Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Paul Morrison's
Gamodeme
at the Contemporary Museum.
Diamond Head
★★★
The 360-degree view from atop Diamond Head Crater is worth
the 560-foot ascent and should not be missed. You can see all the way from Koko Crater to
Barbers Point and the Waianae Mountains. The 750-foot-tall volcano, which has become the
symbol for Hawaii, is about 350,000 years old. The trail to the summit was built in 1910 to ser-
vice the military installation along the crater; the hike to the top takes about 30 minutes but is
quite manageable by anyone of any age.
Diamond Head has always been considered a “sacred site” by Hawaiians. According to le-
gend, Hi'iaka, the sister to the volcano goddess Pele, named the mountain Leahi (meaning
the “brow of the ahi”) when she saw the resemblance to the yellowfin tuna (called “ahi” in
Hawaiian). Kamehameha the Great built a luakini heiau on the top where human sacrifices
were made to the god of war, Ku.
The name Diamond Head came into use around 1825 when a group of British sailors (some
say they were slightly inebriated) found some rocks sparkling in the sun. Absolutely sure they
had struck it rich, the sailors brought these “diamonds” back into Honolulu. Alas, the “dia-
monds” turned out to be calcite crystals. The sailors didn't become fabulously rich, but the
name Diamond Head stuck.
Diamond Head Rd. Admission $1 for walk-ins, $5 for cars. Daily 6am-6pm. To get here from Waikiki, take Kalakaua
Ave. toward Kapiolani Park. Turn left onto Monsarrat Ave. at the Park. Monsarrat Ave. becomes Diamond Head Rd. after
Campbell Ave. Continue on Diamond Head Rd. to turnoff to crater. Turn right into turnoff, follow to parking lot. Bus: 13,
23, or 24.
