Holoholokai Beach Park & Puako Petroglyph Preserve

Petroglyphs. Photo courtesy Big Island Visitor's Bureau

This small, well-manicured beach park near the Fairmont Orchid Hawaii, has parking, restrooms, showers and barbecue grills. Although it’s not a sandy beach, it’s a beautiful place to explore tidepools, look for shells and go snorkeling. A short walk away is the extraordinary Puako Petroglyph Archaeological Preserve, where hundreds of ancient carvings in the lava rock open a window into yesterday.