Big Island Hawaii Tourism
The Island Is Waiting For You.

Several microclimes including arid, parched deserts, giant, lush fern forests, black sandy beaches and snowy mountain slopes offer opportunities for surfing and skiing on the same day, hiking through tropical rain forests or walking by a fuming pit angrily spitting sulphur and steam.

Favorite Big Island Activities

Other popular Big Island tourism activities include:

• Swimming or snorkeling at Kealakekua Bay with wild spinner dolphins and richly colored tropical fish.

• Flying in a helicopter over the home of the goddess Pele in Mt Kilauea; feel the blistering heat several hundred feet above the active volcano

• Driving up 14,000 ft to the summit of Mauna Kea for incredible sunsets and views of the world’s largest telescopes

• Horseback riding through the Valley of the Kings or Waipio Valley where ancient kings are thought to be buried

• Attend a Hawaiian luau, feast on lomi-lomi salmon, laulau, kalua pig and other Hawaiian favorites and be amazed by the Samoan fire knife dance.

No Big Island Hawaii tourism visit is complete without exploring its two most famous exports- Kona coffee and macadamia nuts. Kona coffee is grown from a rare bean in the Kona coffee belt which is found on the upland slopes of North and South Kona. The origin and survival of the Kona coffee industry is legendary and bears witness to the pioneering grit of the early Japanese coffee growers who kept this 200 year old industry alive through the tough years. Now, Kona coffee costs around $40-$50 per pound and Peaberry, a low-acid extra prime coffee, a few more dollars per pond.

Go on a self-guided tour of the macadamia industry which includes large processing plants and small family owned farms, or visit the historic homes at the Parker Ranch where the herd numbered as much as 5,000 head of cattle. Swap stories with the working paniaolo at a ranch barbecue or try your hand at line dancing.

Immerse yourself in ancient Hawaiian history by visiting one of the largest heiau in Hawaii, the Puukohola Heiau. Just north of the South Kohala resorts, this fortress-type temple has tremendous historical significance.

Before he became Hawaii’s first king, Kamehameha was advised by the kahunas to build a heiau to the war god, Kukailimoku. The massive heiau, built between 1790 and 1791, appeared to have worked as Kamehameha conquered and united all the islands in 1810.

Well preserved, this stone heiau is also believed to be one of the last few temples built in Hawaii before the islands succumbed to the influence of the western civilization. Puukohola also means “hill of the whale” and is an excellent spot for watching humpback whales.

One visit may just not be enough to explore all that Big Island Hawaii tourism has to offer. Fortunately, with so many flights to Hawaii, there is always a next time!

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