any snorkeling in hilo side

[coffeecruiser14]

Is there any snorkeling in the hilo side of the big island, or if not snorkeling, any not dangerous swimming beaches? We are traveling on the pride of amer. and have been to volcanos many times. Looking for a little beach time!

[Spikesgirl]

Sorry, Hilo is not known for its beach areas and most tourists are not encouraged to swim in Hilo Bay. If you east to Kalanianaole,you'll find the Onekehakaha Beach Park abd Richardson's Ocean Center. these were suggested by "Hawai'i The Big Island Revealed" - I haven't tried either myself. You will need to rent a car though.

 

Charlie

[kapoho2]

You can rent a car and head out to Puna. You can snorkel at the Kapoho Tide pools and then just go down the road a bit and swim in the Ahalanui Warm Pond. Not really a beach...but a very popular place for all of us who live here to swim in the naturally heated 90+ degree water. At that park there are picnic tables, a life guard, restrooms and a shower.

[beachchick]

Is there any snorkeling in the hilo side of the big island, or if not snorkeling, any not dangerous swimming beaches? We are traveling on the pride of amer. and have been to volcanos many times. Looking for a little beach time!

 

Aloha. I do not mean this as questioning your choices or preferences, but do you mean that you've been to other volocanoes or do you mean that you've been to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park many times? If it's the latter, then never mind. If it's the former, I have to urge you to reconsider going to VNP.

 

VNP is unlike any other volcano in the world. I'm a west coastie born and raised; I've spent quite a bit of time in the Cascades, including watching from a distance when Mt. St. Helens decided to awaken in the 1980s; I've spent countless days and nights exploring, camping, hiking at many of the western volcanoes. I've been to the summits of Haleakala and Mauna Kea. The reason that I mention these things is because even with all my other experiences, I found VNP to be unique, awe-inspiring, beautiful, powerful, and wonderful. The fact that it's active is a big bonus. Please don't assume that it's just "the same old, same old" thing. It isn't.

 

However, if you really have no interest in VNP, you might want to consider renting a car and exploring the Puna district (including visiting the Kapoho Tide Pools and Ahalanui as mentioned by kapoho2, who obviously knows the real scoop). The whole region is fascinating.

 

Hilo really isn't the place to look for a good beach day, IMO, because of the island geography and the fact that it's the windward side of the island.

 

beachchick

[coffeecruiser14]

thanks for the replies everyone! thanks for the suggestion about the warm water pools kapoho2. Beachchick, yes i have been to vnp a few times including 2 stays at the vocano house, and a helicopter ride over the lava pool and down to the sea(which was spectacular). I am traveling with my 86 year old mom and we just wanted to sit on the beach and put our feet in the water and enjoy being in Hawaii again

[beachchick]

thanks for the replies everyone! thanks for the suggestion about the warm water pools kapoho2. Beachchick, yes i have been to vnp a few times including 2 stays at the vocano house, and a helicopter ride over the lava pool and down to the sea(which was spectacular). I am traveling with my 86 year old mom and we just wanted to sit on the beach and put our feet in the water and enjoy being in Hawaii again

 

Gotcha. In that case, definitely never mind about my "lecture" regarding VNP. My DH and I stayed at Volcano House for 4 days a couple of years ago. It was our first visit to VNP, but not our first visit to the BI. Even with 2-1/2 full days to devote to VNP, we feel that we scratched the surface. (We did the UofH weekend Mauna Kea summit tour where you must have your own 4-w/d vehicle to tandem up to the summit. More than worth the $120+gas it cost us to rent from Harper's. What an awe inspiring day, nothing like the commercial van tours. Madam Pele had apparently accepted our tribute to her of our first-night-in-Hawaii leis which we hung on the cross at Halemaumau the day before by honoring us with perfect weather. We could see Haleakala clear as could be. Chicken skin, for sure. It did take 1 whole day from our VNP time, so we've decided we'll have to go back again. Darn.)

 

To be honest, the Puna district hadn't been high on my "must do" list. Boy, was I wrong! We ended up being upgraded to a hardbody 4-w/d SUV on our rental. Woo-hoo! That meant my DH was able to take us everywhere, even across the so-called road "paved" directly over the flows that destroyed Kalapana and the Royal Gardens subdivision. Wow, and then some. So weird to be driving on this undulating lava field and then all of a sudden be on the remains of the original paved road for a while before getting back onto the lava fields. We also went out to east point to inhale the "cleanest air in the word" and view the ocean waves pounding against the lava beds. Everything about our day was fantastic. We stopped at Ahalanui too. Very easy to get to with picnic tables, grassy areas, facilities, etc. There are steps down into the pool and many, many people were enjoying the waters. So gorgeous to see the ocean pounding right there and even "swooshing" large waves into the pool itself. Very nice.

 

Have you considered heading over to Punalu'u instead of staying in the Hilo area? Even though it's 90 minutes or so one-way, I imagine your mom might enjoy sitting on a black sand beach, watching the sea turtles, and putting her feet in the ocean there.

 

Have a great time. What a nice trip to share with your mom.

 

beachchick

[suzyluvs2cruise]

Thanks for the infor..........we'll be there in October. :)

[CC Help Michell]

You can rent a car and head out to Puna. You can snorkel at the Kapoho Tide pools and then just go down the road a bit and swim in the Ahalanui Warm Pond. Not really a beach...but a very popular place for all of us who live here to swim in the naturally heated 90+ degree water. At that park there are picnic tables, a life guard, restrooms and a shower.

 

Kapaho, I just want to say how valuable I find your posts. :) I've mentioned a few times that the BI is our top priority for when we visit Hawaii for a land-based vacation -- we're considering summer '08 for that, spending a few days on Oahu, then another ten days on the BI (half in the Hilo area, half in the Kona area) -- and mostly because of your excellent information when I search www.vrbo.com, etc., it's the Puna region I've been concentrating on. Just wanted to say "thanks!" :)

[HiloSunshine]

Onekahakaha is located about a quarter mile away from the pier.