While the hike to ‘AKAKA FALLS takes less than half an hour, the view — which attracts an estimated one million visitors a year — and fun you will experience along the way make this destination a worthwhile excursion.
Start your exploration at the village of HONOMŪ, 11 miles north of Hilo on the Hāmākua Coast, now known as the GATEWAY TO THE FALLS. It once was a bustling community that catered to the sugar industry PHO TO: JEFF S ANNER | L OCA TION: PU‘UHONU A O HO ¯ NA UNA U ESCAPE TO AN ANCIENT REFUGE 18 101 things to do |
stores and several churches.
A stroll through this tiny community quickly calls to mind remnants of its past, with wooden boardwalks, railings and buildings with false fronts housing antique shops and eateries.