A NORTHERN TOWN RICH IN
HISTORY AND CULTURE
Antique Shops & Paniolo Culture
Explore a town rich in paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) culture and Hawaii state history. Honoka’a is a great stop on your way down the Hamakua Coast or on your way to or from Waipi’o Valley Lookout. The cattle on Hawaii’s Big Island was originally gifted to King Kamehameha in the late 1700s, he let the cattle herd roam, reproduce and become feral for the next twenty years, which devastated local agriculture. In 1812, the King began allowing hunting of the cattle and in the 1830s, he returned from Mexico with three vaqueros (Mexican cowboys), and thus, Paniolo Culture was born in Hawaii. The sugar industry later brought with it, immigration of many Portuguese cowboys, as well. After the sugar industry dissolved throughout the state, these Portuguese cowboys continued to utilize their previous dairy experience on their land in Hamakua. Many of these same ranches have been passed down through generations and continue to be working ranches throughout the area today.
With a town rich in history, you can also visit, Buddhist temples, some of the oldest Japanese cemeteries in Hawaii and a great collection of Antique Shops. Take a step back in time at Gramma’s kitchen for breakfast or lunch, don’t miss trying some amazing fudge and have fun finding all of the historical murals through town that celebrate this rich, living history and culture.
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