Hilo is with approximately 45,000 inhabitants the largest city on the island of Hawaii, which is also called the Big Island. Hilo is located on the east coast of the island at Hilo Bay and in the low country east of the two colossal volcanoes Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. The area has a humid climate, and with 3,220 millimeters of rainfall, Hilo is thus one of the world’s most humid cities. In the United States, there are only a few coastal cities in Alaska that receive more rainfall in a year than Hilo.

The first Polynesian settlers came to the Hilo area around the year 1100, and they continuously developed Hilo, known for centuries as Waiākea. In the 19th century, a number of missionaries first came to Hilo, and in the same century a large number of sugar cane plantations were established, which left a big mark on Hilo. The city flourished, and a number of buildings sprang up continuously. Hilo was also connected to other parts of the east coast of the island of Hawaii by the Hawaii Consolidated Railway, which opened in 1899.

Parts of the track and large parts of Hilo were destroyed on April 1, 1946, when a tsunami swept over the city, killing 160 in addition to extensive property damage. A tsunami warning system was established, but still 61 people died when a tsunami hit Hilo on May 23, 1960. Since then, the city has grown steadily, and a number of cultural offerings, such as museums and galleries, have been established in the downtown.

There are several sights in Hilo, where you can, for example, start a walking tour of the city from the square and park Kalākaua Park, which is named after King David Kalākaua, who reigned 1874-1891. The park is where the first Christian mission in the area was established in 1825. Later, the site became a plaza where many of Hilo’s most important public buildings and functions were located; thus a courthouse, police station and post office were built here. The main building can be seen today on the northwest side of the square along Waianuenue Avenue. It is the Hilo Federal Building and U.S. Post Office, completed in 1917 as one of Hawaii’s first reinforced concrete buildings. Later, the elegant building was extended.

Across from Hilo Federal Building and U.S. Post Office, you can see the East Hawaii Cultural Center, which is located where the courthouse and police station used to be in the city; the building itself was opened in 1932. Kalākaua Park itself is laid out as lawns, where there is a large banyan tree and a memorial to the fallen from Hawaii during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

Nearby, you can visit the Pacific Tsunami Museum, which depicts the 20th century’s large and devastating tsunamis that hit Hawaii and Hilo in 1946 and 1960, respectively. Both times the tsunamis killed many residents of Hilo and caused extensive material damage. The museum building is a former bank building that belonged to the First Hawaiian Bank.

In the nearby street Haili Street you can see several of Hilo’s older buildings. The cinema Palace Theater from 1925 stands as the city’s beautiful stage in the beaux-arts of the time. Both the lobby and the great hall have been beautifully renovated, and the Palace Theater is, in addition to being a movie theater, also a good concert venue. The church Haili Church was built 1854-1859 and still functions as a church. Close to the church, you can visit the Lyman House Memorial Museum, which was founded in 1931. The museum is located in Reverend David Belden Lyman’s house from 1838; Lyman came to Hawaii in 1832 as a missionary.

After a tour of the relatively modest downtown Hilo, you can see several sights and enjoy some wonderful hikes in the area east of downtown. Here you come to the lovely green area, Wailoa River State Recreation Area. The area is a park located on both sides of the short Wailoa River. The main attraction is on the west side of the park; it is the statue of King Kamehameha, who united and formed the Kingdom of Hawaii. The statue was created by the sculptor Sandrin in Vicenza, Italy in 1963. It was originally supposed to have stood at a resort on the island of Kauai, but the owners donated it to Hilo, where it was erected in 1997.

A short distance further east along Hawaii Belt Road you can see the Hilo Tsunami Clock. It is a large street clock, which is frozen in time, showing the time 01:04. It was that time on the morning of May 23, 1960, when a tsunami struck the clock and the city, causing death and destruction. The clock was later repaired, but the movement was left at the time when the water stopped it.

Banyan Drive in this area is one of Hilo’s major attractions. It is a street that winds through downtown Hilo on the small Waiākea Peninsula in Hilo Bay. Banyan Drive is just over 1.5 kilometers long, and it is surrounded by impressive banyan trees, which have been planted by various celebrities and celebrities over time. The first trees were planted in 1933, and many more were added in the following years. Among those who have planted trees here are Franklin D. Roosevelt, Richard Nixon, Louis Armstrong, Amelia Earhart and George Herman “Babe” Ruth. Trees have also been planted in honor of others; this applies, for example, to the English King George V. Some trees have been lost since 1933 due to tsunamis, but the majority have been preserved, and the size of the trees today is an elegant framework for both walking and driving. There are also a number of large hotels and a golf course along Banyan Drive today, where there is access over a bridge to the small island, Coconut Island, a short walk from Banyan Drive itself.

You can also quickly get out into nature in the area west of downtown Hilo. The Wailuku River is a popular place to visit Wailuku River State Park. Here you can go to the Rainbow Falls, which lie beautifully in front of the park’s viewing platforms. Rainbow Falls has a height of 24 meters and is surrounded by tropical rainforest. The Wailuku River is 45 km long, making it the longest river in the state of Hawaii. It originates at an altitude of about 3,300 meters on the eastern slope of Mauna Kea.