Your Guide to the Big Island

Gather’s luxury vacation rentals across the Big Island place you on the most geographically diverse island in the Pacific, spanning 11 of the world's 13 climate zones. On any given day you could be stretched out on a black sand beach, swimming above manta rays, standing at the edge of an active volcano, or watching the sun set from a summit above the clouds. The only question is where to start.

Things to Do on the Big Island

  • Volcanoes National Park

    One of the most extraordinary national parks in the country, where active lava fields, crater walks, and lava tube caves give you a front-row seat to a landscape that is still being created.

  • Stargazing on Mauna Kea

    At nearly 14,000 feet, above the clouds and most of the atmosphere, Mauna Kea's summit offers some of the clearest night skies on earth and a magical view of the stars.

  • Manta Ray Night Snorkel

    One of the Big Island's most unforgettable experiences: snorkeling after dark off the Kona Coast as manta rays with wingspans up to 16 feet glide through the water around you.

  • Kona Coffee Farm Tour

    The volcanic slopes above the Kona Coast produce some of the most prized coffee in the world, and a farm tour puts you inside the process from tree to cup.

Explore Big Island Neighborhoods

  • Hilo and the Hamakua Coast

    The island's rainy, lush eastern side, where a historic plantation-era town meets a dramatic coastal stretch of sea cliffs and waterfalls, with vacation rentals that offer a genuinely local experience far from the resort corridor.

  • Hualalai

    An exclusive gated community on the Kohala Coast built around the Four Seasons resort, with vacation rentals that offer access to world-class amenities, a Jack Nicklaus golf course, and some of the calmest water on the island.

  • Kailua-Kona

    The Big Island's most visited town sits on the sunny western coast, with a historic waterfront, coffee shops, restaurants, and vacation rentals that put you at the center of Kona's laid-back coastal energy.

  • Keauhou

    Just south of Kailua-Kona, Keauhou is a quieter residential community with its own bay, a shopping center for everyday needs, and vacation rentals that give you easy access to the Kona Coast without the bustle of town.

  • Mauna Kea

    The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and its surrounding community anchor this stretch of the Kohala Coast, with vacation rentals that sit beside one of Hawaii's most celebrated white sand beaches and a Robert Trent Jones golf course.

  • Mauna Lani

    A self-contained resort community on the Kohala Coast with two championship golf courses, a collection of white sand coves, and vacation rentals that give you access to one of the most beautifully maintained stretches of coastline on the island.

  • Puako

    A small, unpretentious community tucked between the Kohala Coast resorts, Puako sits on a reef-protected shoreline popular with snorkelers and divers, with vacation rentals that offer a local, residential alternative to the communities on either side.

  • Waikoloa

    A well-established resort community on the Kohala Coast with two major hotel complexes, a pair of golf courses, and vacation rentals that give you access to the Kings' Shops, the beach clubs, and the calm, sunny conditions the west side is known for.

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