Kea'au is located on the Southeast coast of The Big Island of Hawaii, on the 'windward' (more tropical) side of the island. This area is often referred to as 'Puna'. It is the first town south of the city of Hilo at the junction of Route 11 (to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park) and Route 130 (to Pahoa and Lava Tree State Monument).
The climate is temperate with gentle Pacific trade winds which bring in a welcoming warm breeze. Temperatures in Kea'au are mild throughout the year, averaging 72 degrees in winter months and 76 degrees in summer months. It is a tropical area, with alot of warm rain.
Kea'au is about 15 minutes from Hilo Airport and downtown Hilo (which has many attractions, including Liliuokalani Japanese Gardens); and 30 minutes from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (a 'must see'). Lava Tree State Park is just fifteen minutes to the east. A 30 minute drive will bring you to warm springs, tide pools, beautiful black sand beaches (including the world's newest black sand beach), and snorkeling bays.
The quaint town of Kea'au has grown from an old sugar cane plantation to a suburb of Hilo, located at a five-hundred foot elevation on the slopes of the Kilauea Volcano. Nearby on the drive to Hilo, you can visit the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Farm and Candy Factory, and the Panaewa Rainforest Zoo.
Take a Helicopter Tour and view the awesome beauty of nearby Mount Kilauea and the east coast wilderness rain forest. Hike forest trails in ohia forests and wild orchids.
The town center has a small shopping mall, and generally the best gas prices on the eastern side of the Big Island. There is a Farmer's Market that is open daily, and a gift shop. Nearby Pahoa, a historic and 'old style' town, has an abundant 'Farmer's Market' on Sundays.