Once inside the compound's 10-foot walls, sanctuary was guaranteed. The resident kahuna, or priests, were obligated, under the pain of death, to offer absolution to all fugitives no matter how great or small the infraction. Forgiven, they were then allowed to return home and resume normal lives.

Refuges like Pu'uhonua o Honaunau ceased functioning in the early 19th century when the kapu (taboo) system was abolished, but this 182-acre site remains sufficiently in tact to provide a convincing glimpse into a time when people could be sentenced to death merely for eating with their husband or wife or walking in the shadow of a chief. Now a national historical park, Pu'uhonua was reconstructed by local artisans using traditional tools. All the other refuges in Hawaii have eroded into stonewall remnants.

Pu'uhonua O Honaunau, south of Kailua-Kona, dates back to the mid-1500s when the kapu system ruled the land. Breaking a kapu was believed to incur the wrath of the gods, which could cause serious consequences like tidal waves and earthquakes. So kapu rules imposed on commoners were strict and pervasive. But Hawaiian chiefs found a way around the system when they established sanctuaries where kapu breakers could seek absolution.

Pu'uhonua is one of the best places in the state to get in touch with Hawaii's ancient culture. This was not a place overrun with hardened criminals. Instead, it was a sacred place where ordinary folks who had broken rules came to get a new life. Here you can touch history and, with any luck, spot a giant green sea turtle grubbing near-shore rocks for lunch.

One of the major features of the complex is a reconstructed temple. This oft photographed temple called Hale o Keawe, is guarded by fierce wood-carved statutes called Ki'i. The original temple, built around 1650 and long ago destroyed, housed the bones of at least 23 chiefs. It was believed that the mana in the bones of the dead chiefs gave additional protection to those who came to the place of refuge. As you leave the palace grounds you approach the Great Wall. This huge rock wall, built sometime in the 1500s, is constructed of dry masonry and fit together like a jig saw puzzle.

In the park, you may encounter canoe builders constructing an outrigger canoe using traditional building methods. There are demonstrations of ancient Hawaiian games. Hikers can follow a trail that winds along the coast and includes several archeological sites.

Pu'uhonua o Honaunau is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, and from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday. There is an entrance fee of $5 per car. To get there, drive south from Kailua-Kona on Hwy. 11. Turn towards the ocean on Route 160 at the Honaunau Post Office and watch for the park sign.