds and humming insects.
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