Here's your daily dose of science: anchialine ponds are coastal ponds that have no surface connection to the ocean, but that nonetheless rise and fall with the tides. A series of such ponds can be found within Waikoloa, where they are maintained and studied by the University of Hawaii. Have a peek at (but don't step in) the clear water to see mollusks, fish and other sea life. The pond trail takes about five minutes to walk.
Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±'s must-see attractions
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At 13,796ft in the air, you are above 40% of the atmosphere and 90% of its water vapor – apparently perfect conditions for growing the giant mushroom-like…
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If what you're after is an almost deserted, postcard-perfect scoop of soft, white-sand beach cupping brilliant blue-green waters, head to 'Maks.' Although…
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Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area
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Puʻukohola Heiau National Historic Site
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By 1790 Kamehameha the Great had conquered Maui, Lanaʻi and Molokaʻi. But power over his home island of Hawaiʻi was a challenge. When told by a prophet…
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The water is usually too cloudy for snorkeling at this beautiful hook-shaped beach with a mix of black lava, white coral and wave-tossed shells, but just…
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About 4 miles south of central Kailua-Kona, this small beach (also called White Sands and, officially, Laʻaloa Beach) has turquoise water, great sunsets,…
Kona Coffee Living History Farm
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Many coffee-farm tours are perfunctory 15-minute affairs. This tour, run by the Kona Historical Society, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institute, is…
Nearby attractions
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A portion of Ala Kahakai – the King's Trail – winds through Waikoloa, offering a somewhat incongruous dose of ancient Hawaiian history and heritage within…
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Don't worry about that tongue twister of an official name; everyone on the island calls this beach 'A Bay.' 'A-plus' is another way of putting it: this…
3. Kuʻualiʻi and Kahapapa Fishponds
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Physical evidence of the ancient aquaculture system that once formed a crucial component of Native Hawaiian foodways is located smack-dab behind…
4. Waikoloa Petroglyph Preserve
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This collection of petroglyphs carved in lava rock is so easy to access that it merits a stop, although the Puako Petroglyph Preserve further north is…
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These ancient fishponds are among the island's few remaining working fishponds. As in ancient times, they're stocked with awa (Hawaiian milk fish). Water…
6. Kalahuipuaʻa Historic Trail
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The first segment of this easy trail meanders through a 16th-century Hawaiian settlement, passing lava tubes once used as cave shelters and a few other…
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Part of the lobby space of the Auberge Mauna Lani resort is taken over by this museum, which showcases a wide range of royal artifacts, shark-tooth…
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Keawaiki is as isolated as Big Island beaches get, mainly because the quickest way here is via a 15 to 20 minute walk over an ʻaʻa lava trail that looks…