LOCATION
The center is located in Kaʻaʻawa, Hawaiʻi, a small beach community nestled between spectacular mountains and beautiful white sand beaches on the windward coast of Oahu. Ka`a`awa is a picturesque 45-minute drive from Honolulu International Airport. The grounds consist of over three acres of tropical rainforest ringed by the Koʻolau Mountains, and just steps from a white sand beach with amazing sunrises.
Legends abound from and around our location. The traditional land divisions (ahupuaʻa) of Hakipuʻu, Kualoa, Kaʻaʻawa, Makaua, and Kahana form one of the richest and most sacred parts of Hawaiʻi. It was here that the first heiau (temple) was constructed, where the high shrine to the great god Lono existed, and it was the center of one of the two priesthoods in ancient Hawaiʻi.
Ocean:
Ocean activities in and around Kaʻaʻawa are boundless. The ocean can be everything from a playground for water sports to magical spot of healing and rejuvenation, a place to nurture the spirit within and without.
Just a three-minute walk from the center gets you to Swanzy Beach Park. Swanzy is a county beach park with a white sand beach and a large grass area for Yoga and picnics. It also has restroom facilities.
A short stroll down the road gets you to Kaʻaʻawa Beach Park. It is a ribbon of white sand that is perfect for sunrise walks as it runs for about a mile. In some parts of this beach the sand is so fine it feels like powder between your toes. All of the beaches in Kaʻaʻawa have turquoise waters and palm trees.
If you want to take four-minute car ride you can go to Kahana State park. Kahana is an eight square mile park that ranges from sea level up to mountains over 2,500 feet high. The wide crescent shaped beach, ringed by Ironwood trees that provide lots of shade, is a perfect beach to spend the day. Kahana is also a cultural park with pleasant hiking trails and an ancient 1400 year old Hawaiian fishpond along the ocean.
Mountains:
The Koʻolau Mountains, which run for over 30 miles along the coast of this part of the island of Oʻahu, are the remains of a dormant volcano that collapsed and slid into the ocean hundreds of thousands of years ago. Waterfalls, rain, and wind have formed the deep crevasses in the slops and cliffs. Today the mountains provide outdoor enthusiasts an amazing environment for hiking, bird watching, mountain biking, horseback riding, ATV (all terrain vehicle) and Jeep rides along with endless exploring of nature’s beauty.
The Koʻolau Mountains are prime native forest bird habitat on Oʻahu; in fact, the endangered Oʻahu ʻElepaio (Chasiempis ibidis) flycatcher recently had large portions of the southern and central Koʻolau Mountains established as critical habitat.