pāhonu is a kuapā (wall) style loko iʻa (fish pond) in waimānalo, near kaiona beach. the english translation of pāhonu is a "turtle enclosure" or "turtle pond". it is a honu (turtle) pond that was used in pre-contact days. the kuapā is approximately 780 feet in length, extending around 100 feet from shore. a small stretch of sand runs along the shore at low tide, though it is completely covered at high tide (Rogerson, 2018).

the earliest reference to the name "pāhonu" for this enclosure can be found in Land Commission Award Number 25-1 (LCA 234-1), issued to Pahanua, on December 2, 1850. when Pahanua made his claim for this, witnesses stated he received the land from Lono in the time of Kinaʻu in 1839 (Rogerson, 2018). 

pāhonu is a very culturally significant place, dating all the way back to before King Kamehameha unified the Hawaiian islands. at this time, it was kapu for the maka’ainana to eat honu, though it was not for the ali’i. the chief of this area, Kuikui, loved the tasteful delicacy that honu meat was, so he had the pond constructed in order to catch them to eat. fishermen who caught honu were also instructed to drop off the honu into this pond. when the chief was craving honu meat, the maka’ainana of the village would catch and prepare the honu for him, though they could not indulge -- if they did, they would be punished with death. the chief named the pond after his wife, Pāhonu (Rogerson, 2018).

today, the pond is currently used as a semi-protected swimming area by beach park users. it is recognized by hawaiʻi travel blogs as "one of the best snorkel spots", "most family friendly beach", "picturesque", "good for instagram photoshoots", "a breathtaking piece of paradise", and as the "magnum pi tidal pool".