Kiholo Bay is accessed via a rough road at the mile marker 82 north of Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Kauai.   The road winds down through the lava flows to a parking area near the by and then we can hike north or south along the coastline.

One of the featured spots is a water-filled lava tube (Keanalele).   There is a combination of seawater and fresh water in the pools and we can swim through a short tunnel to another pond.

Beyond the pools are some brackish ponds, once an enormous fishpond built by King Kamehameha in 1810 but it was ruined by a lava flow in 1859.   The lagoons are surrounded by lava flows and is frequented by honu (sea turtles).   We watched two traversing between the ponds and the ocean.

Between the lagoons and lava tubes are tidal pools, sandy coves, lava shelves, black sand beaches, a tidal stream, a coral beach, and some headlands, a perfect area for exploration. Click any image for a larger photo:

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More Information:

• Kiholo South
• Other Big Island hikes (use the Search br – Mauna Kea, Makole’a Trail, Mahai’ula Bay, Makalewna Beach, Pu’u Ku’ili, Kua Bay, South from A Beach, Puako Petroglyphs, Hapuna, Polulu Valley, and Kekeaha Kai, with more to come.