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ValueTips: The Big Island •
11 Great (and Free!) Destinations
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Big Island Coast
Pana‘ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens is a 12-acre rainforest zoo located south of Hilo on
Māmaki Street. Namasté, its white Bengal tiger, gets fed daily at 3:30,
and there’s a children’s petting zoo on Saturdays from 1:30-2:30. The
zoo is also known for its beautiful botanical gardens, which have more
than 100 varieties of palm trees and other plants. Open 9-4 daily.
‘Akaka Falls State Park,
located 13 miles north of Hilo above Honomū, has an easy and pleasant
footpath loop that provides views of two beautiful waterfalls. It’s one
of the Big Island’s most-visited spots.
Kalōpā State Recreation Area
is off Highway 19 at the end of Kalōpā Road, southeast of Honoka‘a. This
beautiful and cool park, situated at 2000 feet, has picnic areas, an
easy nature hike in a native ‘ōhi‘a forest, and additional trails in the
adjoining forest reserve.
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Black Sand Beach near Kohala
Kohala Historical Sites State Monument,
off Hwy. 270 near ‘Upolu Airport, consists of two historic sites.
Mo‘okini Heiau, a
National Historic Monument, is the most famous ancient sacrificial
heiau (temple) in the state. The adjacent site is Kamehameha’s Birth
Place, a memorial to the 18th-century chief who united the islands under
one rule.
Hāmākua Macadamia Nut Company,
located in Kawaihae, offers free tours and samples at its new factory
store. The company grows, markets and processes 100-percent Big Island
macadamia nuts and other delicacies.
Lapakahi State
Historical Park
is off of
Hwy. 270, 12.4 miles north of Kawaihae. It is the partially restored
remains of an ancient coastal settlement, and there are daily cultural
demonstrations and also story telling.
Also
See: Hawaii Index |
Big Island |
Kauai |
Lanai |
Molokai |
O'ahu | ValueTips:
Big Island,
Kauai,
Maui,
O'ahu
Puakō Petroglyph Preserve,
off Highway 19 and just north of the entrance to the Fairmont Orchid on
the Kohala Coast, offers a short hike that leads to more than 3,000
petroglyphs; the hotel provides a free map and brochure.
Kona Historical Society’s
traditional Portuguese bread-baking, every Thursday 11 a.m. – 2 pm. See
how Portuguese families in Hawai‘i traditionally baked their weekly
supply of bread in large, wood-fired “fornos” (stone ovens)—and sample
some, too!
Ka Lae,
the remote and windswept southernmost part of the island, is where
Polynesians first arrived in Hawai‘i and settled. Now a
National Historical Landmark district, it is a beautiful place to
look out to sea and contemplate what caused Polynesians to outfit their
voyaging canoes and set out purposefully seeking new lands, as well as
their arrival in Hawai‘i.
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Lava Tree Molds
Lava
Tree State Monument,
off Pāhoa-Pohoiki Road, is 2.7 miles southeast of Pāhoa. The site is a
forest of “lava trees,” formed by a lava flow that swept through the
area and left behind lava molds of tree trunks.
Maunakea,
above the clouds, at 9,000 feet, the Visitors Information Station offers
displays about the mountain’s world-class astronomical observatories;
and every evening of the year, even on holidays, its volunteer astronomy
buffs roll out telescopes for an outstanding—and free—stargazing
program.
