Leaving Pearl Harbor, we drove east towards Diamond Head State Monument. Forty five minutes later, and after going through a tunnel to the interior of the crater, we arrived at the monument, paid the fee of five dollars and parked our car.
Diamond Head is the volcanic carter located at the end of the famous Waikiki,overlooking the ocean on the south-east coast of Oahu. It got its name from the British Sailors in the 1800's,who mistakenly thought there were diamonds in the soil when they saw the calcite crystals in the lava rock glimmer in the sunlight at a distance.
The crater is still known today to many locals by its former name: Le'ahi, which translates to "brow of the tuna", because that is what it looks like from Waikiki. Diamond Head,or Le'ahi, is believed to have been formed about 300,000 years ago during a single,brief eruption.
The trail to the summit of Diamond Head Crater is 0.8 mile with 560 feet gain from the crater floor. It is paved almost all the way, but is considered easy to moderate due to the steepness at some points.There are two sets of stairs: one with 99 steps, and the other with 76 steps. There is also a lighted tunnel.
When we got to the trail head, we stopped at the restrooms(there are none at the summit) and bought a cone of shave ice from the shave ice truck. Ah, perfect for a ten o'clock snack on a hot day. Strawberry and passion fruit were the flavors Bill picked for me, and I loved the combination.
Eating our shave ice,we started strolling up the paved road. People coming down were staring at us, I am not sure if it is because they wished they had some shave ice, or because they thought we were crazy. Either way, I was enjoying my shave ice, and did not appreciate the stares.
After some switchbacks, stairs and a tunnel, we were rewarded with beautiful views of Waikiki on one side, and a lighthouse on the other. Then climbing up a bit more to the summit, the views were magical, and well worth standing elbow to elbow with other tourists to get a glimpse.
There are no shaded spots on the trail, and it does get hot. It took us about an hour and half to get back to the car, about noon. If you are the type who gets hot easily, you might want to consider doing the hike earlier in the day when it is cooler. However, we thought there was enough breeze for us and we were fine.
It was the most crowded hike I've ever done, and in our weekend on Oahu, the most crowded site, but we were glad we did it. It was well worth the heat and crowds, and the shave ice helped:grin.
Comments (11)
Candi, You are braver than me! A dear friend told me I HAD to make that trip. The heat and humidity spooked me, so I passed. Sounds like it's a good thing I did! I get heat stroke very easily, so this hike would likely leave me in the dust!
Thanks for the guided tour and those lovely photos...very nice!
Posted by Brenda | April 22, 2009 9:54 PM
Posted on April 22, 2009 21:54
Brenda, I did not think it was a difficult hike at all, and I am used to the hot weather, so it did not feel that hot to me. Looking at other people however, it was hot.
So I guess if you prone to heat strokes, you will have to go early before the sun heats up.
Posted by candi | April 22, 2009 11:13 PM
Posted on April 22, 2009 23:13
First time I have heard of shave ice being sold there. I would buy one also and eat it on the way up. They must have started selling shave ice after they started charging to get in. I think the last time I was there was 10 years ago (before they started charging). It is an easy hike compared to others on the island with a beautiful view at the top.
Posted by girasoli | April 23, 2009 12:27 AM
Posted on April 23, 2009 00:27
girasoli, yep, there is a shave ice truck.
I agree, it is an easy hike compared to others I have done, and the views are amazing.
Posted by candi | April 23, 2009 1:28 AM
Posted on April 23, 2009 01:28
Beautiful photos and the shave ice looks great!
Posted by Annie | April 23, 2009 7:41 AM
Posted on April 23, 2009 07:41
Gorgeous views and that shave ice looks very tempting. I'm green with envy. I miss being close to the water!
Posted by María I. | April 23, 2009 3:06 PM
Posted on April 23, 2009 15:06
Hi Candi, great photos! That is a very nice hike and the views are beautiful. Your shave ice looks very cool and refreshing. I'm impressed with the generous serving that they give their customers.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience and photos Candi!
Posted by Kathy (Trekcapri) | April 23, 2009 8:01 PM
Posted on April 23, 2009 20:01
Annie, Maria and Kathy, thanks for your comments.
Maria, I know what you mean about living near the water, when we are on the mainland, I miss that too.
Kathy, yeah, it is was a lot of shave ice, and only for $3! Hawaiian prices, it is s steal. On Maui, this same serving might be double the price. I've noticed that Oahu is much cheaper than Maui too, I guess because everything gets to Oahu first.
Posted by candi | April 23, 2009 11:39 PM
Posted on April 23, 2009 23:39
What gorgeous photos! Sounds like a great day even with all the crowds. It really is extraordinarily beautiful.
Posted by Chiocciola | April 25, 2009 9:20 AM
Posted on April 25, 2009 09:20
Great photos Candi -- especially the shave ice!!! (It looks SO good!)
Posted by sandrac | April 27, 2009 7:19 PM
Posted on April 27, 2009 19:19
ok - the highlight would have been the reward and the views... How much fun!
Posted by expatraveler | July 3, 2009 10:22 PM
Posted on July 3, 2009 22:22