2 Best Sights in North Kona, Big Island

It's slow going down a 1.8-mile, bumpy but partially paved road off Highway 19 to this beach park, but the lovely beaches are worth it when you reach the end. Very low-profile rentals may have some trouble making the drive. This state park encompasses three beaches: from south to north, Mahaiula, Makalawena, and Kua Bay, which has its own entrance. Mahaiula and Makalawena are classically beautiful expanses of white sand with dunes. Makalawena has great swimming and body boarding. ( Makalawena, sandwiched between the two state parks, is private property and falls under the jurisdiction of Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estates.) Watch out for rough surf and strong currents, especially in winter. From Makalawena, a 4½-mile trail leads to Kua Bay. If you're game, work your way on foot to the top of Puu Kuili, a 342-foot-high cinder cone with a fantastic coastline view. But be prepared for the heat and bring water, as there are no services of any kind in the park. Gates at the highway entrance close promptly at 7, so you must leave the lot by about 6:30. Amenities: toilets. Best for: swimming.

The trails at this sheltered 1,160-acre coastal park near Honokohau Harbor, just north of Kailua-Kona, are popular with walkers and hikers, and the park is a good place to observe Hawaiian archaeological history and intact ruins. These include a heiau (temple), house platforms, ancient fishponds, and numerous petroglyphs along a boardwalk. The park's wetlands provide refuge to waterbirds such as the endemic Hawaiian stilt and coot. Two beaches here are good for swimming, sunbathing, and sea turtle spotting: Aiopio, a few yards north of the harbor, is small and calm, with protected swimming areas (good for kids); Honokohau Beach, also north of the harbor, is a ¾-mile stretch with ruins of ancient fishponds. Of the park's three entrances, the middle one leads to a visitor center with helpful rangers and lots of information. Local docents with backgrounds in geology or other subjects give nature walks. To go directly to the beaches, take the harbor road north of the Gentry retail center, park in the gravel lot, and follow the signs.