Last October, we spent five days on Big Island, Hawaii and it was as magical as we expected it to be. We stayed near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and the majority of our time was focused in the Volcano and Hilo areas, but we did spend time in Kona as well. If you’re heading to the Big Island and hiking, sightseeing, and eating good food are things you enjoy, we hope our Big Island itinerary will help you with planning! Over the next five posts, we’re recapping each of our five days. Here’s day 1:

We left Denver very early and made it to Kona International Airport around noon on our first day. Though you do get a bigger snack than on most normal U.S. flights, we were pretty hungry by the time we landed. As soon as we got our rental car, we headed for Kona Brewing Company. The brewery is about a 15 minute drive from the airport.

Kona Brewing is probably the most well known Hawaiian brewery and should definitely be on your Big Island itinerary. But if you’ve had the Kona beer in the U.S., you might be surprised to learn the beer brewed in Kona is actually not the same. The beer available in the states is now brewed on the mainland U.S. We shared a beer and two tasters (the lemongrass luau was a surprising favorite) and ordered a pizza.

No longer hungry, we hit the road heading towards Volcano where we were staying for the next few days. The drive from Kona to Volcano takes a little over two hours and we took the south island route so we could make a few stops along the way. Unfortunately, we couldn’t fit in everything we had hoped for and ended up skipping Two Step Beach which is famous for snorkeling. We’d also hoped to see the Captain Cook monument but getting their requires a boat tour, kayak, or four-mile hike and we just didn’t have time. You may want to work those into your itinerary if possible.

Instead, our first stop on the drive was South Point Complex. The GPS takes you to a parking area and from there you’ll follow a short hiking path toward the Pacific. South Point Complex is USA’s southernmost tip (nope, it’s not Key West). To be honest, there isn’t a ton to see here other than ocean views but it is neat to say you’ve been to the southern most point of the country.

After South Point, we headed for my favorite (albeit quick) spot of the day: Punalu’u black sand beach. Black sand beaches are one of the unique features of the volcanic landscape of Hawaii and you’ll want to make sure at least one is on your Big Island itinerary. Punalu’u does not disappoint and it’s easy to get to (does not require a hike like some do).

Punalu’u is a great spot to see sea turtles basking in the sand, but do not disturb them. Keep your distance and try not to make too much noise. There are (at least while we were there) volunteers keeping an eye on the area and keeping the turtles blocked from the public. You can still get a good look at them even keeping your distance.

After the beach, our next stop was our home for the next few days in the town of Volcano. I’ll be honest: we’ve had some bad experiences with Airbnb in the past. However, we can definitely recommend this one. If you want to be close to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, this spot is just the right size for two people. The host, Lee, was also super helpful with providing tips for viewing the volcano and exploring the park.

After settling in, we decided to head into the national park for dinner. Keep in mind: There is a park entrance fee but typically the fee collection booths are only open during business hours. Volcano Lodge Hotel inside the park has two restaurants that are open later than most other options in the town of Volcano: Volcano House and Uncle George’s Lounge at Volcano House. It can be pretty crowded at both so consider making a reservation. We didn’t have one but were able to get on the wait list for Uncle George’s Lounge. While we waited, we wandered through the gift shop and then relaxed in the lobby by the fireplace.

The dinner at Uncle George’s was fairly standard, but the view is unique. Ask for a table near the window (if available) and you’ll be able to see the glow from Halemaʻumaʻu crater. After dinner, head outside behind the lodge and you can get an even better look.

And that’s a wrap on the first day of our Big Island itinerary! On Day 2, we spent most of our time in Hilo and we’ll be sharing details in our next post!

Need more Hawaii inspiration?

Check out these blog posts to help you plan your trip:

• The Ultimate Big Island Bucket List
• What to Eat and Drink on Big Island, Hawaii
• One Day in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

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