Volcanoes National Park

Volcano is a small village outside Volcanoes National Park. We drove there via the coast road from Captain Cook.

Day 1: Captain Cook to Volcano

We went snorkeling at Kahaluu before we even had breakfast. It was good to get our faces in the water. We were there from 7:15-7:45 and it was filling up when we left. We had a quick rinse then breakfast at the Manago Hotel. Eggs, rice, Portuguese sausage, coffee, juice. $7!

We packed up and took pictures of the koi pond at the hotel, then we headed south. Way south. At the southern point of the island we detoured to Papakolea green sand beach

Our next stop was Punaluu Bake Shop for malasadas. Lunch! Thanks to our large breakfast we didn’t need a full meal. We sampled mango and guava malasadas. We were expecting filled donuts but they’re not. We stopped at Punaluu black sand beach to eat and check out the beach. We saw a crab at the beach. The sand was finer than other black sand beaches we’ve been to. 

At Volcano, we checked into our cottage and got a wealth of info on the room, Volcanoes National Park, and sightseeing in general. Our hosts were from Michigan! Lush grounds with amazing moss. 

Since we arrived early, we went to the park and checked out the steam vents …

… the lava tube, which you can walk inside …

… and the museum overlook.

We had pizza at the Ohelo Cafe. The food was excellent; the service was a little rough. Then we went back to the museum overlook to see the caldera at night. 

Day 2: Kilauea Iki Hike and Lava Viewing

A leisurely start this morning with a lovely breakfast of banana mac nut bread, papaya, pineapple, banana, juice, coffee. We got a wealth of information about the lava viewing and decided to try it tonight.

We bought a sandwich from the deli for lunch. It was enough for two. Then we hiked Kilauea Iki.

We bought another sandwich and some Gatorade for our lava viewing hike. Our hosts loaned us flashlights, batteries, a cooler, and an ice pack to go with it. We were tired and sore at the end and it was worth it. 

On our last morning in the area, we drove the scenic Chain of Craters Road

Essentials​

This section contains affiliate links. If you click on a link we may receive a commission at no cost to you. 

Lodging

Volcano Country Cottages

Sadly Volcano Country Cottages has closed. 

Dining

We ate well in Volcano. There aren’t a lot of options but there are good ones. 

Punaluu Bake Shop
Punaluu
Read More
I REALLY wanted to try malasadas. I was expecting a filled doughnut but a malasada is flavored rather than filled.
Eagles Lighthouse Cafe
Volcano
Read More
Enormous excellent sandwiches. Interesting selection of breads, meats, and cheeses, and lots of vegetables.
Ohelo Cafe
Volcano
Read More
The pizzas smelled so good were ordered that. They were great. I give it a 5 for food and a 2 for service. Host was completely befuddled.
Previous
Next

Transportation

We rented a car so we could explore the island on our own. We saw warnings about not driving in the area after dark so we planned our arrival to get there well before that. We got gas at the Volcano Store, at a funky little back up to the pump.