Kealekekua
Bay, on
the leeward side of the Big Island (near
Kona) offers the best snorkeling on the
Big Island. In addition to witnessing
scores of tropical fish, many snorkelers
often see dolphins swimming very close to
the shore. Kealekekua is also one of the
favorite spots of Big Island residents,
so much so that it is part of a famous
Hawaiian song:
I want to go
back
to my little grass shack
in Kealekekua, Hawaii
where the humuhumunukunukuapua’a [the state fish] go swimming by....
You can reach Kealkakekua
Beach via a four mile long, narrow, and
winding road off Route 11. The road is
somewhat difficult to find: it is a right
turn off route 11 just south of the
Kealekekua town center. If you pass the
Kona Civic Center on route 11 (while
traveling southbound), you have gone too
far. The beach is at the bottom of the
hill. Note that the best snorkeling is
near the Captain Cook monument, which is
accessible via kayak or via a trail about
one mile uphill from the Royal Aloha
Coffee Mill (look for the small sign
after Alfred W. Smith’s house; if
you see the 11 mile marker, you have gone
too far).
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