Kealakekua Bay at a glance
Kealakekua Bay on the Kona coast is a State Historical Park and a classic destination of snorkel cruises on the Kona coast. At Kaʻawaloa Flats on the bay stands the Captain Cook Monument. Many come to snorkel, and the rules decide how you get there: by tour boat, on a guided kayak tour or along the historic Kaʻawaloa Trail.
The park itself is open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and charges no entry fee. Toilets are only in the Nāpōʻopoʻo part of the park; there are none on the Kaʻawaloa Trail. Bring water and plan your day around that.
Our picks: Kealakekua Bay
The guided kayak trip is the way to paddle the bay, and it comes with gear and lunch. The boats cover the same water with less effort, from a four-hour lunch cruise to a longer morning snorkel with breakfast.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide and Viator. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Morning snorkel at Kealakekua Bay with breakfast and lunch
- Breakfast and lunch
- Snorkel gear and tubes
- Stewardship fee included
A plant-based breakfast and lunch, snorkel gear, view boxes and inner tubes, with a lifeguard-trained crew on board. The ocean stewardship fee and tax are included.
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Kealakekua Bay guided kayak and snorkel trip
- Kayak and snorkel gear
- Lunch included
- Certified guide
A certified guide leads four to five hours of kayaking and snorkeling in the bay, with all gear, lunch and water included.
Check availability →
Captain Cook snorkel by power catamaran
- Lunch and snacks
- Guide on board
- Gear with snorkel option
Four hours with a guide, sandwiches and fruit for lunch, snacks and water. Snorkel gear and a flotation device come with the snorkel option.
Check availability →Kealakekua Bay snorkel and kayak tours
Snorkel cruises to the Captain Cook Monument, a guided kayak and snorkel trip and a dinner cruise to the bay, with live prices and availability.
Snorkeling Captain Cook: the boat trips
Most tours to the bay are snorkel cruises. They differ in length, start and food.
Morning cruise with lunch
The classic trip runs 4 to 4.5 hours from Honokōhau Harbor or Keauhou Bay. Lunch is included, from sandwiches and fruit to a deli buffet, and some boats serve breakfast too. Some boats add flotation gear, underwater view boxes, reef-safe sunscreen or a briefing by a marine naturalist.
Afternoon trip for families
A 4-hour afternoon trip from Keauhou Bay has water slides, a dive platform and inner tubes on board, with snacks rather than a meal. It is the choice for families who do not want an early start.
Small-group snorkel of about 3 hours
Smaller boats leave Keauhou Harbor for about 3 hours in the bay, with fruit, chips and drinks. A different 3-hour trip combines a reef snorkel near Captain Cook with sea caves and dolphin watching.
On all of these, Captain Cook Monument snorkeling means you swim from the boat in the water in front of the monument. A boat ticket is not a landing at Kaʻawaloa Flats. Dolphins, if they appear, are watched from the boat: swimming with spinner dolphins or approaching within 50 yards is banned under federal rules. For snorkel trips elsewhere on the coast, see the Kona snorkeling guide.
Kayaking in Kealakekua Bay
A guided kayak and snorkel tour runs in the bay. It lasts 4 to 5 hours, starts on land in Kealakekua and includes a certified guide, all kayak and snorkel gear, lunch and water in a reusable bottle you keep. A hotel pickup is not part of it.
Paddling on your own is possible but regulated. Every boat in the bay, private and rented kayaks included, needs a valid State Parks permit. If you rent, the permit belongs to the boat: confirm with the rental company that your kayak has one. Commercial rental kayaks also need registered decals as of February 2026.
A normal transit permit lets you paddle in the bay, but it does not allow you to land at Kaʻawaloa or to launch from Nāpōʻopoʻo Wharf. The flats with the monument can be reached on an approved guided kayak tour or on foot via the Kaʻawaloa Trail. If landing matters to you, confirm it with the tour before you book.
Ways to the bay compared
What each option includes and whether it reaches the monument on land, 2026.
| Option | Length | What you get | Landing at Kaʻawaloa Flats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snorkel cruise | 3 to 4.5 hours | Boat ride, gear on most trips, food, crew in the water | Not part of a boat ticket |
| Guided kayak and snorkel tour | 4 to 5 hours | Kayak, snorkel gear, guide, lunch | Possible on approved guided tours, confirm when booking |
| Dinner cruise to the bay | 3 hours | Dinner, drinks, live entertainment, commentary | No |
| Rented kayak with permit | – | Paddling in the bay | No, and no launch from Nāpōʻopoʻo Wharf |
| Kaʻawaloa Trail | – | Hike to the flats | Yes, on foot |
For most visitors, a snorkel cruise is the easiest way to see the bay: no permit to sort out, gear and food on board. If you want to paddle and set foot near the monument, the guided kayak tour is the option to check. The historical dinner cruise leaves from Kailua-Kona and shows the bay from the water over dinner, without snorkeling.
History and respect in the bay
Kealakekua Bay is a historical park, not only a snorkel spot.
Captain Cook in 1779
Captain Cook arrived in Kealakekua Bay in 1779. Hawaiians had settled the islands centuries earlier, so his arrival was a meeting with an established society, not the discovery of an empty island. The monument at Kaʻawaloa Flats recalls him.
Big Island history →Hikiau Heiau
Hikiau Heiau is a heiau, a Hawaiian temple site, in the park. Do not enter it, and keep the same respect on the rest of the shore.
Reef and wildlife
Do not touch coral or marine animals and keep at least 10 feet (3 m) from sea turtles. Taking sand, dead coral or coral rubble is banned statewide. Sunscreen with oxybenzone or octinoxate may not be sold in Hawaiʻi without a prescription.
Plan the rest of your day
Pages that fit a trip to the bay.
Snorkeling in Kona
Tour types, shore entries and reef rules.
Boat tours from Kona
Dolphins, whale season and coastal cruises.
Kailua-Kona and Kona coffee
The town and the coffee slopes above the bay.
Big Island history
From Polynesian voyagers to Kamehameha.
If you also visit Oʻahu, a very different snorkel bay is covered in the guide to Hanauma Bay.
Kealakekua Bay: frequently asked questions
Can I kayak to the Captain Cook Monument on my own?
You can paddle in the bay with a kayak that has a valid State Parks permit, but a normal transit permit does not allow landing at Kaʻawaloa. Reaching the flats is possible on an approved guided kayak tour or on foot via the Kaʻawaloa Trail.
Does Kealakekua Bay charge an entry fee?
No. The State Historical Park is free and open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tour prices are separate and shown on the tour cards.
How long is a snorkel tour to Kealakekua Bay?
Between about 3 and 4.5 hours. The longer morning cruises include lunch, and the guided kayak and snorkel tour takes 4 to 5 hours.
Are there toilets at the bay?
Only in the Nāpōʻopoʻo part of the park. There are none on the Kaʻawaloa Trail, so plan for that if you hike to the monument.
Will I see dolphins?
Sightings cannot be promised. Some trips include dolphin watching from the boat. Swimming with spinner dolphins or approaching within 50 yards is banned.