Difficulty
beginner
Viz (last reported 2451h ago)
Max Depth
70ft
Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at Place of Refuge (Pu'uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park)
The Place of Refuge (also known as Two Steps) is a 'must-do' site. The drive to get there is wonderful, the entry is easy, and the diving is great. Turtles abound! The facilities are a little sparse. Take some water and a picnic lunch. There are porta-potties on the site.
Directions: From Kealakekua Bay, you can continue to travel South on Highway 160 for 3.2 miles to find the turn off. If this is your first destination of the day, you can take a faster route: from Kailua, drive south on Highway 11 for about 19 miles, well past Captain Cook. Take a right on Highway 160, Ke Ala o Keawe Road, (about mile mark 104) to Kealakekua Bay, and wind your way about 3.5 miles down to the ocean.
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shore
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Nydia White
Jul 16, 2001, 12:00 AM
scuba
Easily one of the most popular sites on the Big Island -- but justified. Easy giant-stride entry from the steps. Just follow the crowd to find the entry spot. A nice place to take a lunch and make a day of it. Take a beach chair and lots of water -- it gets really hot on the lava. It's somewhat protected from the surf conditions farther north so it's more often diveable. I have been to this site about a dozen times and it's still not boring. You can dive shallow or deep so it's good for any skill level. Use the same place for entries/exits. It might be tempting to use the boat launch, but be very careful. This is an active harbor. I try and stay well clear of the boat launch area. If you are surfacing away from shore make sure to listen carefully as you come up. Don't stay on the surface for a long time. There are many small boats that use this area and they tend to go fast. There are a few Porta Potties that are okay. No stores nearby so bring any food/drink with you.
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