Sightseeing at Big Island

When visiting Big Island, you're pretty much sightseeing for the duration of your trip. The island of Hawai'i in its entirety is a breathtaking spectacle that will fill your eyes with joy as well as overflow the capacity of your camera's SD cards. 

However, once the immediate feeling of scenic overwhelment subsides, there are certainly a few specific spots that are splendid for sightseeing. Below are some of Big Island's most scenic parks, sites, roads and more that are all but guaranteed to leave your jaw on the floor.

Big Island Parks & Historic Sites

Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

Established in 1916, this massive national park encompasses 523 square miles and features six climate zones across the park. At Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park you'll find everything from lava fields and ashy deserts to lush rainforests and alpine tundra. The two volcanoes that give the national park its name are Kīlauea and Maunaloa, both which are active volcanoes. 

Accessing many of the scenic areas of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park requires some trekking, but there are a few sightseeing spots that you can reach with greater ease. The two park roads - Crater Rim Drive Tour and Chain of Craters Road Tour - that each have you drive across magnificent landscapes. If you are open to some lite hiking, the Crater Rim Trail and Pu’uloa Petroglyph fields are two captivating hiking areas to explore.

Head to the Hawai'i Volcanoes Nation Park website to learn more about things to do and entrance fees to the park.

Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park

Starting off with some history, Kealakua Bay State Park is home to Hikiau Heiau, the site of a sacred temple devoted to the Hawaiian god, Lono. The bay is also the (in)famous spot where Captain James Cook landed on the island of Hawai'i and became the first westerner to establish contact with Native Hawaiians. In 1779, one year after his first landing, Cook was killed in a conflict with the natives at Kealakekua Bay. There is now a white obelisk on the park shores which memorializes Cook.

Outside of the state park's history, Kealakekua Bay is a Marine Life Conservation District. This essentially means that the bay waters are pristine and host a ton of captivating sea life including vibrant corals and schools of tropical fish. It's well worth grabbing a mask and snorkel or paddling out on a kayak to do some aquatic sightseeing at this state park.

Learn more about the area history and natural things to see at the Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park website.

Big Island Scenic Byways

Royal Footsteps Along the Kona Coast Byway

This scenic route is a 7-mile section of the Kona Coast Byway. Royal Footsteps is a driving route that's rich in history and culture as well as gorgeous scenery. Along the way you'll experience over 700 years of Hawai'i's ali'i (ruling class) history and go past four of Kona's Royal Centers, treasured locations exclusively used by Hawaiian kings and queens. 

Royal Footsteps along the Kona Coast Byway travels from Historic Kailua Village through Keauhou along Ali'i Drive. You can enjoy this scenic route traveling by car, bike, or even on foot.

Māmalahoa Kona Heritage Corridor

The Māmalahoa Kona Heritage Corridor was named after Kamehamela the Great's "Law of the Splintered Paddle." It was originially an ancient footpath, but is now a 10-mile byway with plenty of impressive sights along the way. Along the corridor you'll find historic architecture, shrines, Kona coffee farms, art galleries, and the quaint Hōlualoa Village.

In addition to the many fun stopping points, the Māmalahoa Kona Heritage Corridor takes you through more impressive scenery along the slopes of Hualālai Mountain. You'll also find incredible vistas of Kailua-Kona and the Pacific Ocean as you drive along Route 180, Old Māmalahoa Highway between Palani Junction and the intersection of State Route 11.

The Hawaiian sightseeing destinations on this page are spots where you can most easily access the spectacular views, but there are plenty more gorgeous locations that are accessed by longer hikes, guided tours, and even beneath the waters surrounding Big Island. Head over to our main Big Island Area Guide page to learn more about those sightseeing options.

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