Great place to snorkel! Bring a scuba mask and prepare to be amazed. There's so many fish of…read morevarious sizes and colors, some with unique patterns. There's also an abundance of coral, which is equally as impressive. 10/10 beach!?

Tucked away and definitely a bit of a hidden gem. This black sand beach is very small and intimate,…read morewhich honestly adds to its charm. Parking is extremely limited--first come, first served--so plan accordingly or be ready for a bit of a walk. We actually hiked in from Hilton Kings' Land, which made the experience feel even more special. The beach itself is great for snorkeling, with lots of people already out in the water exploring. Despite a steady flow of visitors, it still feels surprisingly private since it's located within a gated community. There are bathrooms available, which is a nice plus for such a tucked-away spot. Overall, if you're looking for a quieter, less crowded beach with excellent snorkeling, this one is worth the effort--as long as you're prepared for the parking situation! Parking lot full very early in the am. Better to walk. Or even get dropped off.

Free view of one of the most sacred valleys in Hawaii. Free! Not to be missed! Park and look…read more That's it.

Incredible views from the waipio valley lookout. Valley itself is very beautiful. Approx 10 miles…read moreroute from the highway is very scenic with a historic town in middle too. Ocean and mountains collide with a great artistic view at the end. Would definitely recommend this place for the great picture opportunities. Pictures speak by itself.

A beautiful hike to such a peaceful reward at the end!…read more As an avid hiker, this hike was doable. It took us only about half an hour going down and up. When you arrive, parking for hikers is recommended not at the valley parking lot but on the side road leading to the parking lot as the valley parking lot is for those who are just visiting the lookout and not hiking. Once you walk towards the trail entrance, there are a couple of people waiting to assist hikers. They discuss the safety protocol and warnings when visiting. There is no time limit to how long you can be down there but because no swimming is allowed, i have found people stay only about half an hour before heading back up. We recommend wearing hiking shoes because the ascend is not easy and have seen people struggling.

Great short hike with excellent views as you descend. We tried this ~ 30 years ago and the trail…read morewas narrow and not well developed plus very muddy the day we originally tried it, so had to turn around. Now, the trail is nicely improved with some strategic rock "steps" though it is still slippery, even on a dry day. We saw a number of people doing it ( Very cautiously) in inappropriate shoes and that is not at all recommended. It is steep. The pond and beach at the bottom is nice for contemplation and wave watching.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Wilson and the Mauna Kea Summit & Stars excursion…read more Wilson was incredibly well spoken and knowledgeable and I learned so much! He did all of this while navigating steep roads (not all paved) and feeding us amazing chicken stew, cookies, and hot cocoa. This was a truly memorable and magical trip and the weather was just perfect! Everything was well organized and I cannot recommend them enough

We had a great time on the Hawaii Forest & Trail Secret Waterfalls of Kona Excursion! Our guide,…read moreMark, was incredible--he kept everyone talking and he was genuinely interested in hearing everyone's travel stories. He was very knowledgeable and provided us with a wealth of fascinating information about the island. After a comfortable van ride, we hiked a beautiful trail that led us to a series of truly stunning, pristine waterfalls. We were treated to a delicious lunch from a local deli, and we loved that it was served in eco-friendly, completely reusable containers. On the way back, we made a perfect final stop at a local macadamia nut store. It was a fantastic experience from start to finish, and we recommend it!

Are you wanting a relaxing day with minimal crowds? Go to Molokai then...just kidding. This beach…read morehas a basic bathroom and limited parking. Shade is plentiful at Beach 69 with all the trees. Bring a hammock and enjoy the day. Fishing is okay on the shoreline but there is competition with swimmers. Snorkeling is okay, you see fish small to medium size. Bottom is mostly rock so not great for walking and wading in the ocean. Depth is about 2-6' for about 40' then gets deeper.

This is one of my favorite beaches in Hawaii, but I was sad when we showed up and the parking meter…read morewas broken, so instead of paying a little hourly rate they were making everyone buy the day pass for $30. We paid it none the less, and we enjoyed our day snorkeling, swimming, tanning, picnicking and interacting with the local chickens. It's a very family friendly beach with lots of little kids laughing and families playing in the sand. This beach is unique because of how close the trees come to the water creating little amphitheaters of seating under the shade. While it makes for minimal spots for people, it is so relaxing and paradise-making to get one of the spots.

Wow, how lucky we are! We got a spot! Usually, they only allow 10 parking spots open but in the…read moretemporary lot, there's many more guest beach parking The security guard at the entrance will let you know if you are able to come through and he will give you a parking pass here. They will give you a parking pass if there are spots open. Currently there is construction to build a larger parking lot to allow more than 10 parking spots so you will be sent to another parking area that allows a lot more spots. Everyone is excited for the new parking lot. This beach is really fun for boogie boarding, building sand castles, and (if you like small waves )surfing . The walk from the temporary parking lot to the beach was really nice included a lot of trees, flowers, and a garden. Tucked away behind the garden a gift shop. The gift shop also sells boogie boards, but you can bring your own

In my humble opinion, this is the most lively beach on The Big Island. It's not black sand, it's…read morenot great for boogie boarding, it's also not packed with tourists. It's a gorgeous beach adjacent to Mauna Kea Resort, a pretty exclusive hotel and part of the autograph collection of Marriott. This is a great beach to walk end to end, in the water or on the beach. You can snorkel or swim out your one of the platforms or just lay and work on your tan. It's my solo go to beach while on the island. Afterwards there is a great beach restaurant to meander over to and imbibe and nibble. Not always an easy beach to gain access to but well worth the effort.

This is by far one of my favorite hikes on the Big Island. I have venture on it twice. The…read moretrailhead is located in Waipio Valley! Take the very steep road (Kukuihaele Road) down to the valley. When you arrive at the bottom of the steep road, you can go left or you can go right. Right takes you to the beach! Take a left and travel down the town dirt road. You are going to take this road for 0.6 of one mile until you hit a stream in the middle of the road! Do NOT cross the stream (crossing the streams is bad)! There is a trail-head immediately to the left of the road, exactly before the stream road crossing. You walk upwards on the dirt. There will be signs that say, "trail closed," "private property," etc. You will know that is the trail you want to take! Follow this trail as much as possible and try to stick to whatever appears to be a trail! I try to avoid the homes on the left of the trail as much as possible, to respect their privacy! While on the trail, you will traverse down by the river and back up and down by the river and back up, a few times...that is normal! Then, you will eventually come to many signs saying, "Under surveillance" and more warning signs...you are on the right track! There are two tiny fences you can either climb over easily or slightly go around...not too hard. Then you come to a man-made dam in the river! You will want to cross that dam! I walked in front of the dam, because there was less water. Then, once on the other side, I climb the dam and enter the waist high (depending on your height) water. I stay on the far right side of the ridge until I climb up on the rocks and back on a trail. Now, keep in mind, the trail will go upwards and downwards, along the river and back up on an actual trail. You will also cross the river several times, because quite frankly, there is no other way to do this hike AND the trail continues on the other side. You go through a bamboo forest too! Towards the last 1/5 of the hike, there is a longer well seen trail on the right side, which will eventually lead you to the Hi'ilawe Falls! My wife I and I did this hike and we only saw three people (a group) along the way, who turned back, because they did not have enough time to complete it. My wife is on the slower side, so it took us 2.5 hours to get there and 2 hours to hike back. On my first hike when I did this alone, I made the trip back in 1 hour (not sure about the bike there by myself, because I spent more time hiking over boulders and did not notice the trail on most of the journey until hiking back). A good rule of thumb...stay away from the stream as much as possible! Inevitably, you will have to hike on the side of the stream. Stay away from hiking over boulders as much as possible. The less you have to hike over boulders and rely more on the trails, the shorter the hike will be. Trust me, the trails are there, you just have to look for them and use some blasted hiking common sense. Wear water proof boots at all possible! I brought a backpack which I carried over my head while in the river at the dam area...only a couple of minutes worth of holding it. There are a few very slippery rocks...keep that in mind. If it looks green and mossy...it is going to be slippery! Best of luck! Happy hiking!

Tucked away and not too crowded even at peak season this is a little golden nugget of a beach. Some…read moresnorkeling opportunities just off the beach too, explored a few small coral reefs with schools of tropical fish and even a large sea turtle.

This little beach is a hidden gem. Ask for a parking pass at Mauna Kea resort or walk the 1/4 mile…read morecostal trail in from Spencer Beach Park. You won't find more than a handful of people here. Sandy crescent shaped beach where the waves gently crash against the shore, a few people take paddle boards out, and everyone generally relaxes and enjoys the Kohala Coast without the masses of people you will find at more popular beaches like Hapuna. Well worth checking out!

Wow. This view was breathtaking!…read more I visited in April and we definitely got lucky. I hear that all the tour busses come by and parking is often difficult to find. There is a slight hike so if you aren't physically able, this might be inaccessible for you. Tourists used to be able to access the property below the valley but that has changed since the pandemic (unfortunately). Still, nonetheless it doesn't cost a penny and it's a stunning view.

This was such an epic view. The lookout is a short but steep walk from the parking lot and had…read morebathroom facilities. This is definitely worth a stop if on the big island. The day we went, was right after rain and there was a waterfall falling onto a black sand beach. Where else in the world can you see that?

Went whale watching first charter of season, 12/22/25, got plenty of action!…read moreSpouts, humpbacks and tails too. Crew dropped a mic in water and listened to singing whales! Gorgeous sunset was a bonus! Kids were enthralled! Capt Ty and Mo & Jessa were the best crew! So much information wrapped up in excitement, and music, mahalo! Can't wait to fish, dive, whale watch, snorkel & hang out with Kohala Divers again!! Da Hess Ohana

These guys is so pilau... Park their boat infront the poles when we already have everything set up…read more We called them and they said there's nothing they can do... Thats so unsafe these guys don't care about your safety