Heading south from Kailua Town, just as busy Ali'i Drive swerves uphill and heads toward the remote south Kona Coast, you want to to veer right into Keauhou Bay: This is where Kamehameha III was born—a small bay with good snorkeling, local canoeists, and where low-key charters depart for various seagoing adventures.You can also take off north and south on coastal trails along rugged lava to see some big-wave action. The last great battle among Hawaiians took place just south of Keauhou, when Kam III backed the queens (one of whom his mother) and ended the male-dominated Kapu system of punishment that had ruled the emerging monarchy for centuries.
