Haunting Beauty of Polihale
Haunting Beauty of Polihale
This secluded, undeveloped place boasts the longest stretch of beach in Hawaii. The way the blue ocean pounds against the white sand that butts up against the green and brown mountains creates a scene of incredible natural beauty. And—of course—it’s haunted.
A Leaping Place for Souls
Located on the most western shore of the island of Kaua‘i, Polihale beach is the longest sandy beach in Hawai‘i. It is said that Polihale is the site of a leina a ka ‘uhane, a leaping place, where the souls of the dead leap into Pō, the everlasting night. At the northern end of the beach, there is a heiau. In a state of disrepair and buried in the thicket of thorny kiawe trees and other brush, the heiau there is reportedly dedicated to Laka, the hula goddess, and was used for special ceremonies up to the time of King Kalākaua. The spirits of the dead come to Polihale from all over the island. They are said to gather at Kā'ana on the edge of the canyon. Then the spirits followed the Hikimoe stream down to the heiau. Here they rest before climbing to the top of the three-hundred-foot cliff and leaping into the ocean to sink into Pō. Any spirits that were not accepted into Pō were left to haunt the ridges of Waimea canyon.
Pele’s Sisters
Nāmakaokaha'i
Goddess of the ocean and sister of Pele, wove a wreath of pahapaha when she stepped ashore at Polihale and gave it a special quality. A lei pahapaha can fade and dry out but when soaked in water will revive to its original freshness. Only the pahapaha of Polihale does this. Visitors wore wreaths of pahapaha home to prove they had indeed been there.
Kapo'ulakīna'u
Another of Pele's sisters, also arrived at Polihale. Here she and her bevy of maidens discovered kauna'oa, a parasitic vine, growing in the pōhuehue vines along the dunes. The red-orange stems were woven into a lei and thereafter, anyone who asked Kapo'ulakīna'u for help in defeating an enemy offered her a lei kauna'oa, preferably from the dunes of Mānā itself.
Night Marchers at Polihale
Now a state park, Polihale greets families and fishers, campers and partiers with long stretches of hot, white sand and clear blue waters during the day and a darkness at night that is so complete that the glittering stars stand out, beautifully sparkling against a velvet sky. In this darkness, at the northern end of the beach, toward this heiau and this leaping place, people have witnessed the night marchers and the procession of the dead.
One fisherman stated that he made plans to camp out with some friends over a long holiday weekend. It was late on that first night of camping and fully dark, he explained, and he’d just finished checking the bait on all of his poles. The fisherman was just ready to sit down when someone exclaimed, “What is that?”
The fisherman saw nothing out of place and turned to his friend, but before he could ask the man what he was talking about, he heard what he thought sounded like drums. At first, he scoffed and believed it was a trick of the mind - hearing the waves pounding against the sand. Suddenly, several others in the group heard it too. At this point, everyone was standing, looking around.
The fisherman said, “Brah, we were all ready to fight. We thought somebody was messing with us!”
As the sound became more rhythmic, there was no way it could be mistaken for the pounding surf. It was suddenly hot, and it felt like the air was sucked away.
Someone in the group yelled, “Night marchers!” They all lay flat on their stomachs and covered their faces without hesitation.
“It seemed like a really long time,” the fisherman explained, “But it was probably just a couple of minutes. We just all laid there, listening to the drums get louder and louder. Even after the sound was gone and we could feel the wind again, we were afraid to move. Total chicken skin, brah.”
I asked what they did afterward, and my question was met with a laugh, “We left! We not gonna catch any fish after that, and we don’t know if they supposed to come back or what. I rather go fishing another day than be hard head, and something bad happens. My Tutu taught me better than that!”
Experience Haunted Hawaii: Polihale and Beyond
Polihale Beach is more than a breathtaking stretch of sand—it’s a gateway to haunted places in Hawaii. Feel the thrill of the night marchers and uncover the spirits that linger along the cliffs and heiau on our Hawaii ghost tours. Join one of our Honolulu ghost tours to explore the eerie side of supernatural Hawaii, visiting haunted places in Honolulu and Waikiki. Don’t miss your chance to immerse yourself in the legends on a ghost stories tour that brings Hawaii’s haunted history to life.