Must do shore dive/freedive on the big island. Come early enough and you'll be greeted by some pods of spinner dolphins. We have about 4 pods on one day, and it was amazing freediving with them and coming up 70f along a pod. Unforgettable experience!

“Place of Refuge” – Two Steps (Hanaunau Bay) Best convenience snorkeling area on the Big Island that has outstanding coral, rock formation, large quantities of fish, turtles, dolphins, etc. The coral and fish are located right off the lava flats which starts off about 4-5 ft deep. The entry (two steps) is just off the left side of the lava... More

One of the few locations I remember from my last trip over 30 years ago. An amazingly calm and gorgeous place. Saw several turtles feeding and one on large beach. Tidepools are amazing and my kids could have stayed and explored these all day. Leave some time for this. Note its quite a steep drive down and then up again

Definitely lived up to descriptions -- beautiful reef, clear water, great snorkeling.

The displays, Tikis, the information available PLUS great snorkeling makes this a good stop for anyone. Even if you do not go snorkeling you may see sea turtles and the tide pools hold hidden wonders. As another person mentioned watch out for Sea Urchins and their nasty spines. The walls, huts and Tikis are only seen in a very few... More

Loved this site. Beautiful, informative, calm, great location. Don't miss this site to learn about kapu and Hawaiian history, it's totally worth a trip. Parking is $5 per car, so almost nothing, and you can snorkel close by at a great park.

We only spent about 45 minutes here because we arrived late in the day. It was neat to see the huts and our boys loved the statues. There were tide pools full of sea creatures that my guys loved and a sea turtle was resting on the beach provided a great photo op. You could probably spend a lot more... More

See my review of Pu'uhonua o Honaunau. This is the proper name of the National Park that includes the Place of Refuge.

Pretty area, well explained, nice beach - but a bit boring. Mo'okini Heiau, up by Hawi, in the Kohala Historical Sites State Monument, is more interesting / stark / beautiful.