On the Big Island

Pepe'ekoe Scenic Drive North of Hilo

Waipo'i Bay

Waipo'i Bay

Waipi'o Valley

The valley has a long history and is said to be one of the first inhabited by the Polynesians upon their arrival here. With abundant water resources and easy access to the sea, it is easy to see why the immigrants would settle here. The Waipi`o Valley is a mile wide at the coastline and almost six miles deep. According to oral histories as few as 4000 or as many as 10,000 people lived in Waipi`o during the times before the arrival of Captain Cook in 1778. Waipi`o was the most fertile and productive valley on the Big Island of Hawaii. The cliffs both sides of the valley reach almost 2000 feet, and the road into the valley is very steep (a 25% grade). In order to travel into the valley, you must either ride down in a four wheel drive vehicle or hike down to the valley floor. Considering the alternatives, we opted to view the valley from the overlook. For more on this topic goto:
http://gohawaii.about.com/cs/bigislandland/a/waipio_valley.htm.

Photo by Flint, our guide.

Pat & Owen Tyler

Postcard