Scenic Drive to the Volcano on the Big Island

Today is Day 7 in Hawaii and we are taking the scenic drive to the Volcano on the Big Island. We’re leaving our friends in Waikoloa a day early to head to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. We have many stops planned along the way including Kona coffee, national park sites and a black sand beach. Check out our full itinerary of stops on this scenic drive to the Volcano!

Make sure to check back regularly for all of our adventures in Hawaii at: Destination – Hawaii.

Planning the Scenic Drive to the Volcano

After a day of relaxing on the Big Island, we’re heading to check-in at the Volcano House. At the summit of Kilauea, the historic Volcano House hotel is the only lodging in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. And we booked 2 nights there about 9 months ago. That was before Kilauea started erupting last December, and regularly about every week or so since. So when we booked, we had no idea we might actually see an eruption while staying in the park. And the volcano can blow at any time now!

From the west side of the Big Island to the Volcano, there are 3 routes. The most direct route is on Saddle Road. And it’s under 2 hours through the middle of the island. If the volcano was erupting this would be our route. But there’s not much to see on the way. Luckily the volcano has not started erupting yet, so that leaves 2 very scenic, but different routes. The northern route takes over 2.5 hours through lush, green scenery. While the southern route takes over 3 hours through dry volcanic landscapes along the coast. And it passes a black sand beach that Becky really wants to see.  So, we’re taking the long route.

Now that we’ve decided our route, we planned some stops along the way. There’s 3 national park sites on this route. There’s Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park followed by Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park. And there’s also the Kahuku Unit of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Then we’ll stop at the Punalu’u Bake Shop for some goodies before visiting the Punalu’u Black Sand Beach. And then we’ll finish our scenic drive to the Volcano House. But the 1st stop is in Kona for coffee.

1st top on our scenic drive to the Volcano – Kona Mountain Coffee

A 3 hour drive with 6 stops is going to take us all day, so our 1st stop for coffee is a must. Though we get a late start around 9:30AM. The drive to Waikoloa to Kona takes less than 30 minutes. And it’s a beautiful drive with not much around but lava rocks littered everywhere. Though we take a quick stop at a scenic viewpoint. Here we get a gorgeous view of the blue water beyond.

We saw the Kona Mountain Coffee store driving past it the other day. And it’s just down the road from our next stop. But we’re not just stopping at any coffee shop, this is Kona coffee. Grown only in the volcanic-rich soil in the Kona area, this coffee is one of the most expensive in the world. And we want some! Check out 100% Kona Coffee from Kona Mountain Coffee for more.

There are many stores and farms to stop at in the Kona area, but this one is very convenient. It’s just off the main road and it has plenty of parking. Inside is a large gift stop and a coffee counter. We order a couple macadamia nut lattes and a strawberry keiki frappe for our daughter. And we buy some small ground coffee packs for gifts and some snacks for the road. There no real food options here, though we did find a public restroom in this strip mall. But, we’ll find lunch after our next stop.

Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park

About 1.5 miles down the road is Kaloko-Honakohau National Historical Park. Since 1978, this park protects the site of an ancient Hawaiian settlement along this western coast of the island. It includes two fishponds and a fishtrap that were used for food production. And there are also petroglyphs. Find out more at: Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park.

From the parking lot there’s a short path to the visitor center. The open building has a little store, some displays and a view of the ocean out back. While Becky gets her passport book stamped. I talk to a ranger. 2 things I want to see are petroglyphs and possibly sea turtles at the beach. And from here, it’s about 1 mile walk past the petroglyphs to the beach. But the ranger informs me there’s another entrance with a much shorter walk.

Down the road, the next turn is for the Honokohau Boat Harbor. There’s plenty of parking where we see a gate with a sign for the park. Here we start on a rugged trail for 5 minutes until we see a sign for the “‘Aiʻopio Fish Trap”. We walk around a large puddle through a covered tree canopy. And on the other side we come out at the beach.

The 1st thing we see is the halau wa’a or replica canoe house. And behind it is the ‘Ai’opio Fishtrap. Fish would enter at high tide through a narrow channel in the rock wall and get trapped here. Today it’s a great place for swimmers and snorkelers, and we see a sea turtle! It’s swimming really close to the shore, and close to some people in the water. But we have to go if we want to check out the petroglyphs.

Petroglyphs at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park

After about 15 minutes on the beach, we head back to the trail and continue toward the petroglyphs. We weren’t prepared to swim with sea turtles, but we are prepared to hike on these rocky trails. With sturdy footwear and our water bottles, we turn right at a restroom bullding.

Past the closed restrooms, we continue until we see a boardwalk trail. Halfway around the boardwalk we see some numbers and realize this is the petroglyph path. We couldn’t find any information related to these numbers, but we circle back to look around each one. And sure enough we see some petroglyphs. Though without context these petroglyphs are hard to make out, and sometimes hard to find.

After finishing the boardwalk we head back toward our car. We spent just under 45 minutes exploring the beach and petroglyphs. But it is now past 11:30AM and we are hungry for lunch. And less than 2 miles away is a Costco. It’s the perfect place to refuel our car and our bellies. And after some hot dogs and some more snacks, we get back on the road to drive 25 miles to our next stop.

Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park

Our 3rd stop is another ancient Hawaiian site now preserved by the national park service. The Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park is also known as the “Place of Refuge”. In Hawaiian tradition, if someone broke the sacred laws the penalty was often death. But they could seek refuge and forgiveness within the walls of the Puʻuhonua or “Great Wall”. You can read more here at: Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park.

Unlike the last park, there is a fee to enter this one. But we show our annual pass to enter. Once inside the thing to do here is a self-guided walk through the Royal Grounds and behind the Puʻuhonua. And here the numbered stops are clearly marked in the park brochure. You start from the visitor center, and walk down toward the shore.

The Royal Grounds has 7 marked stops including the Great Wall. One stop showcases konane, an ancient strategy game played with black stones and white coral pieces. Another stop explains the Keone’ele or the protected cove here. Though one of the things we want to see are the Ki’i, or hand-carved tiki statues.

There’s 1 on the shoreline called Kū-kaʽilimoku , a guardian god of governance and warfare. Though we know there are more at the Hale o Keawe, or royal masoleum we see in the distance. On our way there we enjoy the coastal views.

Hale o Keawe is also an active place of worship today. Hawaiians still revere this place that houses bones of 23 of their royal ancestors. Just before it we can see the Great Wall, the last numbered stop before reaching the royal temple.

The Pu’uhonua or Place of Refuge

The 1st stop behind the Pu’uhonua is the Hale o Keawe. And there are many more tiki statues here including many inside behind the fence. But the most popular 2 are by the shore.

The 2 statues we want to see are Kane and Kanaloa representing the major gods Kiei and Hālō. Acknowledged as the gods of creation and life, there is another pair of them also in the Hale o Keawe. Once around the corner, you are now safe behind the Pu’uohonua.

Once behind the wall, it really does seem like a place of refuge. Besides being protected, it’s a peaceful area with tidepools and more beautiful views. The trail continues through the Pu’uhonua and past the exit in the wall. There are 2 more stops to in the Royal Grounds to finish the walking tour. One is the royal fish ponds followed by 2 halau wa’a or more canoe houses.

After the canoe houses, the tour ends back at the visitor center. We walked for about 50 minutes and return to see the visitor center is closed. There’s a sign on it saying it’s closed for lunch until 2:10PM which is 5 minutes from now. So we decide to wait and use the restrooms here. Once out, we see the store is back open. And after over an hour here, we get back on the road.

The Painted Church

Leaving Pu’uhonua O’Honauna, we head back to the main road. And on the way we see a sign for the Painted Church. I had heard about one on the island, so we decide to make another quick stop. And it’s only a few minutes or a 1/4 mile off the route.

When we park in the lot, we see a sign for St. Benedict Catholic Church in Honanunau, South Kona. Dating back to 1899, the church is a historical landmark, but still active today. As we walk up, we pass a hut with some rosaries and other small items. And there’s a sign for recommended donations for the different items. There not expensive. So we get a few things and put some cash in the donation box, and then walk into the church.

The outside of the church is plain white, but inside is an incredible story. A self-taught Belgian priest founded the church and decorated the interior. It took him over 4 years to beautify the church with house paint on ordinary wood, and no training. At the time, few Hawaiians could read, and he was learning the Hawaiian language. So he painted 6 murals of biblical scenes, 3 on each side, to serve as important teaching tools. You can read more about the church at: thepaintedchurchhawaii.org.

We spend about 10 minutes inside the church admiring the murals and the painted ceilings. But even more amazing is behind the altar painted to look like a Gothic cathedral in Spain. Glad we stopped in, but we have to get back on the road. It’s almost 3:00PM and we have 3 more stops planned. And the next stop is almost 50 minutes away.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Kahuku Unit

Located on the slopes of Mauna Loa, the Kahuku Unit of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park used to be a cattle ranch. Today there are various day hikes available through grassy meadows to cinder cones and through old lava flows. Read more about it at: The Kahuku Unit – Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

We turn onto Kahuku Road and drive through a gate to park in a dirt lot for the visitor center. And then we walk into the green building where we are greeted by park rangers. They tell us they close in 15 minutes at 4:00PM, and we have to be out before the gate is locked. We got here later than we had hoped, but didn’t realize we’d have to leave the park so soon.

We do have time to get our passport books stamped, look around the store and get info from the rangers. They’re doing a guided walk tomorrow morning if we want to come back. But that all depends on if the volcano is erupting. So after another quick stop, we are back on the road. Our next stop is only 10 minutes away, and a must-stop.

Punalu’u Bake Shop

I heard so much about this bakery during my research, and thought it would be a perfect stop. This world-class bakery is most famous for its sweet bread. But they also have malasadas, turnovers, and other pastries. They also serve plate lunches, sandwiches and coffee. You can read more about it here at: Our Visitor Center – Punalu‘u Bake Shop.

Apparently, the Punalu’u Bake Shop is the most visited bakery in Hawaii. And even after 4:00PM, it’s still busy. When we go inside there’s still a line for bakery items, but not many left. We were hoping for some more malasadas, or Portuguese doughnuts, but they’re all gone. So, we settle on a coconut-filled turnover. However, they do still have many options of sweet bread.

Becky grabs a macadamia nut or macnut round and a pack of dinner rolls. And she asks for butter and they give her some packets and plastic knives. We’ll save the sweet bread for later. We may need to pack sandwiches for lunch tomorrow. But there’s one thing our daughter wants now.

They also have an ice cream stand. And our daughter wants a cone with kulolo, or taro & coconut milk. Becky and I get a cup of macadamia nut to share. Then we take our stuff outside to enjoy under a covered dining area. After our treats, we find they have nice restrooms to wash up before we get back on the road. If the volcano isn’t erupting tomorrow, this would also be a great place to come back to in the morning. We’re only 45 minutes away from the Volcano House, but we have 1 more planned stop.

Punalu’u Black Sand Beach stop on our scenic drive to the Volcano

15 minutes down the road, we make it to the whole reason we did this route. I’m talking about Punalu’u Black Sand Beach. Punalu’u is named after underground spring water that flows into it. But the most obvious feature is the black sand made from lava flowing into the ocean many years ago.

There are 2 parking lots allowing access to both sides of the beach. We park at the 1st one near a large picnic pavilion and the Kauila Statue. According to Hawaiian mythology, Kauila was a mystical sea turtle that would turn into human form. She would play with the children, and watch over them. And the spirit of Kauila can be felt here today by the green sea turtles that inhabit this area. And that’s what we’re hoping to see.

Walking on the black sand beach feels just like walking on any beach. It can get hot, but at this time of day it is fine. Though on this side of the beach, it is rocky. No swimming here.

We check out the many black volcanic rocks near the shore. The waves crash over them making tidepools in their crevices. Though past the rocks is a different scene.

Past the lifeguard station, there are lots of people on the beach. This is not the best beach to swim at because of the strong currents here and caution is advised. But that does not stop people wading in the shallow surf. This beach is the most crowded place we’ve been to today, but we see what we want to see.

Sea Turtles at Punalu’u Black Sand Beach

Similar to the monk seal we saw at Hanauma Bay, we see a sea turtle resting on the beach. It’s in a protected area behind a sign and a barrier of black rocks. And the honu, or green sea turtle, is sleeping at the rocky shoreline.

Even though we have to stay at least 20 feet away, we are excited to finally see a sea turtle so close. We’ve seen some in the water, including this morning. But seeing one up-close makes this stop worthwhile for us.

We walk around the rock barricade to get a different view. The sea turtle opens its eyes for a second, otherwise it just lies their motionless. Down the beach I saw some people looking into some rocks where another turtle was swimming in the water. Apparently they come here often, and we’re glad to see 1 up-close. After 30 minutes here, and a final restroom stop, we are ready to finish our scenic drive to the volcano. But before we get there, we make 1 more quick stop.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park sign on our scenic drive to the Volcano

Once we leave the black sand beach, we start our drive up to the volcano. And about 20 minutes later, we the entrance sign for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and pull over.

There is a small pullout here, so we stop and get out of our car. This is probably the best sign in the park to take a picture. It looks to be made of volcanic rock and is definitely a unique sign. But, we still have a little ways left to go.

The Volcano House

Since 1846, some form of the Volcano House has sat on the edge of one of the world’s most active volcanoes. And we are excited to stay here for 2 nights. Check out more at: Hawaii Volcano House.

It’s after 6:00PM by the time we make it to the entrance, and there’s no one here to take our fee. So we just drive through, and continue around some road construction past the closed visitor center and lots of cars. And when we get to Volcano House, there are cars parked everywhere. I squeeze up to the lobby entrance and park to unload. The lobby is full of people that have come to see the eruption. Though the front desk is very helpful checking us in, and they even give us complimentary mimosas!

The Volcano House is definitely in the middle of the action. At the front desk is a monitor with a live cam where we find out the volcano has not started erupting yet. Though it could happen at any time. So we head out back to get a view for ourselves. We find an open spot outside where we can see right into the crater. And we can see there is steam coming out of the main vent, but no lava yet.

After eating some dinner from the restaurant, we head back outside. It has gotten so dark, we can see hundreds of stars in the sky. And we can also see a glow from the volcano. But it’s time to go to bed.  Though we are excited for more adventures tomorrow.

Summary of our Scenic Drive to the Volcano

Our scenic drive from Waikoloa to the Volcano House took us almost 9 hours. It was an action-packed day starting with Kona coffee before going to Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park. The visitor center is nice, and the highlight was seeing a sea turtle in the water at the beach. Though we weren’t prepared to go snorkeling and we probably could’ve skipped the petroglyphs. After a quick refuel at Costco, we went to Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park. Here we really enjoyed walking around the royal grounds, seeing all the tiki statues and behind the great wall. Afterwards, we made an unexpected stop at the Painted Church, which was both fascinating and beautiful,

We only had a short time at the Kahuku Visitor Center, before we drove to the Punalu’u Bake Shop. It’s definitely worth a stop, but earlier the better before they run out of bakery items. The highlight for us was our stop at Punalu’u Black Sand Beach and seeing the sea turtle. And even though the sign said not to take any sand with us, it’s hard not to get it in your shoes. We finally made it to the Volcano House after 6:00PM before the volcano started to erupt. So after dinner we went to bed, but our day is not quite over yet.

We are awoken from our sleep at 4:15AM by someone outside saying “Volcano House, we have an eruption”. Be sure to check out our next post all about Seeing the Kilauea Eruption! And make sure to check back regularly for all of our adventures in Hawaii at: Destination – Hawaii.