Where's the best blow hole?

[drsmith]

I want to see an amazing blow hole while in Hawaii in February. We'll be in Maui, Oahu, Hilo, and Kona. Where's the very best one for this time of year?

[Alder]

Hi there - we were on the POA in September and went to the Spouting Horn at Poipu in Kauai. If you're docked in Nawiliwili you have a day and a half in port. You need a car to get to Poipu (we used Hertz - there's an automatic shuttle from the ship to the airport to collect). If you go to Waimea Canyon Poipu is on the way back. If you set off from the ship it's about a 30 minute easy drive, take the small road past the port (so away from the town) and it cuts off the corner - you meet the road to Waimea at a T-junction and so avoid the town. The turn off is a few miles further on. En route to Poipu you pass some nice tourist shops at Koloa. Poipu seems mostly a new toursit development and the road layout is slightly confusing (for us!) - basically the blow hole is to your right as you drive towards the sea - once you find the local coast road just head to the right and you can't go wrong. We got there at sunset and it was spectacular - there's a free parking lot with some shut tourist stalls (maybe open during the day?) - there was about 20 other tourists and everyone had clambered through the simple fence onto the rocks to get closer - the sun setting over the blowhole was fantastic. If I get the chance I'll put a couple of photos up later - enjoy!

 

Any other questions just ask.

[kestrel]

Yes, the Spouting Horn in Kauai is a good one.

 

I've been to Maui, Oahu, Hilo and Kona -- couldn't recall there are blow holes in any of those places.

[drsmith]

Hi there - we were on the POA in September and went to the Spouting Horn at Poipu in Kauai. If you're docked in Nawiliwili you have a day and a half in port. You need a car to get to Poipu (we used Hertz - there's an automatic shuttle from the ship to the airport to collect). If you go to Waimea Canyon Poipu is on the way back. If you set off from the ship it's about a 30 minute easy drive, take the small road past the port (so away from the town) and it cuts off the corner - you meet the road to Waimea at a T-junction and so avoid the town. The turn off is a few miles further on. En route to Poipu you pass some nice tourist shops at Koloa. Poipu seems mostly a new toursit development and the road layout is slightly confusing (for us!) - basically the blow hole is to your right as you drive towards the sea - once you find the local coast road just head to the right and you can't go wrong. We got there at sunset and it was spectacular - there's a free parking lot with some shut tourist stalls (maybe open during the day?) - there was about 20 other tourists and everyone had clambered through the simple fence onto the rocks to get closer - the sun setting over the blowhole was fantastic. If I get the chance I'll put a couple of photos up later - enjoy!

 

Any other questions just ask.

 

Thanks for your feedback. However, we're not scheduled for that port. Only the ones I listed.

[Appygirl]

I'd say the best blow hole is probably in Maui - Nakalele. The thing is its not that easy to get to but once you're there - wow! About a 30 minute walk from where you park your car and there are cliffs and the path can be kind of slippy if its been raining but it is spectacular.

 

In Oahu if you're driving around the island there's a lookout where you can see the Halona blow hole. Its about 15, 20 minute drive from Honolulu right off the highway. You can't get close to it but the lookout gives you really good views. There was another blowhole if you keep driving north up the highway some distance. I can't remember the name of it, but you have to drive through a residential area and park on the side of the street and walk out on the rocks. It wasn't all that great anyway. Or at least the day I was there not much wave action.

 

The above mentioned Spouting Horn blow hole on Kauai, where you're not going, while it might not be the best one on the islands, it does have the best parking lot, short walk to viewing area, and facilities and vendors so it would be popular for tourists due to ease of reaching it. Its memorable to me because I tripped on a hole and my leg and sneakers got covered in red dirt that's not easy to get off.

[Susan-M]

I'd say the best blow hole is probably in Maui - Nakalele. The thing is its not that easy to get to but once you're there - wow! About a 30 minute walk from where you park your car and there are cliffs and the path can be kind of slippy if its been raining but it is spectacular.

 

 

The Nakalele blowhole is visible just a few steps from where you park your car .... you don't have to walk down to it if you don't want to (in fact, it's better to keep some distance between you and it.)