In the middle of the spectacular Hāmākua Coast lies the little town of Laupāhoehoe, 25 miles north of Hilo. It’s a great place to relax, enjoy amazing views with daily rainbows, and admire the incredible beauty of the wild coastline. Have a Hāmākua vacation retreat in one of our great Laupāhoehoe, Hawaii rental homes!
Laupāhoehoe, though barely more than a plantation camp of homes, has one distinguishing characteristic that sets it apart from the rest of the Hāmākua Coast: it’s possible to access the ocean here. Laupāhoehoe Point is a beautiful grassy park with a memorial commemorating the lives lost here in a tsunami in 1946; it washed away the schoolhouse and drowned 24 people in this place, mostly children. After that, the town moved up to its present position on the overlooking cliff, leaving the open space as a park. There’s a boat ramp where small fishing boats put in (and where adventurous locals swim in the deep water), as well as a tidepool area for children to explore. There are restrooms and a picnic pavilion as well. Bring a lunch to enjoy a picnic at one of the tables or in the grass as you watch the waves rolling in. The large waves splashing high against the dramatic black lava rock formations make for great photo opportunities. Conditions are best here in the morning, as the wind can be intense later in the day.
Though Laupāhoehoe is tiny, it does have a great store/restaurant of note to visit during your stay in one of our Big Island home rentals: the Pāpaʻaloa Country Store (technically in Pāpaʻaloa, but the two are essentially one town). It’s your quintessential “one of everything” country store, but with a strong focus on healthy, locally produced, amazing food. They serve up great fish tacos and burgers, but the laulau is the real winner; it’s known up and down the coast among locals.
The Laupāhoehoe Train Museum is worth a stop for glimpse into life in times gone by. Much of the museum’s material covers the Hilo Railroad, which existed from 1899 to 1946. This small museum located in the former station agent’s house maintains its period charm, furnished as it would have been in the early 1900s. Browse photographs and railroad artifacts that you give you a sense of Old Hawaii, and pick up handcrafted items made by local residents from the gift shop. This quaint museum is run by volunteers, many of whom have deep family roots in the area and connections to the former railroad and are more than happy to share their stories and knowledge with visitors.
The real draw to Laupahoehoe is its seclusion from the hustle and bustle of life, but if you decide you want to get a little more active during your stay, Hilo is just a quick 30-minute drive away. As the Big Island’s largest town, Hilo has an abundance of shopping, restaurants, and activities to offer. This also means that if you fly into the Hilo International Airport, you can be relaxing in your Laupahoehoe vacation home in no time.
The great thing about Laupahoehoe is its small-town island feel. This is a location you choose when you want to get away from it all and experience sleepy island life, when the days begin and end with dramatic sunrises and sunsets, and the lazy days are long and relaxed. Enjoy some rest and relaxation in beautiful Laupāhoehoe when you stay in one of our amazing Hawaii rental homes here today!
Contact Us to Book One of Our Beachfront Rentals in Hawaii
At I Love Hawaii, we have a variety of Hawaii rental homes available on the Big Island, Maui, Oahu, and Kauai. Whether you’re exploring nature at its rawest at Volcano National Park on the Big Island, surfing in Oahu’s Waikiki, catching the sunrise at Haleakala on Maui, or gazing out over the Grand Canyon of the Pacific on Kauai, our vacation rentals will ensure complete comfort during your island stay. Many of our Big Island home rentals offer full kitchens, island-inspired décor, breezy lanais, and swimming pools. Please contact us to make your vacation rental booking and to get started on planning your ideal Hawaiian getaway!
