Other Things to Do in Kona
The mantas own the night. Here’s how to fill the daylight around them — coffee country, the best water on the island, volcanoes, and one of the darkest skies on Earth.
Kona coffee country
The coffee belt runs the slopes above town through Holualoa, Kealakekua and Honaunau — volcanic soil, cloud cover and elevation that grow coffee found nowhere else. Most farms are small and family-run, with tours and tastings a short drive up Mamalahoa Highway.
Magic Sands
Minutes from town, and famous for it: the sand washes away in winter swell and returns in summer. Good bodysurfing when the shorebreak is up, easy swimming when it isn’t.
Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau
South of Kealakekua Bay, a preserved place of refuge where those who broke kapu could seek sanctuary. Carved kiʻi stand over lava-rock walls, tide pools and royal grounds — a natural pairing with a morning on the reef.
Kua Bay
Bright white sand and vivid turquoise water north of the airport. Best on calm mornings; the shorebreak can be serious when the swell arrives.
Hapuna Beach
A long, wide crescent up the Kohala coast — the kind of beach you plan a whole day around, with reliable swimming and plenty of room.
Kahaluʻu Beach Park
The easiest snorkeling in Kona: shallow, protected, and full of fish, with green sea turtles grazing the rocks and gear rental across the road.
Mauna Kea
The visitor station sits at 9,200 feet, about two hours from Kona, and the stargazing is among the best anywhere. Bring far more warm clothing than Hawaii suggests, and check road and weather conditions first.
Volcanoes National Park
A long but worthwhile day: Kilauea’s crater, steam vents, lava tubes and the drive down Chain of Craters Road to the coast. Activity changes what’s open, so check current conditions.
Historic Kailua Village
Huliheʻe Palace, Mokuʻaikaua Church — the first Christian church in the islands — and the pier where outrigger canoes and the Ironman swim both start. Easy to walk, and where you’ll find dinner before an early departure.
Building your day around the mantas
Our night tours leave from the harbor by the Outrigger Resort, so keep your late afternoon loose and stay on the Kona side. A morning on the reef, a coffee farm after lunch, an easy dinner in town, then the mantas — that’s a full Big Island day.
Read the Kona manta ray guide, see when to go, or book the Moonlight Manta Snorkel.
End the day with the mantas
Whatever fills your afternoon, the night belongs to them.
Conditions at parks, beaches and summit roads change; check official sources before you travel. Waivers are required before every tour — mandatory for all tour companies in Hawaii.