Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [149]
SWIMMING
The Big Island has over 300 miles of shoreline, but only the Kona Coast has the kind of dreamy white-sand beaches that grace tourist brochures. The best swimming spots are in South Kohala and North Kona: top picks are Hapuna Beach (Click here), Manini′owali (Click here) and Kauna′oa Bay (Click here).
Elsewhere, the coast can be rocky and the seas rough, but protected coves can be found. Time it right, and Hilo’S beaches (Click here) can be great; nearby Puna has a hot pond (Click here) and lava tide pools (Click here).
There are recommended public swimming pools in Hilo (Click here), Kailua-Kona at the Kailua Park Complex (Click here), Kapa′au (Click here), and Pahoa (Click here). For directions and open-swim schedules, call the county Aquatics Division (961-8694).
On Land
CAVING
The Big Island has six of the 10 longest lava tubes in the world, as well as a growing number of guided tours. At Kaumana Cave near Hilo (Click here), you just drive up and walk in (with a flashlight, of course). Others include the culturally rich thousand-year-old Kanohina cave system in Ka′u (Click here); the Kazumura cave system in Puna (Click here); and the lava tubes in Hawai′i Volcanoes National Park – Thurston Lava Tube (Click here) and Pua Po′o (Click here).
CYCLING & MOUNTAIN BIKING
With wide-open spaces, the Big Island is ideal for both road and mountain biking. Outside Kailua-Kona, Hwy 19 has bicycle lanes, and cyclists can enjoy Crater Rim Drive in Hawai′i Volcanoes National Park (Click here). Avid mountain bikers can tackle the 45-mile Mana Rd loop (Click here) circling Mauna Kea and the 6.5-mile beach trail to Pine Trees (Click here) on the Kona Coast, plus plenty more miles of 4WD roads and rocky trails. To find out more about Big Island cycling, contact People’S Advocacy for Trails Hawaii (936-4653; www.pathhawaii.org) or the Hawaii Cycling Club (www.hawaiicyclingclub.com), based in Kona, which hosts fun rides, organizes races and offers advice for nonmembers. The island’S biggest event, of course, is the Ironman Triathlon (Click here).
For Big Island cycling tours, contact Orchid Isle Bicycling (327-0087, 800-219-2324; www.cyclekona.com; day tour $125-145), which offers set and custom-designed trips. Volcano Bike Tours (934-9199; www.bikevolcano.com; day tour $130) seeks out hot lava. For week-long tours, try Woman Tours (800-247-1444; www.womantours.com; tours $2700), for women only, and Common Circle Expeditions (www.commoncircle.com; tours $1000), which focuses on sustainability and green living.
For bicycle rentals, head to the main towns, Hilo (Click here) and Kailua-Kona (Click here).
GOLF
The Big Island boasts more than 20 golf courses, including the world-class courses at the South Kohala resorts. The five that get the most press are the Mauna Kea & Hapuna Golf Courses (Click here), the Mauna Lani golf course (Click here) and Waikoloa Beach & Kings’ Courses (Click here). The Four Seasons Hualalai Course (Click here), designed by Jack Nicklaus, is also highly regarded but open only to club members and hotel guests.
You’ll find the best prices at the Hilo Municipal Golf Course (Click here) and the scenic Volcano Golf & Country Club (Click here), near the national park; both courses are dear to the hearts of locals.
HIKING
Hikers will find the widest variety of trails and terrain at Hawai′i Volcanoes National Park (Click here): hot lava, rain forests, lava deserts, steaming craters, mountain summits, grassy plains and more.
Hawai′i has not one but two nearly 14,000ft summits that can be day hiked: Mauna Loa (Click here) and Mauna Kea (Click here). Want verdant valleys? Try the relatively short hike to Pololu Valley (Click here) in North Kohala, or, from the Hamakua Coast, drop into wondrous Waipi′o Valley (Click here), which can be extended into a two-night backpack to Waimanu Valley (Click here). More good trails await at Kalopa State Recreation Area (Click here).
The website for Na Ala Hele (www.hawaiitrails.org) lists more trails. It is