Kealakekua Bay

Beautiful spot to snorkel! Enter either by the Captain Cook’s Monument area, or like we did — by a catamaran cruise hosted by Fair Winds Cruises. The reef is awesome, and there are so many kinds of super cute fish everywhere! We snorkelled around for almost 2 hours and couldn’t get enough.
Just be sure to not touch a single thing, and certainly don’t stand on the reef! Not only for the fact that it’ll hurt, but mostly because it’s important not to disturb anything from its natural state.
The water is a good depth most of the way, but there are some spots that are only 3 – 5 feet deep. It’s really quite amazing all over the bay — I recommend visiting!

This review is very similar to my Cpt Cook Monument review. Keylakekua Bay is the bay that you have to traverse in order to get to the monument. We rented a kayak & snorkel gear from a dude on the edge of the bay near the park. We paddled out about 40 minutes, then tied the boat to my ankle (no docking allowed) and snorkeled around for a bit. Holy fishes!!! This reef was amazing!
We were told there would be dolphins, but sadly didn’t see any.
Really, really beautiful even without the dolphin sightings.

If you want a nice place to snorkel and see fish this Bay is very good. We were lucky to arrive on a sunny day so we had an easier time seeing the fish in the clear water. You will need water shoes to go into the water and there are some hard to walk areas. If you go on a weekday the crowds are much smaller and it might be easier to find a parking space in the small lot. There is a shelter and tables if you want to enjoy a picnic lunch.

Whoops! Wrong location. Sorry, haven’t been here

This was the sight of our snorkel sail while aboard the Fair Wind II. While I’m not a snorkeler, I went along with some friends visiting from the Bay Area. This is also home to the Captain Cook Monument, something I’ve never seen before.
The bay is very secluded with difficult access, so it wasn’t crowded at all, not even by other boating companies. There is no sandy beach here, its all cliffs and rocky shorelines with just a tiny sliver of a river rock beach at the south end. A bunch of people were hanging out at the Monument, and I believe they hiked down from the cliffs.
We docked between the Captain Cook Monument and the high cliffs of the bay. The waters were super clear and calm; so clear that I could see the reef just below my feet, though I’m not sure how deep it actually was because I was just lounging on a tube.
According to the boat’s captain, there’s a known area where reef sharks hang out. Some guests went to look and did actually see them. I’ve swam with reef sharks in Bora Bora, so I knew they were harmless.
As we packed up and left, a school of playful dolphins swam and jumped towards the boat, following us for a bit. Really cool!

Mad fish and turtles in this bay.
Kayak and marvel at the sweet clarity of the water.
Hiking is fun but it was hella hot.
Mahalo.

Snorkeling, kayaking, hiking, dolphin watching, all in one place.
Rent a kayak from one of the local shops up on the main highway. Take route 160 down the hill and launch from the south end of the bay. (I have a friend who says he even swam the entire length of the bay.) Go in the morning when the dolphins are out and about and you can’t miss ‘em. There was a whole school of ‘em, truly an amazing and unforgettable experience. One of them came within 5 feet of me. Too bad in the excitement of trying to get a photo of them my snorkel detached and sank.
After reaching the north end of the bay near the Captain Cook Monument, I secured my kayak along the rocky shore and did some snorkeling in the nearby shallow waters where I found an abundance of fish. Not the best place to snorkel given the waves but at least worth taking a peek at what’s under the surface there. Check out the pics!

Pristine clear water, schools of colorful fish, amazing corals and the dropoff to «deeper» waters is stunning and foreboding. This was sureley the most beautiful snorkeling spot we saw in hawaii, but that trail… We walked it instead of taking a boat and while it was worth it, i’d never do that again.
A pretty well maintained 4 mile (roundtrip) trail that took us :45 down and about 2hrs up (stopping often in shady spots). Direct sunlight 75% of the time as well as a constant unrelenting uphill climb make the trip back a B! tch. The teenagers did it no problem, they even came back to check on us, but for 2 semi-​out of shape adults it was hard. Bring lots of water, sunscreen and a hat or towel to protect from sun. (or just take the boat).

Rent the kayak and swim with the dolphins !!!
This was most definitely the highlight of my trip, even more exciting than the manta ray night snorkel !!
The snorkeling itself over at the Captain Cook monument was just OK, there weren’t nearly as many fish to see as there were at Kahalu’u Beach Park. My boyfriend and I only hung around the reef for about 15 minutes until heading back into the deep with the dolphins.
The dolphins were amazing. There were at least 20 of them hanging around the bay, swimming around in small groups. The water was so clear, we could see them diving deep into the water to feed on fish. Several times they would spring out of the water and do tricks for us. I definitely recommend driving down to the bay and renting a kayak ($ 60) from the locals.
How do you find which locals to rent from? Don’t worry, they’ll find you !! Immediately after parking, a local came up to us and asked if we were interested in renting a kayak for the day.
I would recommend everyone to rent the kayak and NOT do the hike ! Having the kayak allowed us to be comfortable going into the deeper water. Yeah it was nice to see the coral and fishes, but it was AMAZING to swim right next to dolphins. And please don’t do the silly boat tour, just a waste of money !!
You’ll want to go in early morning, we got there around 9. Remember to bring sun protection, because the sun was beating down on us hard ! Being out on the kayak in the ocean, there wasn’t anywhere to head for shade.

Definitely a location to stop by. The area is rich with history as it is with beauty. They bay is very scenic, and although we didn’t decide to hike all the way out to the monument, we were able to see it from the parking lot. The real treat was the whale that was in the bay.
Gonna be coming back again to do the hike next time we are on island.

I was very reluctant to do the Kealakekua trail to the Captain Cook monument. I read so many different reviews that I was confused on how challenging the hike was. Let me put this into perspective for you. Hiking is not one of my favorite pastimes, especially challenging ones. I have hiked the rain forests of Sumatra, Garibaldi Lake in British Columbia and Cinque Terre in Italy and all those hikes were challenging for me. However, I was always glad that I did them at the end of the hike… not specifically during the hike.
The trail to Captain Cook for me was very challenging in both directions. Going down the trail, you need to make sure you have good eye feet coordination as there are plenty of loose lava rocks that can roll from under your feet if you are not careful. Some sections are steep going down and you could slip if you are not paying close attention to your foot placement. I had to rest at the «5» marker to rest my legs going down. There is a shaded area with a rock at this point where you can sit on a rock to recharge your legs. It took me an hour to get down the trail and all I could do is worry about my trip back up as I knew I was in for a big challenge.
However, once I was down, I relaxed on the lava and then went snorkeling. The snorkeling is the best of the best and I don’t think you will find anything more amazing than this spot. The corals are vibrant with colors that seem to glow with different shades as you swam over them. The fish were equally great and very much in abundance. It was like swimming in a large aquarium that you see in any major city’s aquarium displays. I was overwhelmed by the beauty, the clarity of the water and the sereneness of the area.
The trip back up was grueling for me. I had to stop at every shaded area I could find just to cool off as the temperature was hot hot hot!!! I climbed back up at 2pm and perhaps should have waited until 3 to make my ascend up the hill as it might have been a little cooler. It took me almost two hours to climb back up. It took a 16 year old athletic boy one hour to get up. I’m 57… so there is the comparison.
Important things to prepare for before doing the trail are:
–Make sure you have lots of water for the trip down and more importantly for the trip back up. I froze one of my bottles so that I couldn’t drink my water all in one shot up the trail. It allowed me to ration my water for when I really needed it and the ice was nice to cool off my head and body.
–wear good comfortable shoes. No flip flops or you are asking for trouble.
–Have some energy food with you as this will come in handy when you do the trail in both directions.
–Wear a hat! The trail is hot with little overhead shade.
–Always do the trail in pairs. Even though the trail is widely used, going with a friend is always best.
At the end of my hike up, all I could think about was getting my ravaged body into a cool zone and drinking lots of cold water. Is the trip worth it… absolutely. Would I do it again… YES but I would kayak. It’s like they say, no pain, no gain.

Die Bucht ist sehr schön zum schnorcheln, dazu muss man aber bis ans Ende zum Captain Cook Monument. Der Start ist allerdings mühsam weil man über die Lavasteine ins Wasser muss. In der Bucht ist auch der Manini Beach an dem es schon ist zu liegen und das Meeresrauschen zu genießen.

The hike is no joke. Hot, humid, steep, and through overgrown grass… but, the snorkeling is worth it. Tons of fish and coral everywhere. You’ll need more water than you think (2 of us went through 3 liters and wished we had much more). Hang your bags in the trees while you’re snorkeling because the mongooses will make a mess looking for food.

Go swimming with the dolphins at this beautiful bay!!! Tip: Wake up early. The dolphins hang out there early in the morning. An amazing sight.

Loved the snorkeling at the site. My second favorite spot on the Big Island, and much better than all the sites on Oahu. The reviews below easily tells you where to go to park and find the start of the trail. I thought the hike was very easy going down and not too bad going back up, which only took me 45 minutes. I would go early, not only because it is cooler, but less snorkelers/​traffic in the bay. I got there around 7:30am and I was the first one there. Tour boats started arriving around 9 – 9:30am. There is shade at the beginning, and by marker #5 you are out in the sunshine until you get back down to the bottom. You don’t have to snorkeling deep at all, some of the corral shelf is soooo shallow. Tons of fish. Unfortunately, I didn’t see any turtles or dolphins. Here is a link to a video I made of the hike and snorkeling adventure. Enjoy, worth it.

We went prepared to hike after reading other reviews and info in our guide book. To our surprise the paved road took us all the way to the water. Once we got there we were sold on renting a kayak for the day for 50 $. Totally worth it. The snorkeling by the monument was spectacular and we even got to swim with dolphins in the bay.

We hiked.
I hate working out, I hate sweating, I hate being dirty — I did all of these things and would do it again. For someone who is taking a leisurely pace down and likes to look at pretty flowers and amazing views, it will take 1 hour. If you are horrifically out of shape, it can take 2 – 3 hours to get back up. It’s a mega hike, and it is relentless on the way up. There is no «just over that hill» moment on this hike. You are going up and down about 3500′ at a 15 – 30 degree slope, on volcanic rock.
But it was so, so, soooo worth it. The reef is very healthy and you can avoid all the snorkelers from the boats.
Pro tips:
— bring more water than you think you need, maybe 2 16 ounce bottles per person
— wear real shoes. Flip flops ain’t gonna cut it
— bring booties or water shoes, there’s a LOT of urchins
— bring fins if you are going to go out snorkeling, the current is a little stronger the further out of the bay you go
— be aware of the coral, obviously don’t touch it
There is no fresh water at the bottom!

NOTE: There are three ways to get here. Either you hike 45 minutes to an hour from the main road, take a boat tour and pay $ 100+ a person, or rent a kayak and land on Captain cook’s landing (which is illegal).
We opted for option #1 and hiked our way there. The head of the trail is really easy to miss, basically, from
, it is about 2 blocks away to the east. On the main road, keep right at the fork and it’s right there. You’ll see cars parked along the side of the road. There will be no markers or signs. When you enter, if all you see is tall grass/​shrubs, you’re golden. The hike will become all rocks as you continue further and you’ll be able to see goats grazing away on your right side on your way down.
Make sure you’re prepared for this hike or you’re in for some trouble. Hiking shoes are a must because the path becomes rocky. Add in the intermittent rain and the path becomes quite slippery and rigorous, up or down hill. On a scale of 1 – 10, 5 being average, this hike ranks as an 8.
Once you reach the bottom of the hike, Kealakekua Bay is beautiful. There were people sprinkled around here and there, but the bay seemed to be quite peaceful, except for the occasional Snorkeling Tour Boats passing by.
I’m assuming you came here to snorkel so here are a couple of tips. Find a place where you can ease into the water and keep your sand/​water shoes on until you need to put on your fins. The rocks are f’in sharp/​slippery. My girl slightly stumbled after getting hit by a wave and found a large gash on the bottom of her foot (She didn’t listen to me and walked barefoot on the rocks). Even so, getting down the rocks is quite dangerous as I ended up with several cuts on my hand. However, once into the water, you’ll experience one of the best snorkeling reefs ever! The most common fish I saw here were Yellow Tang, which there were literally schools of them swimming around. Do be careful of the sea urchins!
Also do note that on your way back up the trail splits, as you may not have noticed on the way down. Stick to the right trail that hugs the mountain and you won’t get lost.

The bay was one of the highlights of our trip to the Big Island. This trip time we stayed Kona side — next time is Hilo side. I like land-​based activities, primarily hiking. There’s a part of me that also appreciates water-​based activity — probably influenced by the boyfriend. :o) We combined a little bit of land with a little bit of water: we hiked down to Captain Cook Monument (instead of kayaked) and snorkeled around the bay close to the monument. To this snorkeling newbie, the bay has been one of the best and easiest places to snorkel. Lots of neat fish and coral reef to see! Beautiful views as we hiked down to the beautiful bay. Not so fun was hiking back up the hill on a hot and dry afternoon!
[Review #7 for 31 Unilocal Review Challenge]

If you love to snorkel or kayak this is a MUST!
My first time on the Big Island my friends and I decided to visit this bay to go to Captain Cook Monument to snorkel. To get to Captain cook monument you can either kayak there or go with a cruise ship. The monument is about a mile off from the bay. The water is so clear that you can clearly see about 10 feet below with ease.
Once at captain cook momument you can tie up your kayak on a branch from the trees nearby, but you have to be careful because there are a lot of sea urchins on the sea floor. The monument is covered with live corals and has a very active sea life! From the most brighest yellow fishes to angel fish to eels!
If, you’re planning to kayak there are people there willing to rent out their kayaks, but some of them are not licensed professionals. So my advice is, to be cautious if you’re planning to rent a kayak from one of the locals that are on the bay waiting for tourists. Also, if you are planning to kayak, do bring reef shoes because the sea urchins’s spines are dangerous if stepped on.
Side note: you can see dolphins at this bay! While kayaking back to the bay from the monument, my friends and I saw 3 – 4 dolphins swimming around! It was the most amazing experience! The dolphins came within 2 – 3 feet from our kayaks!
So if you want a great snorkel/​kayak experience with the clearest/​cleanest waters this is the place to go! Highly recommended for any tourist! This is really the beauty of the Big Island.
A WORD OF CAUTION: Please be mindful of the wildlife there. While snorkeling near the monument please DO NOT step on the corals! Corals are very delicate and can break easily, so stepping on them can easily kill coral, which affects the marine life that rely on these corals as food and as shelter! Also if you do see dolphins DO NOT attempt to swim with them or touch them. They are wild animals and should be treated with caution and respect. But otherwise please enjoy yourselves, there’s no way you will not fall in love with this place!

Experience — 5 STARS
Staff (rental equipment, etc.) — 4 STARS
This review is written from the standpoint of someone who doesn’t know how to swim:-)
The boyfriend and I drove from downtown Kona to this bay. We heard so many recommendations to come here.
First off, when we reached the entrance, we were approached by a toothless local woman named Regina.
Regina: «Where you guys headed? You guys lookin’ to snorkel?»
Rick: «Yeah we want to check out the place first.»
Regina: «Well tell ya what… I have the best rates here for $ 40 to kayak out there. Check the place out first and come back and let me know if ya interested.»
Actually I was a little bit freaked out. Wtf!?! Who are these people?!
We pulled into the parking lot, stepped out and started scoping the area out. It’s a docking area for the kayaks. To be honest, it wasn’t exactly what I had in mind… I was actually looking for something more touristy. There were about 4 or 5 locals that worked there and a few kayaks on the dock. It was a little ghetto from what I expected.
There comes that toothless woman again and asked what we thought about the deal. The boyfriend was concerned of our belongings (we had camera equipment, wallets, etc.) in our Jeep rental. We weren’t exactly sure of what to do with our stuff. Then Regina said they have a waterproof bag we can hook onto the kayak. We decided to give it a try.
Regina’s brother actually gave a quick run-​down of what to do, what to expect, etc. We would have to kayak a mile out across to Captain Cook’s landing. Then we can snorkel all around there. He told us to stay away from certain areas with strong current and most importantly sea urchins. We were told to urinate the second we are stung by sea urchins… supposedly draws out the poison and ease the pain.
So getting back to the fact that I don’t swim… kayak out a mile in the middle of the ocean, watch out for sea urchins and snorkel and kayak back to safety, all in one shot seem a little bit much.
We rented snorkel gear at $ 10 each. Then onwards to Captain Cook on a kayak with only a life jacket to protect me. The waves were super rough the minute we got on (of course). It was a very petrifying experience that lasted 25 mins… full of hyperventilation and a few screams of terror. But then what helped me calm down was the fact that sharks are only around during calm waters, yay! Oh and paddling was another story… oh my whatta workout! I paddled for 5 mins and the poor bf had to take us there on his own.
When we got to Captain Cook’s landing… there were a few people who have gotten there already. Some were snorkeling and some just chilling. I was thinking snorkeling would be do-able…I mean you just float in what seem to be shallow water. Well I was wrong. Snorkeling is fucking scary! The bf tried to ease me into the water. But I was petrifried and had a kung-​fu grip on his pants! I had my other hand holding onto dear life on the rock. I climbed back up and said, «No fucking way Jose!!!» The bf gave up and snorkeld for like an hour. A lot of people were raving about their experience and all the sea life they saw down there. I was jealous.
When you get to Captain Cook’s…there is also a trail that goes back for miles. One of the trails will take you to another cove where you can snorkel some more. I’m not sure how many people are aware of this since no one else went when we were there.
The bf was not gonna give up on me. He had me put on a life jacket and try snorkeling once again before leaving. Well… I foolheartedly agreed. He said the only way to get in the water is to jump off a small cliff. The water is fucking deep and seem to be about 20 ft. at least. He held my hand and we both jumped in. I did not let go of his hand the entire 10 mins I was in water. The fishes I saw, the coral reef, the calmness I felt… it was breathtaking. A little petrified but I’m glad I jumped in. Oh and the lifejacket helped… no way I would’ve done it on my own.
Now…we will have to kayak back 1-​mile to safety. I saw a couple flip their kayak on their way out (very reassuring). Luckily, someone helped us board the kayak. The bf said it will be faster if both of us paddled… so guess what, I paddled all the way back.
The only comments I have for the people who worked there:
–The snorkel equipment is cheap and does not fit well. A lot of people were complaining.
–Someone should be at Captain Cook’s Landing to help people load back onto kayaks or to have help available. We were all on our own.
Overall an amazing experience! The whole trip took about 4 hours… kayak out 20 mins… snorkeled at Captain Cook landing for a couple of hours… then kayak back for another 20 mins. So plan to spend an entire day here with the drive included.