Things To Do
Kua Bay (Maniniʻowali beach)
You can find Maniniʻōwali beach just north of the Kona airport. Take the second exit to the left, 4.6 miles (7.5 km) after passing the airport. The exit you are looking for is opposite the West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery, which is better signposted than the beach. You reach the park entrance almost directly (~0.1 miles) after you make the left turn. The parking lot at the bay is small so make sure to arrive early on weekends or count on a 5 minute walk to the beach. (*They have recently enforced paid parking for non residents, so if you prefer to walk in for free or bring a friend with a local ID to avoid parking fees)
Mahai'ula beach (one of Madi's favorites!)
*Requires vehicle with high clearance for off roading (4 wheel drive not mandatory) Drive North on Highway 19 from Kona, heading towards the airport. Look for the Kekaha Kai State Park sign between mile markers 90 and 91. Turn onto the dirt/lava road; it's rough, so drive slowly. Follow the road for about 1.5 miles to the parking area. Walk north from the parking lot (look for the old road/gate) for 5-10 minutes to reach the beach.
Makalawena Beach (Madi's all time favorite beach!)
**Warning: this is a bit of a hike through a lava rock field (20-30 min in hot sun, wear lots of sunscreen) Take Hwy. 19 north of Kailua-Kona and Kona International Airport. The dirt road to Makalawena Beach is located just south of the paved road to Kua Bay, between mile markers 88 and 89. 2-wheel drive vehicles can park just off of the highway before the road begins to get rough. 4-wheel drive vehicles can continue for 1.6 miles of very rough road to a gate and small parking area just north of Makalawena Beach. There are no services of any kind at either parking area. (2.2 miles round-trip) Hike north to Mahai'ula Bay and find a well-defined trail through an ʻaʻā lava field with big views all around. The lava field transitions into a field of huge white sand dunes covered with pōhuehue, beach morning glories. Hike through the dunes toward the back of Makalawena beach. At the northern edge of the dunes, find a short spur trail to a small brackish pond set in a stand of palm trees.
Kiholo Bay
Beautiful black sand beach!
Waimea
The place Madi was born! Also known as Paniolo country (Hawaiian cowboy!) Beautiful rolling green hills, about 45 minutes out of Kona Town. We recommend going on a Wednesday morning or Saturday morning for the pop up markets to do some fun local shopping!
Kahalu’u Beach Park
Great snorkel beach, easy access right in Kona Town, and offers surf lessons nearby!
Mauna Kea
*Requires 4 wheel drive and experienced drivers. Must use low gears to go down the mountain to avoid burning out breaks. Please drive safely! Drive up the beautiful mountain of Mauna Kea to see a sunset above the clouds! Then stay until dark for some of the clearest stargazing ever! Fun fact: Big Island requires all street lamps to be low lit for the observatories to have a clearer image of the stars!