Ahu'ena Heiau, a replica of the religious beach compound where King Kamehameha, the Great spent his final years, is located on Kamakahonu Beach fronting King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel in Kailua.
Kamehameha rebuilt the heiau following his successful campaign to unite the major Hawaiian Islands. It was later restored by the Bishop Museum and includes a prayer house, house of drums, carved ki'i akua (temple idols) and an oracle tower. There is also a Hale Mahina where Kamehameha is said to have come to survey the farmland along the Kona Coast.
Kamehameha returned from Honolulu in 1812 and stayed at Ahu'ena until his death on May 8, 1819. These were peaceful years following the bloody battles that finally led to the unification of the Hawaiian Islands. Here the king gathered the sage kahuna (priests) of the a'ina (land) to discuss matters of government and diplomacy. And it was here, in 1819, that the decision was made to end the kapu governing system that had long ruled the Hawaiian Kingdom.
The grounds are open to the public. King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel offers a free tour, conducted by a group called Kulana Huli Honua. The tour includes an informative look at an extensive collection of Hawaiian artifacts that appear in the hotel lobby.
