Making Memories on the Big Island of Hawai'i

Beaches

The Big Island is not known for many beaches because it is more of a snorkelers and scuba divers' paradise. However, there are many beaches. Here is a list of some of my favorite beaches on the island.

Mauna Kea Beach: Located at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel on the Kohala Coast, Mauna Kea’s beach is world famous for its white sand and crescent shape. You can access this beach for free. Simply tell the guard that you are heading to the beach. You do want to go early as parking does fill up quickly.

Hapuna Beach: Also located on the Kohala Coast, Hapuna is a white-sand beach that is known for its shore-break wave. This beach is a great place to boogie board and enjoy the sun. You can also walk to Mauna Kea's beach, which is about a 1 mile walk each way, through the King's Trail. This trail goes around the whole island, but you can walk a part of it between these two beaches. It can be a little slippery, so shoes are probably best used on this path.

Hanauma Bay State Park (Uma Bay): This beach is located just north of Kona town and has beautiful white sand and clear blue water in summer, but come winter this beach takes on a whole new look. In summer you can sit on this crescent sandy beach enjoying the sun, the breeze and cooling off in the calm water. In winter, this beach has been known to have large shore-break waves and sometimes the sand even disappears to reveal all the lava rock underneath.

Kamakahonu Beach (King Kam Beach): While located at the Courtyard King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel, this beach is open to the public and is located in Kona town right next to the pier. This small beach is great for families with smaller children as it is very calm. As an added benefit, there are two canoe clubs that start from this beach in the evenings on weekdays and mornings on weekends. You can see traditional outrigger canoes take off.

Punalu’u Beach (Black Sand Beach): Located in the Ka’u district of Big Island, the Southern District, Punalu’u is a gorgeous black sand beach located south of Volcanoes National Park. A great place to see turtles. Not many people swim here, but come to admire the black sand and lovely lotus pond.

Snorkeling

Kealakekua Bay: A great beginners spot, Kealakekua Bay is located on Ali’i Drive in Kona. This location is protected by a natural outer barrier that keeps the waters pretty gentle most of the year. There is an easy entrance and a lifeguard on duty.

One Step (Two Step): Located next to Place of Refuge, One Step is a great snorkeling and dive spot. Due to the lack of sand, water clarity is great here and there are many fish to see. The entrance is also a unique lava-formed step that locals and visitors alike use to get into the water. You will need to be a good swimmer or take precautions with a life vest as there are no shallow areas here.

Waterfalls

Akaka Falls: Located on the east side of the island, Akaka Falls State Park is located 15 miles, about 30 mins, outside Hilo. This waterfall is well-known and has a beautiful view that lets you see the natural environment and view of the falls. There is a small hike to get to the falls, but it is paved and is about .4 miles round trip.

Rainbow Falls: Located in the city of Hilo, Rainbow Falls is very easily viewed with a short walk from the parking lot. It is a wider and shorter falls than Akaka, but during the right time of day, and if there has not been too much rain, you will see rainbows form from the mist of the falls mixing with the sunlight.

Umauma Falls: Located just 15 minutes from Akaka Falls, Umauma is a unique 3-tiered waterfall that is breathtaking. This waterfall is located inside “The Umauma Experience” all you have to do is stop by the visitor center to check into a self-guided tour of the waterfall. Inside this experience, you can also choose to zipline and ATV should you want to experience some adventure.

Other National Parks

Volcano National Park: Unique to the Big Island of Hawai'i, Volcano National Park is where you will find Kilauea Volcano. Kilauea is the most active volcano on the planet and is the reason the Big Island is still getting larger everyday. Inside Volcano National Park, you will find multiple trails for hiking, the visitor center and the Crater Rim Drive tour. Since Kilauea is an active volcano, you will need to check online before going to see what is open or not given recent activity.

Place of Refuge (Pu’uhonua O Honaunau) National Park: The Place of Refuge is a spiritual place of salvation for breaking the laws of Kapu. Kapu was the governing set of laws and regulations for the ancient Hawai'ians. In Kapu, breaking the law was punishable by death, so the Place of Refuge, or Pu’uhonua O Honaunau, was where you could run to be forgiven. Once you arrived at this sacred place, you were protected because no harm could come to those within its boundaries. Here at this state park, there is a lot of information about Kapu and life in ancient Hawai'i.

Kona Canoe Club (Happy Hour): A casual restaurant located in Kona town, this is a great open-air restaurant to enjoy lunch or dinner overlooking Kona Pier and Bay. The food here is burgers, salads and fry type food, but their Happy Hour is great for families and groups! With discounted Nachos, sliders and their famous Mai Tais, you can’t go wrong here.

Kona Inn (Happy Hour): Owned by the same group as the Kona Canoe Club, the Kona Inn is casual during the day (Lunch), but is a more upscale restaurant in the evening (Dinner). The food at this restaurant is similar to the Canoe Club, but does have more fish and steak available. They also have a happy hour that is great!

Huggo’s On the Rocks (Happy Hour): Huggo’s is a family favorite lunch and dinner restaurant because it is located on the water and you can sit in the sand and watch the sunset! The food is good. Happy hour is a great option for families, but make sure to get there early as they fill up fast because of the sunset! They serve simple good food like burgers, nachos, and poke and have a fantastic Mai Tai!

Pine Tree Cafe: A local favorite, Pine Tree Cafe is the quintessential plate lunch location. This restaurant has Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner (check closing hours because it varies between 6-7pm) and does not have a bad thing on their menu. Typical Hawai'ian food served in a no-nonsense space you cannot go wrong here!

Matusyama Food Mart: This is also a local favorite! There are a total of three located in Kona, one located next to Pine Tree Cafe, one located one exit from the airport and one located on the upper Hawai'i Belt Road (Mamalahoa). These markets are great for travelers. They offer a good selection of snacks and drinks. The markets on Mamalahoa and Kaiminani both sell fresh, warm food. This food is fantastic! Simple plate lunch-style food, plus more! You can find poke, pork katsu, warm steamed buns and burgers all in one place, making the whole family happy!

Queen’s Marketplace ABC Store: Located on the Kohala Coast, the Queen's shops are located in the Waikoloa area. This is a great place to stop before hitting up the beaches or before exploring the upper country of Waimea, Hamakua and even making your way over to Hilo. This ABC store is one of the largest and has a full-service food area that has sushi, Hawai'ian poke, steamed buns, sandwiches and more! A great option for packing a lunch and getting some drinks before any planned excursions.

Tex Drive In: Famous for their Malasadas Tex Drive In is always worth the stop. A staple in Hawai'i, a malasada is a Portuguese doughnut that is then filled with a variety of different fillings from Mango, Guava, Lilikoi (passion fruit) to Bavarian Cream. They also make savory food and their Loco Moco is also amazing and a very local dish!

Pau Pizza: Located in Waimea, this is a great locally owned restaurant that serves up some of the best pizza you have ever had. They only use fresh ingredients and it really translates to the pies they make. Every time I am traveling through Waimea, I always try to stop here for their amazing food!