Diamond Head State Monument

Lonely Planet review

The massive backdrop to Waikiki, Diamond Head rises 763ft to its fish-shaped summit. The bare and scalloped land mass is a tuff cone and crater formed by a violent steam explosion deep beneath the earth's surface long after most of O'ahu's volcanic activity had stopped. Diamond Head State Monument is popular for its hiking trail to the crater rim with panoramic views. Plenty of people of all ages make the three-quarters of a mile hike.

The Hawaiians called it Le'ahi and built a luakini (temple for human sacrifices) on the top. But ever since 1825, when British sailors found calcite crystals sparkling in the sun and mistook them for diamonds, it's been called Diamond Head.In 1909 the US army established Fort Ruger at the edge of the crater, building a network of tunnels, topping the rim with cannon emplacements, bunkers and observation posts. Reinforced during WWII, the fort has been a silent sentinel whose guns have never fired.The trail to the summit was built in 1910 to service the military observation stations along the crater rim. The return trip takes about an hour, and you should definitely pack your own water.The crater is dry and scrubby with kiawe (a relative of the mesquite tree), grasses, koa trees and wildflowers. The small yellow-orange flowers along the way are native ilima, O'ahu's official flower.Starting up the trail, the summit lies ahead a bit to the left, at roughly 11 o'clock. About 20 minutes up the trail, hikers enter a long, dark tunnel. The roof is high enough to walk without bumping your head (there is a handrail), and your eyes should adjust enough to make out shadows in the darkness. The tunnel curves, and no light is visible until close to the end making it a little spooky; the park advises hikers to use a flashlight. The tunnel should be the climax of this long climb, but coming out into the light hikers face a steep 99-step staircase, followed by a shorter tunnel, a narrow spiral staircase inside an unlit bunker and the last of the trail's 271 steps. And when you reach the top, be careful - there are steep drops.From the summit there's a fantastic 360-degree view - the southeast coast to Koko Head and Koko Crater, and the Wai'anae (Leeward) Coast to Barbers Point and the Wai'anae Range, with Kapi'olani Park and the Waikiki Shell below. The lighthouse, coral reefs, sailboats and sometimes even surfers waiting for a wave at Diamond Head Beach are also visible. The summit can be quite windy, as evidenced by the several caps and hats you'll see scattered just below the lookout. So hold on!To reach Diamond Head from Waikiki, take bus 22 or 58, both of which run about twice an hour. It's a 20-minute walk from the bus stop to the trailhead at the parking lot. By car from Waikiki, take Monsarrat Ave to Diamond Head Rd and then take the right turn after Kapi'olani Community College into the crater.