Fodor's Expert Review Paulaula State Historic Site

The ruins of this stone fort, built in 1816 by an agent of the imperial Russian government named Georg Anton Schäffer, are a reminder of the days when he tried to conquer the island for his homeland, or so one story goes. Another claims that Schäffer's allegiance lay with King Kaumualii, who was attempting to keep leadership of his island nation from the grasp of Kamehameha the Great. The crumbling walls of the fort, a National Historic Landmark, are not particularly interesting, but the signs loaded with historical information are. A bronze statue of King Kaumualii was installed in 2021, marking 200 years since the king was kidnapped to Oahu aboard the ship Haaheo o Hawaii in July 1821, during a reception aboard.