A Guide To Diamond Head

Diamond Head is a name given to the volcanic tuff cone, now dormant since ages on the Hawaiian Islands in Oahu. It is located at the southeast end of the Waikiki and overlooks the Pacific. It was named Laeahi by the Hawaiians, but later in the early 19th century, British sailors found bright white crystals and thought that they were diamonds and named this volcanic tuff as Diamond Head. But, they later on realised that they were silly stones with no worth at all. The ancient name given by the residents of Hawaii is, Laeahi, means, Tuna’s brow.

The Diamond Head has been extinct since more than 150,000 years. The volcano’s crater is 990 metres in diameter and is 231 meter high summit from the foothill. United States in 1898 had the major responsibility to protect pearl harbour. In this line, Fort Ruger a major Defence establishment occupied the crater of Diamond Head. Loads of canons were located in the premises of the crater so as to protect from the enemies invading. Through the crater walls a 176 metre deep tunnel was dug out, whose basic aim was to provide easy access to the Fort Ruger.

Diamond Head is a part of the State Monuments of the United States of America. A part of the Diamond Head is still utilized by the government of the United States as a platform to some antennas. This part remains closed for public.

The craters closeness to the main city hotels and panoramic view from the crater has made it one of the most important tourist locations of the Hawaii. Almost all the tour packages for the Oahu islands comprise of a visit to the Diamond Head crater.

The journey to the Diamond Head Crater is a small one from Waikiki centre and it can be a drive or a bus ride to the destination.

The total summit from the foothill of the Diamond Head to the top can be divided into 3 parts. The first part is a 99 step trail and the other being 76 steps, taking it to a total of 175 steps. The other part is a 69 meter trail through a tunnel which is unlit.

A hike of 0.75 miles leads us to the edge of the Diamond Head Crater’s rim. It is just a moderate climb and takes just over an hour to reach the top and half its time to get back down. A 0.6 miles of the trail inside the crater is adventurous, with one side having mountain and the other having a railing. A small tunnel has to be passed as well which leads to final spiral staircases to the observation platform.

Standing on top of the crater, one gets a view of the entire leeward side of the Oahu Island. The feel of the trade winds and sound of the waves crashing the slopes far below are indeed truly amazing. The whole of Waikiki’s view is spectacular from the top and extends to Koki Head. This is open from 6am to 6pm. There are no facilities available for the whole hike. Drinking Water, Sunscreen, a Torch light and a Camera are indeed essential.