Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
Michael and Misato Mortara form hot glass into sculptures and vessels as complex and beautiful as the Big Island. Visit in the morning, or just after…
Must-see attractions in Hawaiʻi the Big Island
Puna
As the distinguished easternmost point of the island, Kumukahi ('first beginnings') holds a revered place in Hawaiian lore. The Kings Pillars (piles of…
Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area
Kailua-Kona
Visitors often overlook this quiet park, located a mile from downtown. It's a grand spot for picnicking, jogging and fishing. The beach area is studded…
MacKenzie State Recreation Area
Puna
A moody, windswept grove of ironwood trees edge sheer cliffs towering above the ocean. The raw beauty of this powerful landscape makes an unforgettable…
Kailua-Kona
Completed in 1836, this church is a handsome building with walls of lava rock held together by sand and coral-lime mortar. The posts and beams, hewn with…
Kona Coast
Above 3000ft on the slopes of Mt Hualalai, the Kaloko Mauka subdivision is the home of this spectacular 70-acre sanctuary. For the record, a cloud forest…
Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority
Kona Coast
That funny-looking building with the gigantic solar panels is the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA), a 'zero-net-energy facility' that…
Kona Coast
Inside the Four Season's Hawaiian cultural center is a small, museum-quality exhibit organized around a collection of 11 original paintings by Herb…
Hawaiʻi the Big Island
High points like this red cinder cone make great lookouts no matter whether you're Kamehameha keeping an eye out for rival chief Keoua in the 1780s,…
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
Although the Kilauea rain shadow keeps this area relatively dry, it's not a true desert; but what rain does fall is highly acidic from the upwind…
Kohala & Waimea
The Paniolo Preservation Society is developing this museum at Pukalani Stables, where Parker Ranch once bred horses. The exhibits are a little chaotic,…
Kohala & Waimea
Home to Christians, Buddhists and Mormons, Church Row is a living history of religious life on the island. There are several noteworthy, if humble,…
Kona Coast
At the northern end of Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, this fishpond is especially fascinating because its massive rock retaining wall has been…
Kohala & Waimea
Set in a meticulously relocated 1915 schoolhouse, this series of bright, charming galleries displays a diverse collection of local and international fine…
South Kona Coast
Just south of Kealakekua Bay, Keʻei Beach is an attractive cove that's mostly too rough and rocky for swimming, except for a very narrow sandy stretch at…
Hawaiʻi the Big Island
Bolted to the top of the 40ft cliffs on the western edge of South Point, a boat hoist provides access to small fishing vessels bobbing in the sheltered…
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
A narrow, winding and potholed drive along lonely Mauna Loa Rd passes heavily forested kipuka (volcanic oases) as you come ever closer to the world's most…
South Kohala
The first segment of this easy trail meanders through a 16th-century Hawaiian settlement, passing lava tubes once used as cave shelters and a few other…
Kona Coast
Amazingly, what with all the other great beaches around, this secluded black-sand beach also belongs to Kekaha Kai (Kona Coast) State Park. Although there…
Panaʻewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens
Hilo
Hilo's 12-acre zoo is a terrific, family-friendly spot. Stroll along paved paths past tropical foliage to view a modest collection of tropical birds,…
Kailua-Kona
Step inside King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel, just next to to Ahuʻena Heiau, to view historical paintings and a mural by legendary artist and Hawaiian…
North Kohala
A series of low stone walls overlaid on windy grassy fields is all that is left of the birthplace of the most famous monarch in Hawaiian history. Located…
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
Near the Kilauea Visitor Center, this sharp local art gallery spotlights museum-quality pottery, paintings, woodwork, sculpture, jewelry, Hawaiian quilts…
South Kohala
Forget about sand and enjoy picnicking and strolling at this pleasantly uncrowded beach, blanketed by chunks of coral and lava. Facilities include…
Hawaiʻi the Big Island
For killer coastal views, pause at the scenic lookout above Honuʻapo Bay northeast of Naʻalehu. This sweep of shoreline and scrub is part of the longest…
Hamakua Coast
Under development since 1995, this garden remains a work in progress. Sprawling grounds include a shrubbery maze, waterfall and arboretum – nothing…
Kohala & Waimea
Not to be confused with adjacent Waimea Park, this is a 10-acre green space in the center of town with picnic tables and free wi-fi. It's also a native…
North Kohala
The Institute is an nonprofit that runs educational and preservation programs on 2400 acres that include the ʻIole ahupuaʻa (traditional land division),…
Hilo
Although small in scale, this museum is a good primer on Hawaii's natural and cultural history. Downstairs, geologic exhibits include fascinating examples…
South Kohala
A portion of Ala Kahakai – the King's Trail – winds through Waikoloa, offering a somewhat incongruous dose of ancient Hawaiian history and heritage within…
South Kona Coast
The first building you see when entering Honalo from the north resembles a cross between a low-slung red barn, a white-roofed villa and a Japanese shrine…
Gilbert Kahele Recreation Area
Saddle Road
The only public facilities along Saddle Road make for an altogether pleasant stop. Clean restrooms and a playground with plenty of ropes to climb mean it…
South Kona Coast
Just south of the park’s central village area, an oceanfront palm-tree grove holds one of South Kona’s choicest picnic areas. Parking, picnic tables and…
North Kohala
According to legend, Kamehameha the Great carried this rock uphill from the beach to demonstrate his prodigious strength. Much later, when a road crew…
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
Creating impressive billowing plumes in the cool early morning, these vents make a convenient drive-up photo op. Hot rocks below the surface boil…
Kailua-Kona
If you're an avid bodyboarder, Honl's, also known as Waiʻaha ('Gathering Water'), may feel like a historical pilgrimage. It was here, in 1971, that Tom…
Kona Coast
Keawaiki is as isolated as Big Island beaches get, mainly because the quickest way here is via a 15 to 20 minute walk over an ʻaʻa lava trail that looks…
Waiʻolena & Waiʻuli Beach Parks
Hilo
Rocky and rugged, these side-by-side beaches (commonly known by their former name, Leleiwi Beach) aren't sandy or calm, but they're Hilo's best shore-dive…
Hamakua Coast
Honokaʻa will make a lot more sense if you visit this museum. Sponsored by the Northern Hawaiʻi Education and Research Center, the collection comprises…
Waikoloa Anchialine Pond Preservation Area
South Kohala
Here's your daily dose of science: anchialine ponds are coastal ponds that have no surface connection to the ocean, but that nonetheless rise and fall…
