Coconut Island, or Moku Ola is a small island in

Hilo Bay Hilo Bay is a large bay located on the eastern coast of the island of Hawaii. Description The modern town of Hilo, Hawaii overlooks Hilo Bay, located at . North of the bay runs the Hamakua Coast on the slopes of Mauna Kea, and south of the ba ...

, just offshore from Lili'uokalani Park and Gardens, in Hilo, off the island of

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...

. It is a small park, and is connected to the main island via a footbridge. The island includes a large grassy field, picnic areas, restroom facilities, and a few tiny sandy beaches. A popular recreational activity is to jump off the tower into the waters of Hilo Bay. The name Mokuola translates as "healing island" or "island of life" from the Hawaiian language. ''Moku'' meaning "island" and ''ola'' meaning "life." It was the site of an ancient temple dedicated to healing. It is located off

Banyan Drive Banyan Drive is a tree-lined street at the shoreline of Hilo, Hawaii. It is known as the "Hilo Walk of Fame" for the banyan trees planted by celebrities. These trees have withstood several tsunamis that have devastated the town on the Hawaii (islan ...

. Legend tells that anyone who was sick or feeling ill would be healed by swimming around Mokuola three times. In ancient times, Mokuola was a ''pu'uhonua'' (place of refuge), where natives or warriors could "redeem" themselves. Many native Hawaiians would also bury their children's ''piko'' (umbilical cords) under the flat rocks here, so the rats would not find them (piko are often considered sacred to Hawaiians, as they are the connection to their mothers and to their blood lines). Coconut Island (Hawaii Island)

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{{authority control Islands of Hawaii Landforms of Hawaii (island) Hilo, Hawaii Beaches of Hawaii (island)