As good as it gets when it comes to exploring Hawaii's nature. No need for a tour guide here, just…read morepark on the side of the highway and take in the magnificent open sky. Wear long sleeves and pants- I cannot emphasize that enough! Not only is getting a cut on these sharp rocks annoying for the bleeding, but it's actually dangerous given there are TONS of bacteria living in these freshly volcanic rocks that can cause some serious infections to brew in your wound. If you do get cut, make sure you clean it thoroughly with water before applying some antiseptic. If in doubt, try to get medical attention (and if you do, be aware of your insurance as a traveler).

Well, we went here based on reading how we could explore, however, there are signs posted all along…read morethe highway "no parking" and "keep out". Plus, they built up sort of a wall out of lava rocks to prevent you from being able to climb down. What a bummer. We were hoping to get down there and explore inside. At least I got a pic.

8/6-8/7/26 - Samples and items neatly showcased in this quaint store. Decided to purchase a couple…read moreof cute omiyage boxes containing 12ea Hawaiian Dark Flower Gems and confirmed markdown price. Was advised by the lady behind the counter system was down and my receipt would be texted to me. The next day, I received a receipt but noticed the discount had not been applied. Spoke with a gentleman who quickly and efficiently handled and texted me a receipt showing the refund. This was confirmed when I received my credit card statement. For excellent customer service, 5 stars! The dark chocolate was good, too, on top of vanilla ice cream (almost too pretty to eat)!

(This one is about the farm tour)…read more There are three ways to experience the offerings from Honoka'a. You can buy direct from their website, stop by their retail store or go all in and do the farm tour. While I very much am not a chocolate person, and no, this tour wasn't going to change that, I am a tour person who is far more interested in how things are made/done than the actual finished product. If you're going to do the tour, head to the below link and chose a date/time/number of people. honokaachocolate.com/pages/farm-tours It's worth mentioning that yes, the price is $95 per person which to me is on the high side. We did several other food-based tours during our time on the Big Island and that number is a... big number. The front half of the tour is at the owner's house where the orchard and tasting area are located. It's not hard to find and the provided directions are perfect. You get to see the trees up close and there is a lot of great information shared by Mike about every step of the process including answering whatever questions there are about anything you see along with several tasting samples. After this wraps up, you make a short drive to the retail store in downtown for a brief look at the production equipment and a few more samples before you're cut loose to buy stuff from the store. As I mentioned at the beginning, I'm not a chocolate person and nothing I sampled is going to change that. I did appreciate one of the samples more than I thought I would (Barrel Aged Bourbon Bar) but the rest were just meh, and the Cacao Tea was...not something I ever want to have again. But that's just me. I bought several bars for gifts and to the best of my knowledge all were inhaled and appreciated. Overall, I appreciate the information provided on this tour and getting down into the nitty-gritty of the germination-fermentation-weather-growing process/cycles-harvesting/drying-etc. Very Alton Brown with going all of the way down to a very molecular level of detail. If you're into chocolate as most people are and if you like to understand where the things you eat come from, this is a good one.

This beautiful beach is well hidden and parking is very limited. We arrived about 10:00 and that…read moreseems to be a good time if you are not one of the first to arrive earlier in the day. Cars who have been here for a few hours will start to leave and spots open up. There is no fee to enter and the showers are nicely sun warmed. But do note that these black sands are HOT and either wear sandals or remain in the shade of the trees. Your feet can burn quickly. There are random picnic tables in the shade for anyone to use but bring a sun umbrella and sand chairs if you have them for sitting on the beach. Bring snorkel gear and watch for the turtles and fish who enjoy the shoreline reef. But also be aware that the tide is strong and you can be swept along and scraped by the reef and rocks by surprise. The underwater view is lively and fish abundant so take your time and float with open eyes. There are camp sites for those who wish to do so. And watch for dolphins who rest near shore during the day. It is a lovely beach that is worth visiting.

My husband and I were married in Hawaii, and we've been back three times since. This has always…read morebeen our fav beach. My husband snorkeled with dolphins there. It's just a magical little place! Make sure you arrive early to secure a parking spot and a great spot on the beach.

We had an exceptional experience at Hula Daddy Kona Coffee! Sue was professional, thorough, and…read moreincredibly knowledgeable. Her attention to detail made the tour truly outstanding. The coffee was amazing, and learning about the history of the business, Kona coffee, and Hawaiʻi was both fascinating and informative, we learned far more than we anticipated. We also had the pleasure of meeting the owner, Karen, and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with both her and Sue. We look forward to returning and highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the Big Island!

We had such a wonderful time visiting the hula daddy, coffee plantation. Sue showed us the…read morebeautiful botanicals around the plantation and then explained in great detail how the coffee is grown, picked, roasted and packaged. We got to pick our own coffee beans and taste them. We met Paula, who was voted the world's number one roaster and watched her roasting coffee beans. We got to sample some coffee. I purchased some of their specialty coffee to celebrate a special occasion and some to just drink on a regular basis. All in all a wonderful experience.!

This is the only place I found in the area with big size T-shirts. He also sell some baby clothes…read more I would call in advance to see what the hours will be for that day. The place is very small the owner is extremely friendly and nice. I will definitely go back if I'm in the area, or you can order online.

A small clothing shop located on Alii Drive, behind Crazy Shirts. They specialize in their own…read morebrand of men's shirts-especially BIG MENS, and infant clothing, with their own special messages. You gotta check out the infant wear. so cute and guaranteed to make you laugh. Perfect gifts. I love the Biggah Mo Bettah mens tshirts. Visiting the islands, you gotta take one of the tshirts home!!

We rarely make it to Kawaihae as we live in Kona but I highly recommend this cute little restaurant…read moreif you're in the area to visit! Mainly Italian but have some Peruvian dish also on the menu. NOT cheap but they make everything from scratch and all the dishes were presented beautifully and tasty!! They are only open for breakfast and lunch except Saturday night dinner. We got lucky to get seated but recommend making reservations for lunch. We had a Caesar salad to start with and had a pork belly sandwich and Italian meat ball sandwich. The pork belly sandwich was delicious!!

Cipriano's Kitchen - Kawaihae's Italian Treasure…read more Cipriano's Kitchen is one of those rare restaurants that keeps you thinking about your meal long after you've left. Chef Gino is generous with both his talent and his portions. Every dish showcases fresh ingredients, expert preparation, and a genuine love of Italian cooking. The menu is seafood-forward, featuring fresh local catches, handmade pasta, and flavors that are both authentic and creative. This family-run restaurant is made even more special by Claudia, Chef Gino's wife and culinary partner. Claudia bakes fresh focaccia daily and prepares the restaurant's gnocchi and pasta from scratch. As hostess, she warmly welcomes every guest and effortlessly serves as the restaurant's "walking menu," describing each dish with passion and detail. The presentation is stunning. Lobster, octopus, shrimp, clams, scallops, and house-made pasta arrive beautifully plated and bursting with flavor. The fresh focaccia alone is worth the visit. Every meal feels thoughtfully prepared, from the first bite to the last. What keeps me coming back is that the food is genuinely craveable. I find myself dining here every couple of weeks for lunch, and more often than not, I leave with a takeout order for dinner because I know I'll be thinking about it later. Cipriano's Kitchen isn't just serving Italian food--it's creating an experience centered around family, hospitality, and exceptional cooking. Kawaihae is fortunate to have this gem, and anyone who appreciates fresh seafood, handmade pasta, and heartfelt hospitality should make it a destination. A true Big Island favorite. "Come hungry. Leave happy. Plan your next visit before you've even finished your meal."

Snorkele experience was awesome, easy to park and get to the water, people were helpful on…read moreetiquette how to navigate the channel

Great beach! It has shade and some good views. Definitely a good place to bring the family as it is…read moresomewhat protected. Parking is expensive kind of a bummer. The area itself didn't have much amenities, but definitely have palm trees and shade, which was nice in the afternoon. Happy to make it on our first day

This was one of my favorite moments from our recent visit to Hawaii. I swear that we were…read moreliterally treated like ohana. Leslie and her small staff were so kind and welcoming. There is something to be said about the view and the fantastic coffee!!!! Wow was it top tier! It feels like a custom tropical treehouse. We sat around her concrete table as we sipped sample after sample of award winning Kona coffee. On the TV we watched a live feed of the volcano. It was such a genuine experience all the way through. She took the time to walk us around the farm and explain the entire process. So much effort goes into making such a delicious cup of coffee. This place is highly recommended. It has extremely limited hours so be sure to be mindful of that .

A fantastic and personal tasting and tour that was so gratifying and wonderful. Leslie and Etsi…read morewere wonderful and really made us feel like old friends! We were served several tastings of the coffee (7 or 8 small cups) and every cup was delicious! My favorite was the SL34 and I purchased a purchased a pound and half of it. After the tastings, we were taken on a tour around the farm and processing areas and it was so great to see Leslie treat the workers with love and respect. It was genuinely the best coffee farm we had been to...and we've been to several! The view is beautiful as well. The hours are extremely limited so make sure to make plan to come.

This is a state park beach with a lifeguard…read more Ok, so parking can be very difficult and I see the parking go all the way back down to the highway on the outside which is probably like a mile or more - just fyi. There are rips and strong currents here and they sometimes put out red flag warnings but I like to swim here, I enjoy it, I think its fun. Lots of people snorkel and scuba dive here because there are a lot of reefs and rocks with fish and turtles. There are also a lot of great spots to take photos.

Pretty, has a life guard, shower, flushing toilets But small…read morebeach area, too many people... Taking 1 star off for being a busy beach..

What a fantastic and truly delicious dinner! What we ordered:…read more--squash blossoms. Amazing. -- Cesar salad. Delicious. -- truffle pizza. Yum AF -- and the Bon Bons to top it all off! Live music playing in the background. Service by Leon was wonderful and friendly! You can thank me later!

We had a wonderful dinner at the Beach Tree House at the Four Seasons Hualālai. The oceanfront…read moresetting was beautiful, especially around sunset, and the service made the experience even more memorable. The grilled octopus was incredibly tender and flavorful. The pasta dishes were rich, satisfying, and well prepared. My son also really enjoyed the cheeseburger from the keiki menu. To finish, we had the passion fruit crème brûlée, which was the perfect tropical complimentary dessert to celebrate my son's early birthday.