20+ Best Free Activities On The Big Island (2024)
Are you looking for cheap or free things to do on the Big Island? You’re at the right place.
I’ve visited the Big Island 4 times now, and know how expensive food, accommodation, and rental cars can be. Thankfully, with the abundance of natural attractions, you don’t need to spend anything on activities to have a memorable trip.
This article will cover the best free activities on the Big Island so you can enjoy your Hawaiian vacation without breaking the bank.
Read on to discover the best free activities on the Big Island, from coffee farm tours to hidden lava tubes!
Kona Coffee Farm Tours
One of the best free activities is to tour a Kona coffee farm. There’s over 600 coffee farms on the Big Island, with Greenwell Farms and Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation offering free tours.
Whether you drink coffee or not, these tours are a great way to learn about Kona agriculture. You’ll get to walk through a lush coffee farm, learn about their in-depth cultivation process, and sample different flavors of Kona coffee.
For a full list, check out our article on the best Kona coffee farm tours.
Kaumana Caves
The Kaumana Caves is a large, over 2 mile lava tube created by a Mauna Loa eruption from 1881. This hidden gem is free to visit, and just a few miles away from Rainbow Falls in Hilo.
You can park alongside the road, and explore the inside of the lava tube. There’s hanging vines at the entrance, and the cave’s walls are surrounded by interesting lava flow patterns.
Make sure to bring a flashlight and wear hiking shoes, as the inside is completely dark and the trail is made of lava rock.
Rainbow Falls
Rainbow Falls is a must visit 80 foot waterfall created by the Wailuku River in Hilo. Named after the rainbows that form when sunlight hits the mist underneath the fall, it’s best to visit it early in the morning on a sunny day.
After seeing the waterfall, walk up the small set of stairs upstream to see magnificent ancient Banyan trees. This is one of the most beautiful areas on the Big Island.
Panaewa Rainforest Zoo
The Panaewa Rainforest Zoo is a beautiful nonprofit zoo tucked in Hilo’s rainforest. This zoo has everything from white tigers to spider monkeys, so it’s a fun place to visit for all ages.
It’s entirely free to visit, and has a small gift shop where you can leave a donation to support the zoo.
Punalu’u Black Sand Beach
Punaluu Beach is one of the most stunning beaches, located just 20 minutes outside of the Volcanoes National Park. The beach’s sand is made of lava that once flowed into the ocean and rapidly cooled into basalt as it hit the water.
Fringing the shore are green coconut palm trees, and you’ll likely see a few green sea turtles basking on the shore. There’s no parking fee, and there’s restrooms, picnic areas, and a small gift shop that sells t–shirts and souvenirs.
Once you work up an appetite, make sure to stop by Punalu’u Bake Shop (10 minutes away) to try their famous malasadas or Hawaiian sweet bread.
Mauna Kea Summit Visitor Center
The Mauna Kea Summit visitor center (Onizuka Center for International Astronomy) sits at an elevation of 9,200 feet on the mountain. This is the best place on the island to watch the sunset, and the visitor center is accessible with any vehicle.
It has a small gift shop with restrooms, telescope exhibits, and a park ranger to answer any questions about visiting the top of the summit. From the visitor center, walk across the street, and hike the “sunset hill trail” for an amazing view of the sunset above the clouds.
For everything you should know before visiting, see our article on the Mauna Kea visitor center vs summit.
Coconut Island
Coconut Island is a tiny little island tucked along Hilo Bay that’s popular among locals. There’s a bridge that connects to the island, and it has grassy picnic areas, a small sandy beach, and a water tower that local kids enjoy jumping off of into the water.
This is the perfect place to stop for a family-friendly picnic, and it’s within walking distance to restaurants in downtown Hilo.
Liliʻuokalani Gardens
Also tucked along Hilo Bay, the Liliʻuokalani Gardens are serene Japanese gardens with fish ponds, arches, and ornamental trees. It has a lovely view of Hilo’s waterfront, and is just a short walk to Coconut Island, or restaurants in downtown Hilo.
Kealakekua Bay & Captain Cook Monument
Kealakekua Bay is the best place to snorkel on the Big Island, and is home to the iconic Captain Cook monument.
The bay is secluded, so it’s only accessible by boat/kayaks, or hiking the Captain Cook monument trail.
Although most people go on a snorkeling tour to visit the bay, you can hike there for free! The Captain Cook monument trail is a 3.9 mile round trip trail, with an elevation gain of over 1,200 feet, so you can expect to be hiking for 1–2 hours in total.
This hike is moderately challenging, but the views, and great snorkeling at the bay make it well worth it.
See our article on how to get to Kealakekua Bay for more details on the hike.
Carlsmith Beach Park
Carlsmith Beach Park is a gorgeous natural lagoon just a few miles east of Hilo Bay. The beach has crystal clear, gentle waters, and tide pools often filled with dozens of sea turtles. This is a great place to snorkel, and there’s picnic tables and restrooms within the park.
Richardson Ocean Park
Richardson Ocean Park is the closest black sand beach to Hilo, and a great place to swim and snorkel.
There’s picnic areas, restrooms, and benches overlooking the ocean.
Make sure to wear water shoes so you can explore the rocky tide pools filled with seashells and marine life.
Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park
The Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park is an oceanfront historic park in Kona with a petroglyph trail that leads out to ancient Hawaiian fishing ponds. It’s known for being one of the best places to spot green sea turtles on the island, as the fish ponds are surrounded by turtles.
The visitor center is free to visit, and it’s less than a mile hike out to the beach area. Alternatively, you can park at the Honokohau Small Boat Harbor parking lot, and do a short 10 minute walk out to the fish ponds.
Just remember to stay at a viewing distance of 10 feet from the turtles, as it’s against the law to bother sea turtles in Hawaii.
Spencer Beach Park
Spencer Beach Park is a family-friendly beach in Waimea, with grassy picnic areas, tables, barbecue grills, and a sandy beach.
The beach has soft white sand, gentle waters, and unique Kiawe trees with twisted branches along the shore.
This is an excellent beach to swim or have a family picnic, if you’re looking for a less crowded beach in Kona.
Pu’ukohola Heiau National Historic Site
The Pu’ukohola Heiau National Historic Site is another amazing free historic park to visit, just up the street from Spencer Beach Park in Waimea. Once you arrive at this site, you can watch a free film on the story of King Kamehameha, the first Hawaiian monarch.
From the visitor center, there’s a short trail overlooking the ocean that leads to an ancient Hawaiian temple site.
This site was built by Kamehameha between 1790 and 1791, and is one of the largest preserved ancient temple sites in Hawaii.
Waipio Valley Lookout
The Waipio Valley Lookout is a scenic overlook of the lush Waipio valley and beautiful coastline. It’s free to visit, has restrooms, and is just a short walk to the main viewpoint.
It’s located along the Hamakua coast, so it’s a great place to stop on a road trip from Kona to Hilo.
Shipman’s Beach (Haena)
Shipman’s Beach (Haena) is a hidden gem white sand beach, just south of Hilo. The beach is secluded, and is only accessible by hiking the Puna trail, a tropical (5 mile round trip) trail through the jungle.
This is a resting site for green sea turtles, and one of the best places to spot them on the island. Keep in mind that there’s no restrooms or lifeguards at this beach.
Additionally, it’s known for having very strong currents, so it’s not ideal for swimming. If you plan on getting in the water, make sure to pay attention to the safety signs, and never turn your back to the ocean.
Historic Downtown Kona
Stroll along Ali‘i Drive in downtown Kona to see the historic Hulihe‘e Palace and Mokuaikaua Church. The Hulihe‘e Palace is a museum of a former Hawaiian royalty home built in 1838, and you can do a self–guided tour of the inside for only $10.
The Mokuaikaua Church is the oldest Christian church in Hawaii, built in 1837, that you can tour the inside of for free. These historic sites are right across the street from each other, and around a 5 minute walk from the restaurants and shops downtown.
Magic Sands Beach
Magic Sands Beach is a beautiful white sand beach in the heart of Kona, with free parking and entry. The beach gets its name “magic” sands, because the sand’s occasionally pulled into the ocean by the current, causing the sandy shoreline to disappear.
The beach has restrooms, volleyball courts, and a restaurant (Magics Beach Grill), where you can enjoy a meal overlooking the water.
Lapakahi State Historical Park
Lapakahi State Historical Park is a historic park in Waimea, with a visitor center, and short trail that leads to an ancient Hawaiian fishing village.
Throughout the trail you’ll have a sweeping view of the ocean, so this is also an excellent place to go whale watching.
Two Step Beach (Honaunau Bay)
Two Step Beach is one of the best snorkeling beaches in Kona, located right by Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park. There’s a small parking lot by the beach for $5/day, or you can park along the street, and walk down to the beach.
It’s named “Two Step” because it has a rock staircase you can climb down for easy access into the water. The water’s filled with a variety of tropical fish
Waiale Falls
Waiale Falls is a beautiful lesser known waterfall in Hilo. This multi-tiered waterfall is located right off of a bridge, and accessible by hiking the Waiale Falls Trail. If you don’t want to hike, you’ll still have the best view of the waterfall from the bridge.
Just remember to park along the road after crossing the bridge, as it has no dedicated parking spaces.
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