Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park covers 1,160 acres of coastline four miles north of Kailua-Kona. It preserves a settlement of Native Hawaiians who lived along this shoreline for centuries — a complex of fishponds, petroglyphs, temple platforms, the foundations of houses, and one of the largest aquaculture systems in pre-contact Hawaii.
The Kaloko Fishpond, a 700-foot-long stone wall that closes off a brackish lagoon, has been rebuilt by the National Park Service in cooperation with Native Hawaiian groups and is again raising mullet and milkfish as it did 500 years ago. The Aiopio fishtrap and Aimakapa fishpond are nearby. A short loop walk along the shore takes in the major archaeological sites and almost always passes green sea turtles basking on the rocks. The visitor centre on the highway has a small exhibit; entry is free.