Land of Liberty Explorers

The Island of Hawaii is nicknamed the Big Island because it is the biggest Hawaiian Island. It is home to Hawaii Volcanos National Park. Besides the national park, here are some of our favorite things to see and do on the Big Island!

Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park

Located on the west coast of the Big Island, this national historic park preserves a place of refuge – Hawaiians who broke Kapu (ancient laws) could escape their death sentence if they could beat the executioner to this location. In addition to being a place of refuge, it was home to Hawaiian royalty. One look at the beautiful beaches, and it is easy to see why the kings chose this location for their home. We enjoyed exploring Hawaiian history and culture at Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau. Recreations of Hawaiian life including buildings, pottery, and even board games were fun to see. The ranger programs are excellent and worth attending.

Kayak and Snorkel in Captain Cook

We loved our combined kayak and snorkel tour with Adventures in Paradise! The tour starts with a morning paddle across Kealakekua Bay to the Captain James Cook Monument. The reef below the monument is a popular snorkeling destination because it is shielded from the open ocean and hosts a wide variety of aquatic life. The great thing about this tour is kayaking to the monument allows this tour to beat the large tour boats that leave from the hotels in Kona. Our tour group had the reef to ourselves for most of the morning. We loved seeing dolphins, yellow tang, and angel fish!

Pololū Valley

Pololū Valley is the northernmost erosional valley on the east coast of Kohala Mountain. The word “pololū” means “long spear” in Hawaiian. It is located on the northwest corner of the island. A short but steep trail leads to a beautiful black sand beach and vibrant green valley.

Akaka Falls State Park

One of the tallest waterfalls on the island is the centerpiece of Akaka Falls State Park. Akaka Falls is 442 feet tall. We enjoyed the “Circle Route” trail to the falls. It is heavily planted with native plants. There is a $5 fee to park, but seeing the falls and walking the short trail is worth it.

Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens

The botanical garden calls itself “a beautiful garden in a valley on the ocean.” We agree! There was beauty at every turn – especially the amazing collection of orchids. The garden is located just north of Hilo in Papaikou.

Rainbow Falls

Rainbow Falls is easy to visit! It is located in Hilo, the largest city on the island. The parking lot is just a few feet from the viewing area. A short hike that passes by a banyan tree leads to the top the falls.

Punalu’u Black Sand Beach

This beach is famous for its sea turtles! We enjoyed watching the turtles climb the cool lava rock and rest on the beach. Lots of visitors swim at the beach, but beware of strong currents. The beach also has several campsites available.

Manta Ray Night Snorkel

This was a unique experience for sure! Manta Village was created in the 1970s when the Sheraton Hotel in Kona installed large outdoor lighting. The lights drew in plankton and soon a large school of manta rays began showing up each night for dinner. Today several boat companies offer night snorkel tours. We went with Hang Loose Boat Tours. The tour starts a sunset and cruises along the Kona Coast stopping at sea caves and to observe dolphins. When the boat reaches the Sheraton, a large light board with handrails around the sides is offloaded. Snorkelers hop in the water, hang on to the light board, and wait for the mantas to swim beneath it. Our guide who maneuvered the light board around the bay was great, but if we did this adventure again we would do it with one of the smaller companies that use outrigger canoes. Those companies have fewer passengers and operate in shallower waters.

Papakōlea Beach (the green sand beach)

We heard a lot of hype about the green sand beach before our trip, so we thought we’d check it out. Getting to the beach requires a 6 mile round trip hike from the parking area. If you don’t want to do the hike, several locals give rides to the beach in worn out, old beater pickup trucks or SUVs – we’ve heard driving to the beach is illegal, so paying for a ride probably isn’t the best idea. The beach is somewhat interesting. It is carved into a Mauna Loa cinder cone that contains olivine – a green crystal that gives the beach its greenish coloration. It was certainly interesting to see, but there are better beaches on the island and better six miles hikes too.

Kona Brewing Company

We loved the pizza and beer at Kona Brewing Company! We may have loved the pizza rolls a little too much – we almost missed our flight because we made one last pizza roll stop.