United States
Hawaii (HI)
Island of Hawaii
Captain Cook
Captain Cook Attractions
The Captain Cook Monument
See all things to do

The Captain Cook Monument

See all things to do
See all things to do
The Captain Cook Monument
4.5
About
A monument dedicated to Captain James Cook, who discovered the Hawaiian Islands and ended Hawaiian royalty.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience The Captain Cook Monument
See all
The area
Best nearby
Restaurants
23 within 5 kms
Shaka Tacoz
169
2.5 km$ • Mexican • Fast food • Vegetarian Friendly
Black Rock Pizza
103
2.4 km$$ - $$$ • American • Pizza • Healthy
Manago Hotel & Restaurant
422
2.5 km$ • American • Hawaiian
Kona Chips
84
2.5 km$
L&L Hawaiian Barbecue
70
2.3 km$ • Quick Bites • Fast food • Barbecue
Antiques & Orchids
2
2.3 km
Manny's Mexican Restuarant
29
2.7 km$$ - $$$ • Mexican • Latin • Vegetarian Friendly
Loko Wraps
113
2.9 km$ • Quick Bites • Hawaiian • Vegan Options
Junjira Fresh Thai Kitchen
38
3 km$ • Asian • Thai • Vegetarian Friendly
Hong Kong Chop Suey
37
3 km$ • Chinese • Asian • Cantonese
See all
Attractions
47 within 10 kms
Kona Coffee Living History Farm
293
2.3 kmFarms • History Museums
Kealakekua Bay
832
3.1 kmHistoric Sites • Bodies of Water
Heavenly Hawaiian Kona Coffee Farm Tours & Konalani Coffee Bar
460
Farms
Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park
2,297
Historic Sites • National Parks
Paleaku Gardens Peace Sanctuary
160
Gardens
Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park
39
1.6 kmState Parks
The Painted Church
729
Historic Sites • Religious Sites
Kealakekua Bay Marine Preserve
15
1.6 kmNature & Wildlife Areas
Two Step
116
Beaches
Manini Kapahukapu Beach
34
1.8 kmBeaches
See all
See what travellers are saying
  • Nicolina84
    Seattle, Washington28 contributions
    Hardcore hike to beautiful bay
    Steep 2 mile each way (4 miles round trip) hike, which takes about 1 hour each way for active adults. Stunning views and the bay looked awesome to swim/snorkel in, but we had gone late afternoon and ran out of time. Once you get to the bay, walk to the left to find the monument and swimming area. Wear hiking shoes or sneakers (not flip flops), as the trail has lots of rocks and areas you can easily slide without proper gear. Park at the corner of the highway and Napo’opo’o road (don’t follow signs to captain cool, which overlooks the bay). Trail starts across from 3 palm trees. Pack plenty of water, snacks and sunscreen (parts are shaded, others not) and get ready to sweat coming back up!
    Visited January 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 13 January 2023
  • Nathan J
    Nashville, Indiana39 contributions
    Amazing Snorkeling!
    We have snorkeled primarily in the Caribbean. This spot is far superior to any snorkeling we've done to date. The diversity of wildlife was amazing! It's about a 2 mile hike down to the spot, but well worth it. You can also take an excursion, but they only spend a short time there. Pack a lunch and spend the day there. I'm excited to return to this spot on our next trip to Hawaii.
    Visited March 2023
    Written 22 March 2023
  • Sue P
    4 contributions
    Outstanding Customer Service and Guidance.
    The location was amazing. Very Busy, but as long as you are respectful of others and of local rules, all is good. I haven't snorkeled in an area this alive in over 20 years. The coral is lovely as long as everyone respects the ocean and its inhabitants. We used Ehu and Kai Adventures to rent kayaks instead of taking the epic, hike to the location. Kayaking is def the way to go! The fish were fun and plentiful.
    Visited April 2023
    Written 11 April 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
597 reviews
Excellent
356
Very good
147
Average
64
Poor
21
Terrible
9
Marge G
Saint Charles, MO1 contribution
Capt Cook hike awful strenuous
Nov 2023 • Friends
Terribly hatd hike.Down 1.8 miles is difficult on rocky, loose rocks and the steep climb out was tough. 1.8 miles up with over 1000 foot climb. I can hike eight miles but this trail was a huge challenge.
Written 17 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
karlacrn
san diego2 contributions
Great snorkeling
Oct 2023 • Business
Used Captain Cooks Cruises. Nice boat. Good crew. Not many people or boats lots of fish. Calm water.
Written 30 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sheryl B
Austin, TX17 contributions
If you hike to the monument you’d better be in shape, take lots of water and wear tennis shoes!
Sep 2023 • Couples
We decided to hike to the monument because we wanted to get more exercise in our trip. It was a 2 mile, 1200 foot descent going down on lava rocks which took us about 45 minutes. The snorkeling was great with visibility about 75 feet. Very little beach and none in front of the monument. Getting into and out of the water was fairly easy. Lots of fish and reef to see. The 2 mile hike back up 1200 feet to our car that took one hour and 15 minutes because of the heat and I needed rest breaks and water. I would not recommend this hike for families with children, or anyone with a medical condition.
Written 22 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stefanie B
Hannover, Germany45 contributions
Interesting
Jul 2023
Once you are snorkeling here, you can also see the monument. I would not recommend to come here just for this.
Written 4 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
carol m
9 contributions
Worth the work
Jul 2023 • Family
Worth the trek by kayak to snorkel in this beautiful reef. Clear deep water with tons of
coral, urchins and fish. Wish you could dock your kayak though.
Written 18 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sue P
Canmore4 contributions
Outstanding Customer Service and Guidance.
Apr 2023
The location was amazing. Very Busy, but as long as you are respectful of others and of local rules, all is good. I haven't snorkeled in an area this alive in over 20 years. The coral is lovely as long as everyone respects the ocean and its inhabitants. We used Ehu and Kai Adventures to rent kayaks instead of taking the epic, hike to the location. Kayaking is def the way to go! The fish were fun and plentiful.
Written 11 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nathan J
Nashville, IN39 contributions
Amazing Snorkeling!
Mar 2023
We have snorkeled primarily in the Caribbean. This spot is far superior to any snorkeling we've done to date. The diversity of wildlife was amazing! It's about a 2 mile hike down to the spot, but well worth it. You can also take an excursion, but they only spend a short time there. Pack a lunch and spend the day there. I'm excited to return to this spot on our next trip to Hawaii.
Written 22 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nicolina84
Seattle, WA28 contributions
Hardcore hike to beautiful bay
Jan 2023 • Couples
Steep 2 mile each way (4 miles round trip) hike, which takes about 1 hour each way for active adults. Stunning views and the bay looked awesome to swim/snorkel in, but we had gone late afternoon and ran out of time. Once you get to the bay, walk to the left to find the monument and swimming area. Wear hiking shoes or sneakers (not flip flops), as the trail has lots of rocks and areas you can easily slide without proper gear. Park at the corner of the highway and Napo’opo’o road (don’t follow signs to captain cool, which overlooks the bay). Trail starts across from 3 palm trees. Pack plenty of water, snacks and sunscreen (parts are shaded, others not) and get ready to sweat coming back up!
Written 13 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DannyWasserman
Virginia Beach, VA4,241 contributions
Captain Cook has History !
Dec 2022
We stopped by this sacred monument of a explorer landed on the Big Island of Hawaii. Captain Cook's story is fascinating and unfortunately his time on earth didn't last much longer after his discoveries.
Written 25 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lenn
Rotterdam, The Netherlands186 contributions
Great hike and snorkling!
Nov 2022
Great hike to the monument and the snorkling was even better.

We enjoyed the environment and the hike was great.
We started early morning which is great because at the bay it is not crowded with boats and other divers.

The views are stunning going down at the bay.
Snorkling was even better!

Its a shame though that the monument was violated by vandalists.
It we're different times those days and you cannot undo the past.

Do not missout on this goregous gem.

Bring enough water for the hike!!
Written 19 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2
…
Showing results 1-10 of 534
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

THE CAPTAIN COOK MONUMENT: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about The Captain Cook Monument
According to Tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience The Captain Cook Monument: