Open water swimming, anyone?

Kealakekua Bay is known for its beauty, but it's hard to comprehend how truly beautiful it is until you're here. For many people, a morning dip at Manini Beach or a swim across the bay to the Captain Cook monument are weekly or daily rituals. The bay is normally quite calm, has tremendous clarity, and a healthy, gorgeous reef rich with sea life. In short, it is a fabulous place for swimming.

I'll never forget the first time my dad came to visit us here. Like many first-time visitors to the Inn, he didn't really realize how close we actually are to the bay, and how immensely beautiful this area is. We walked down to Manini Beach one morning and I could see him getting more excited by the second as we viewed the water. My dad happens to be a world-record-holding Masters Swimmer, and I could tell he was just about to jump out of his skin with excitement. He ended up diving in right at Manini and swimming over to Napoopoo Beach. Since that first visit he has come to see us many times and is now staying with us for the summer. He starts each day with a swim in the bay and is still in love with it.

It is difficult to express in a few paragraphs or photos, or even on a map how special this area is. If you love the water, whether for training as a triathlete, as a diver, or for a peaceful daily dip, you'll be in heaven. It is especially nice for athletes taking part in Honu, LavaMan, or IronMan because we are conveniently close to Kailua, while not stuck in the noise and hubbub of the town itself. We are a quiet refuge surrounded by sublime water and excellent roads for running and biking. What more can we say? Yellow tangs visible from the road, plumeria blossoms falling onto the pavement as you run…it’s just too beautiful for words!