Beaches / Swimming / Surfing
Keaukaha
All the way along Kalaniana'ole Avenue, on the way towards Richardson's Ocean Center, you will find many pristine swimming and snorkeling areas. Turquoise water, great shoreline weather and easy access to your car make this a beautiful area to spend the afternoon.
Richardson's Ocean Center
This pretty ocean park offers a naturally protected area with excellent swimming and snorkeling.
Reed's Bay
Hilo's small boat harbor with nearby Ice Pond, a popular swimming spot for local kids.
Parks / Gardens / Museums
Lili'uokalani Park
Take a relaxing walk through this beautiful Japanese Shinto style park with over 30 acres of ponds, rock gardens and bridges.
Pacific Tsunami Museum
This museum offers historical and educational information about tsunami and earthquakes. The museum also has interesting pictures from the tsunamis that struck Hilo in 1960 and 1946.
Lyman House Memorial Museum
A wonderful museum that showcases Hawaii's cultural and natural history. Part of the museum is the 1839 historic missionary home of the Lyman family. The other part is a modern museum with world class displays including incredible seashell and gemstone collections. (A fee is required to view the Museum and House.)
Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo
Hilo is home to the only Rainforest Zoo environment in the United States. Entry is free and the zoo features dozens of exotic birds and animals, all in a natural tropical rain forest.
Natural Sites
Rainbow Falls
A beautiful waterfall with a huge cave underneath. The viewing area and walkways provide excellent views of the waterfall and rainbows.
Kaumana Caves
Enter and explore a portion of a Lava Tube that is over 1.3 miles in length.
Boiling Pots
Water racing down the Wailuku river through Hilo has carved interesting formations into the river bed. A viewing area provides you good view of most of the pots as well as scenic vistas of Hilo and the mountains.
Wailuku River
Dolphin Bay Hotel is located just one block away from the Wailuku River. The river, which feeds the boiling pots and Rainbow Falls, is one of the largest rivers on the island. It's source, high up on the side of Mauna Kea, is fed by rain and seasonal snow.
Heritage Coast Scenic Drive
Just a couple miles outside of Hilo, along the Hamakua Coast, is the 4 mile long Scenic Drive. This is a not-to-be-missed diversion off of the highway that takes you through lush tropical rain forest with unbelievable views of ocean and cliffs.
Local Color
Farmers Market
Just a short walk from Dolphin Bay Hotel is the Farmers Market. This open-air market runs every Wednesday and Saturday and offers a huge variety of local fruit, vegitables, coffees and fish. Popular with locals and tourists alike, the market provides inexpensive produce grown by local families. On Saturday the market also features stands where you can purchase art and fabrics from local artists.