Kāneiolouma is an ancient Hawaiian village complex on the Poipū coast, containing some of the best-preserved pre-contact archaeology on Kauai's south shore. The site includes remnants of fishponds, agricultural terraces, a heiau (temple), and petroglyphs — a substantial settlement that was inhabited for centuries before Western contact. The Poipū Beach Foundation has been working with the community to restore and protect the complex, and guided tours are occasionally available.
The petroglyphs are the most immediately striking element: human figures, turtles, and abstract symbols carved into basalt near the beach. The heiau platform has been partially cleared and stabilised. The whole site gives a sense of how densely populated this coast was before the catastrophic population decline brought by introduced diseases in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Check locally for current access arrangements — parts of the site are on private land and access may vary.