Free & Cheap Things to Do in Kailua-Kona

Parks & Nature

The Big Island's most popular beginner snorkeling spot, a calm reef-protected bay just south of town on Aliʻi Drive teeming with tropical fish and green sea turtles. A lifeguard, restrooms, and volunteer reef educators make it family-friendly and free.

Address: 78-6710 Aliʻi Dr, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

Tip: Free street parking fills early — arrive before 10am. Wear reef shoes (the entry is rocky) and reef-safe sunscreen. Volunteers at the ReefTeach tent share where to find honu (turtles) and how to snorkel without harming the coral.

Parks & Nature

A small, lively white-sand beach on Aliʻi Drive nicknamed “Magic Sands” because winter swells can sweep the sand away overnight and bring it back later. Great for bodyboarding and sunset-watching, with a lifeguard, showers, and restrooms.

Address: 77-6452 Aliʻi Dr, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

Tip: Free but limited parking; come early or walk from town. Strong shorebreak makes it a bodyboarding favorite — better for confident swimmers than small kids. A short drive from Kahaluʻu, so you can pair the two beaches in a free morning.

History & Museums

A seaside royal retreat built in 1838 on Aliʻi Drive, once the vacation home of Hawaiian royalty and now a house museum run by the Daughters of Hawaiʻi. Koa-wood furnishings, royal portraits, and artifacts tell the story of the Hawaiian Kingdom in Kona.

Address: 75-5718 Aliʻi Dr, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

Tip: Open Wednesday to Saturday; self-guided and 40-minute docent-guided tours are both offered, with walk-ins welcome. It sits right on Aliʻi Drive across from Mokuʻaikaua Church, so the two pair naturally into a short downtown history stop.

Scenic & Historic

The oldest Christian church in Hawaii, completed in 1837 by the first missionaries from lava rock and crushed coral mortar, its 112-foot steeple long the tallest structure in Kona. A small free exhibit inside covers missionary and Hawaiian history.

Address: 75-5713 Aliʻi Dr, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

Tip: Free to enter; donations support preservation. The interior of native koa and ōhiʻa wood and a model of the brig Thaddeus are worth a look. Directly across Aliʻi Drive from Huliheʻe Palace in the heart of Historic Kailua Village.

History & Culture

A free national park just north of town preserving an ancient Hawaiian settlement — massive hand-built fishponds, fish traps, petroglyphs, house sites, and a coastal trail where green sea turtles bask on the beach. A quiet window into pre-contact Hawaiian life.

Address: Kaloko Rd, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

Tip: Free admission and parking. Bring water, sun protection, and sturdy shoes — the trails cross open lava with little shade. The ʻAiʻopio fishtrap and Honokōhau Beach are good spots to see honu (turtles) resting on shore.

History & Culture

The “Place of Refuge,” a sacred site south of Kona where ancient Hawaiians who broke a kapu (sacred law) could be absolved and spared. Reconstructed temple platforms, fierce wooden kiʻi (carved images), royal grounds, and coconut groves along a dramatic lava coastline.

Address: State Hwy 160, Hōnaunau, HI 96726

Tip: The vehicle pass covers everyone in the car for a week, and kids under 16 are free; America the Beautiful passes are accepted. Pair it with snorkeling at Two Step (Honaunau Bay) right next door. Allow 1-2 hours for the self-guided grounds.

Historic Towns

The walkable seaside heart of Kailua-Kona along Aliʻi Drive, lined with shops, cafes, historic churches, and oceanfront views. King Kamehameha spent his final years here beside Kailua Pier, and the Ahuʻena Heiau temple still stands on the bay.

Address: Aliʻi Dr, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

Tip: Free to stroll; pay only for what you buy. Sunset over Kailua Bay from the pier is the nightly highlight. Time a visit for a Kokua Kailua village stroll (select Sundays), when Aliʻi Drive closes to cars for vendors and live music.

History & Museums

A preserved 1920s-30s Japanese coffee homestead in the Kona coffee belt, where costumed interpreters work the farm, mill coffee, and tend the historic farmhouse, gardens, and donkeys. A hands-on look at the immigrant families who built Kona's famous coffee industry.

Address: 82-6199 Hawaiʻi Belt Rd, Captain Cook, HI 96704

Tip: Open Tuesdays and Fridays, 10am-2pm (last entry 1:15). Hawaii residents get steeply discounted admission. It's about 20 minutes south of Kailua-Kona in Captain Cook; school and homeschool field-trip programs are available by emailing the Kona Historical Society.