Activities

The island of Hawaii is full of incredible things to do. Stroll on the beaches, snorkel in the warm waters, hike the island’s many trails, or visit the incredible Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Mauna Lani Resort/Golf Villas

  • The Beach Club. Access to this calm and gentle beach that is especially perfect for families with small children.  There is a little bit of moving shade (under the palms) and chaise lounges and cabanas for Mauna Lani guests.  There is also excellent snorkeling in Makaiwa Bay at the Beach Club, and kayaks, paddle boards and other ocean sports equipment may be rented at the Mauna Lani Sea Adventures hut, which is onsite.  [(808) 885-7883; https://maunalaniseaadventures.com/].  A bonus at the Beach Club is the Napua Restaurant, a lovely spot for a sunset cocktail or dinner (expensive).  [(808) 885-5910; napuarestaurant.com].
  • The Golf Villas Amenity Center includes a recreational pool, hot tub, fitness center, and outdoor cooking area.  With plenty of seating, the amenity center is a wonderful place to spend a day relaxing. Enjoy sunlight or shade, the gorgeous pool, and relax with a book or play in the pool with family.
  • The Kalāhuipua‘a Fish Ponds and Historical Park.  These are real treasures located next to the Beach Club and Napua Restaurant.  We love walking or bicycling through this relatively unknown historical park.  The ancient Hawaiians created the ponds to cultivate eating fish by building slatted gates to permit small fish to enter the ponds but not be able to exit once they fattened up.  Today the ponds are still home to all kinds of fish large and small, including mullet, milkfish and eels.  Don’t miss the trails through the eastern side of the Park that feature lava tubes, including one that was once inhabited by ancient Hawaiians!  [https://kohalacoastpropertiesinc.com/kalahuipuaa-historical-park-and-fish-ponds/; https://bigislandhikes.com/kalahuipuaa].

Beaches

  • 49 Black Sand Beach: Just about a mile and half from Hale Ohana, this beautiful salt-and-pepper beach is an easy drive or bike ride away. It also offers some of the best snorkeling on the island (we recommend exploring the rocks to your left as you look at the ocean). You will have to go through a gate to enter the community around the beach; just tell the attendant you’re heading to Beach 49. Also beware that there’s very little shade here, so bring an umbrella or plan on spending most of your time in the water.
  • Beach 69, aka Waialea Beach, is another of our favorite snorkeling spots and a gorgeous little beach. There is shade under trees that create lovely, little private niches.  The beach is about a ten-minute drive from GV #I-4. 
  • Hapuna Beach State Park: One of the prettiest beaches on the island, Hapuna is a long expanse of beautiful white sand. It’s a great place to relax on the sand or swim, and sometimes the surf comes up enough for some body boarding. The state charges $10/day per vehicle, plus $5/person to park. If you want to go for sunset, though, the beach is open until 8pm, and you don’t have to pay if you arrive after 6.
  • Mauna Kea Beach, aka Kaunaoa Beach.  This beach, which rivals Hapuna’s beauty, is located in front of the Mauna Kea Hotel.  It is about at 18-minute drive north on Highway 19 from GV #I4.  [https://bigislandguide.com/kaunaoa-beach-mauna-kea-beach.]  The beach is technically open to the public, but you need to get there early, must be waived through by the hotel attendant, and there is a charge for parking for non-Hawaiian residents.  Fortunately, you can also reach the Mauna Kea Beach via a trail with beautiful ocean views that runs north from the beach in front of the Westin Hapuna Hotel.
  • Māhukona Beach Park: Okay, this isn’t really a local beach (about a 30-minute drive) and don’t be disappointed that there’s actually no beach here; Māhukona offers some of the Big Island’s best snorkeling. Drive to the parking lot at the end of the road, put on your fins and mask and use the ladder at the north end of the pier to enter the water. There’s a shipwreck in the bay that’s become a substantial coral reef, and plenty of coastline to explore. 
  • Kīholo Bay: Kīholo Bay might be one of the most beautiful spots on the Big Island. An idyllic turquoise gem surrounded by white and black sand beaches frequented by green sea turtles with good snorkeling, it’s worth the trek. The best way to get here is to turn into the Kīholo State Park Reserve (map link here), an unmarked road just south of the (much better-marked) scenic overlook. The road is rough, so assess it carefully and drive slowly. The trailhead and parking area is at the end of the road. Take the trail north, and you’ll soon spot the Queens Bath inland, to your right. A lava tube open to the sky filled with freshwater, this is where Hawaiian royalty once came to relax. Take a dip—the water’s great! Keep hiking north along scenic beaches, past a collection of mega-mansions set back into the foliage. After about a mile and a half, you’ll reach Kīholo Bay.
  • Makalawena Beach: To get here, you have drive a rough road to Mahai’ula Bay and then hike about a mile and a quarter. Turn off of Highway 19 between mile markers 90 and 91, but beware: the road is unpaved and rough, and is best done in a vehicle like an SUV with high clearance (plenty of people do the drive in sedans, but we don’t recommend it). You’ll be rewarded for your effort with one of the most picturesque white sand beaches on the island. There’s decent snorkeling along the rocks on the north end of the beach, but be careful because the water can be rough. Shade is also limited, so it’s a good idea to bring a beach umbrella if you don’t mind carrying it along your trek.

Hikes

  • The Fisherman’s Trail is one of our local favorites, it goes from the Beach Club along the coast south to Beach 49.  In some areas, this trail is little more than a concept and essentially disappears into the golf course, but the trail is formally recognized by the local authorities, so you can find your way through.  Unless you shuttle cars or you arrange to be picked up at the far end of the hike, you will have to make this a round trip. Total distance, 4 miles round trip.
  • The Fisherman’s Trail continues both south and north, so that you can walk from Beach 49 south to the Waikoloa Resort and also north from the Beach Club along the coast in front of the Mauna Lani Hotels to Holoholokai Beach and continuing further north from Holoholokai Beach to Hapuna State Beach and eventually all the way to Spencer Beach State Park.  We look forward to exploring these options and hope that you will share your information with us if you get there first. 
  • The King’s Highway. his trail, which was constructed by the Hawaiians during the 19th century, runs north/south and crosses Na Ala Hele Road just about 50 feet outside of the gated entrance to Golf Villas.  It is possible to walk on the rough, uneven lava rock path south to Waikoloa and north to the Kalāhuipua‘a Historical Park and Fish Ponds.  Plan to go early in the morning or late in the day and bring plenty of water, as the lava rocks get very hot!
  •  Kīholo Bay is a beautiful bay with idyllic turquoise waters surrounded by white and black sand beaches frequented by green sea turtles.  In our experience, the visibility is not always great for snorkeling, but we’ll keep trying and the beauty of the bay is worth the trek, regardless. There are two ways to get here.  Both involve a hike.  The first is a longer hike, but prettier with more to see on the way.
  • Pololū Valley/Honokāne Nui: This is a short hike to a beautiful beach. Starting at Pololū Valley Lookout. It’s a good idea to arrive early, as there’s limited parking that fills up quickly, especially on weekends. Hike about a quarter mile down three hundred vertical feet down to the beach. On the way, you’ll get stunning views of the northern Kohala coastline. At the beach you’ll find black sands, lava rocks, and rope swings. But beware: the water can be rough. If you’re up for a longer hike, continue to the end of the beach, and follow Pololū Trail another mile (and up 750 feet) until you reach a bench with an an incredible view of Honokāne Nui Valley. Return the way you came.
Pololū Valley
  •  Pu’u Wa’awa’a Cinder Cone Loop Trail is (we are told, haven’t hiked this one yet) a challenging and extremely rewarding 8-mile loop trail that features “staggeringly beautiful views” from the top of the Pu’u Wa’awa’a Cinder Cone.  The trail is steep and features a climb of 1,900’.  But we are informed that the pain is worth the gain.  The elevation of the cinder cone is just shy of 4,000’, so be prepared for cooler weather and perhaps even some rain.  The route is described here:  https://bigislandhikes.com/puu-waawaa. 

Attractions/Excursions

  • Horseback riding.  This activity came as a complete surprise to us.  Who knew, there are beautiful ranches and wonderful riding on the Big Island?  We enjoyed riding at Parker Ranch, but we are informed it is currently closed.  [https://parkerranch.com/waimea/horseback-riding-tours/]. There are two other recommended sites (that we haven’t tried):  [https://www.kahua-ranch.com/naalapa-stables.html] and [https://www.panioloadventures.com/horsebackrides.php]  We heartily recommend a sunset ride. 
  •  Snorkeling with Manta Rays.  There are enormous (but harmless) manta rays in the waters off the Big Island.  The rays feed off the plankton that are attracted to the bright lights shining off of hotels in the Kona-Kailua area.  You take a short boat ride to one of two locations (either in Keauhou Bay or further north near the airport) and hang onto a lighted float while the rays swim and swirl around you.  It’s a magical experience.  There are several companies that offer these tours.  We used Fair Wind [https://www.fair-wind.com/night-manta-snorkel-tour/] and thought they were great.
  • Coffee Plantations.  There are several on the Big Island.  We tried Greenwell Farms and enjoyed it very much.  [http://www.greenwellfarms.com/]  It is a beautiful coffee farm in the mountains above Kona.  You can learn about the coffee-making process and sample some delicious coffee. Free tours are offered frequently throughout the day. 
  • Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: This unique national park protects the area around Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, two of the most active volcanoes in the world, and extends from sea level to 13,681 feet of elevation. Scenic drives include Chain of Craters Road and Crater Rim Road. Recommended hikes include Kīlauea Iki Crater and Pu’u Huluhulu Cinder Cone. Check the park’s website for more things to do and updates on eruptions.
  • Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historic Park (City of Refuge): One of ancient Hawaii’s best-preserved prehistoric sites, Pu’uhonua O Honaunau (also called the City of Refuge) is an incredible opportunity to learn about Hawaiian history. Hawaiians who broke the sacred laws (kapu) could claim protection and forgiveness here in the refuge enclosed by a massive wall constructed from lava rocks. The park also includes the Royal Grounds, where Hawaiian royalty lived. The park is conveniently located next to Two Steps, a beautiful snorkeling spot.