If you’re a fan of beautiful beaches, amazing food, incredible hikes and a great night life, you need to check out The Big Island! Check out the Ultimate Kona Bucket List with everything you need to know to plan the most epic trip. Enjoy!
Where To Stay
We stayed at an Airbnb which I recommend for large groups but if you’d like to be closer to all of the action, you can stay at any of the hotels near the main area.
Food and Drink
There are so many delicious restaurants, my favorite was Broke Da Mouth Grindz Bar & Grill
This spot is a Hawaiian/Filipino fusion so you can bet it’s going to be tasty! We ate family style here so I tried a little bit of everything and my favorite items were the famous garlic furikake chicken (so much flavor) and the adobo fried rice!
Check out the Ultimate Kona Food and Drink Bucket List to find more inspiration because Kona is full of amazing restaurants!
Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation
Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation in beautiful Hawaii belongs on your Kona Bucket List. They offer free daily tours and I highly recommend! Read my full review find out why a Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation tour belongs on your Kona Bucket List!
Kona Brewing Co
I love beer and I am also a nerd so I love learning about how things are made. Because of this, brewery tours are always on my agenda when visiting a new place. Keep reading to find out why a Kona Brewing Company tour belongs on your Kona Bucket List! See more here.
Nightlife
Huggo’s
Huggo’s is near a lot of restaurants and it has a cool ambiance and tasty drinks!
Lava Lava Beach Club
The drinks at Lava Lava are great and they have live music!
Hiking
Hawaii Volcanos National Park
Hawaii was an absolute dream and I can’t wait to return. If you find yourself on the big island, I highly encourage you to take the 2 hour drive to check out Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park! There’s so much to see, do, and hike! Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is full of the most incredible views of craters and clouds. Check out my full review and let me know if I’ve convinced you to book a trip!
Akaka Falls State Park
We visited Akaka Fall State Park while it was raining since we had heard that the rain would give incredible power to the two waterfalls found here! This park is about a 2 hour drive from the main downtown area of Kailua-Kona where we are staying but it is so worth it! Check out more photos here.
Beaches
Kua Bay beach
Our very first stop in Hawaii after eating and resting was the beach and with views like these do you blame us?! Kua Bay is small and beautiful and will forever hold a special place in my heart. Can’t wait to go back. Check out more photos here.
Punalu’u Beach
The beach I was most excited to visit in Kona was Punaluʻu Beach, a black sand beach! Never in my life have I seen a beach like this, it felt truly surreal. If you’re like me, you are probably wondering why the sand is black…well I am here to educate! The black sand is made of basalt and created by lava flowing into the ocean which explodes as it reaches the ocean and cools. Check out more photos here.
Anaehoomalu Beach
Another day, another beach. There are SO MANY amazing beaches in Kona and Google told me that this particular beach (Anaehoomalu Beach) is known for the most beautiful sunsets! So you already know we had to add it to our agenda. Unfortunately we didn’t have the best weather/view (too many clouds). Check out more photos here.
Makalawena/Pu’u Ali’i Beach
Mahai’ula Beach is just beautiful, serene and not super busy at all…because the road to get here is super rocky (it’s bumpy and windy lava fields) and most cars can’t make it. And then once you park, you have to do a small hike on a paved path. If you have a Ford Fusion like we did, the trick is to drive really slow so that you don’t damage your car. We were lucky and got a rare sighting of a Hawaiian Monk Seal, an endangered species!! See more photos here.
What To See and Do
City of Refuge (Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historic Park)
If you only have a few hours to learn a little bit of Hawaiian history, see some beautiful palm trees and amazing views of the ocean then I highly recommend you check out Pu’uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park aka The City of Refuge. There’s SO MUCH history here and the history comes alive as you walk around and soak it all in. This area is called the City of Refuge because back in the old days if you broke the law and were sentenced to death, you could come here and be safe from harm. Check out more photos here.
Hōlei Sea Arch
One of the highlights of my Kona trip was visiting Hōlei Sea Arch, a natural forming arch near the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park! The views here are INCREDIBLE and it’s such a cool feeling to be on the edge and have the ocean right there! Check out my full review here.
Couples Massage
Are you trying to find the best birthday gift for a friend or loved one and you happen to be in Kona, Hawaii? Then look no further because I have the perfect gift for you: a massage at the Lotus Center at the Royal Kona Resort in beautiful Hawaii! See my full review here.
Voyagers of the Pacific Luau at Royal Kona Hotel
A trip to Hawaii is not complete without a luau. There is delicious food, music and entertainment!
Thank you to those who inspired this post! I loved the Big Island because there is just so much to do. If you’d like to see more what I’ve done in Hawaii check out #MairaInHI on Instagram.
Thank you all for reading, and stay enthusiastic!
Feel free to follow the adventure on social media
Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Youtube
-Maira