This secluded beach on Auckland’s west coast can only be reached by foot. The terrain is challenging, but gorgeous. The drive to Anawhata also offers stunning views of the coast, including northern Piha, stretching south toward Whatipu. An emotional family scene with Kaʻiana (Jason Momoa) and his brothers was shot here.

Some say that Te Henga, the Māori name for this area, refers to the beach’s long dune formations, which resemble an overturned canoe. This coastal area was traditionally occupied by Te Kawerau ā Maki, a West Auckland–based iwi (tribe). In 2020, land at the beach was returned to the iwi to support cultural reconnection. In the show, this is where we first meet Ka‘ahumanu.

The 4,000-acre private nature reserve and working cattle ranch located on the eastern shores of O‘ahu was once a war training ground for Hawaiian royalty, and it’s where King Kahekili’s (Temuera Morrison) entourage formulates an attack plan in Chief of War. Another pivotal scene was shot on a bluff in Kualoa Ranch, overlooking the water where sits a small island called Mokoli‘i with its distinctive conical shape.

The Black Desert Battle in Chief of War was shot on the lava fields at Kalapana on the island of Hawaiʻi. The sequence was a massive feat and involved months of planning. On the first day of scheduled principal photography, the nearby Mauna Loa volcano erupted for the first time since 1984. Some of the local crew expressed that they viewed the eruption as symbolic of a sacred partnership between the earth and the series.

Waimānalo Bay Beach Park, or Sherwoods, was officially renamed its original Hūnānāniho by the city of Honolulu in July of 2021. This serene camping ground is thought to have served as a refuge from battle because it was considered sacred ground where lives would be spared. The area was also a place of Hawaiian burials, and some believe it may be the site where Polynesian voyagers first landed. Several scenes with Moku (Moses Goods), Kamehameha’s chief advisor, were shot here.

This site preserves the ruins of one of Hawaiʻi’s last war temples, built in the late 1700s by Kamehameha I. The construction was inspired by a prophecy from his kāhuna (priest), who told him he would succeed in uniting the islands if he erected a heiau (temple) dedicated to his war god Kūkāʻilimoku. It was built with lava rocks believed to have been passed hand-to-hand in a continuous human chain spanning 20 miles. Today, the heiau stands as a powerful symbol of peace.

This was the home of Hawai‘i’s last reigning monarchs. Before filming began, the Chief of War team held a traditional ʻawa ceremony—centered on a drink from the ‘awa plant—on the palace grounds, marking the first held there in over 150 years. The crew gathered on lauhala mats and dedicated nearly two hours to the ritual conducted entirely in the Hawaiian language, marking a powerful, intentional way to kick off production.

One of the most sacred sites on O‘ahu, this place—which is distinct from the modern-day Kualoa Ranch—is deeply rooted in the Hawaiian culture and history that inspired Chief of War. Located near an important fishpond, the area extends to a beach where whales sometimes wash ashore. Whales hold great cultural significance in Hawaiian traditions; high-ranking chiefs would wear necklaces carved from their bones to symbolize power. During low tide, visitors can walk from the beach to Mokoli‘i Island.

Located in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, on the island of O‘ahu, this beach is not only a renowned tourist destination, but a site rich in Hawaiian history—Kamehameha’s forces landed here prior to the Battle of Nuʻuanu, a key event in the king’s ultimate unification of the Hawaiian Islands. Although the show was not shot on location, several key events in the story take place there: for example, in the first episode, when Kahekili’s forces spread out across the beach.

Hāna is the birthplace of Queen Ka‘ahumanu, the favored wife of Kamehameha. On Chief of War, Luciane Buchanan and Kaina Makua portray these real-life 19th-century royals. Ka‘ahumanu’s father was a chief from Hawaiʻi Island, and her mother was sister to the king of Maui. To protect Ka‘ahumanu from potential threats, she was birthed in a cave near Puʻu Kaʻuiki, a prominent cliff that forms part of the southern boundary of Hāna Bay at the eastern tip of Maui.