WAILUA RIVER tells the epic history of the island’s demigods, high priests, kings and royal families. The remnants of SEVEN SACRED SITES are located within the 1,093-acre WAILUA RIVER STATE PARK . They include four Hawaiian temples, a bell stone, a birthstone and a cluster of petroglyphs on boulders PHO TO: BOB LINSDELL
You can get a good look at what remains of Wailua’s HISTORICAL SITES along Kūhiō Highway. They include:
MĀLA‘E: The oldest heiau on Kaua‘i, legend says it was built by the menehune (mythological Hawaiian beings similar to pixies or leprechauns) about 1,500 years ago. It is located on the south side of the Wailua River across Kūhiō Highway from the Aloha Beach Resort.
POLI‘AHU: A partially restored heiau, it is believed to have served as a temple to the war god Kū. It sits on a bluff on the north bank of the Wailua River on Kuamo‘o Road across from ‘ŌPAEKA‘A FALLS.