Shorebreak at La'aloa Beach Park

Although a fairly small beach, La'aloa Beach is quite popular because of its easily accessed location just off Alii Drive in Kona and because of the very few beaches that exist in this highly populated area at all. La'aloa Beach also supports a volleyball court and it is often the regular meeting place to "talk story" and enjoy the ocean views for local inhabitants. What is left of the mysterious Haukalua Heiau (mysterious because it is not known what its original purpose was) is also found at this beach, unfortunately being partially covered up by the parking lot that was built over it much to the chagrin of the Hawaiian population.

Magic Sands Beach Volleyball

The main feature of this beach is its continuous wave action which funnels the waves from the open ocean to form a shore-break on the sand. This makes it quite an exciting beach for local boogie boarding enthusiasts who quite enjoy the rides. In the summer when there is still a sand beach present and when the waves are smaller this can be fun for those who are skilled at this location. Even then however the lifeguards stationed at this beach have told us that they make rescues almost every day. In fact on a calm summer’s day with gentle rollers coming in the lifeguard we met said he had just saved a lady about ten minutes prior as she was knocked off her feet and was all panicked, in shock and helpless. During the winter months the problems here increase astronomically as the power of the waves dramatically increase as well. The emergency room in Kona is well familiar with the accidents that occur here and every caution should be taken when entering the water. The lifeguards told us that the very best policy you could follow would be, on any day of the year upon you arrival to the beach, to walk up to the tower and ask if it was safe to enter the water then and if so where to go and what to look out for. Luckily La'aloa Beach has a permanent lifeguard station.

Facilities at Magic Sands Beach

The facilities at La'aloa Beach are nice as it has a small parking lot (you can also park elsewhere in town and easily walk to this beach), restrooms, showers, a lifeguard tower and even a volleyball court.

Ocean Caution

Be advised that all beaches and ocean locations in Hawaii can be dangerous including this one. Be completely aware of the ocean conditions prior to entering any Hawaiian waters and it is advised that you enter the water at this location only after you consult with a lifeguard on duty. Also, all shorelines and beaches in Hawaii, including this one, can be frequented by sharks, jellyfish and other sea creatures which can provide potential harm to people entering the water.

Big Island Beaches

This may be a first experience for you, but if it is it certainly won't be your last. Ahalanui Park pool is actually a thermal heated spring fed swimming area that is partially natural and partially man made. Although Ahalanui Park is located right along the ocean the experience here is not an ocean experience at all. In fact the ocean fronting the pool here is very rough and potentially dangerous and you should avoid getting in. The naturally thermally heated pool is another story. You …(more info)

When you speak of Anaehoomalu Bay on the Big Island's Waikoloa shoreline you are talking about history of the first magnitude in Old Hawaii. This bay was a spot of large population primarily because of its ocean resources and its spectacular fishponds. Lying to the mountain side of the sand bar that contains the bay are two enormous fishponds containing a mixture of both seawater and fresh underground spring water. This was the site of probably the largest aquaculture project in all of ancient …(more info)

As viewed from the air, the next beautiful beach to be found north of the Mauna Lani in Waikoloa is the gorgeous beach found in front of the Fairmont Orchid Hotel. As is the case with most Waikoloa beaches you will not be allowed to enter directly from the hotel abutting the beach unless you are a guest there. In this case your gateway to the Fairmont Orchid Beach is through the Holoholokai Beach Park. …(more info)

Hapuna Beach is practically a legend on the Big Island. In fact many people believe that Hapuna Beach is the most beautiful beach to be found here, and a good case could certainly be made for that. On several occasions a number of the travel magazines have listed Hapuna Beach as the number one beach in the world. Hapuna is a half mile in length and during the summer months the white sands can extend to a full 200' wide. In the winter months the sands will recede and quite often the beach …(more info)

Isaac Hale Beach Park is really quite a different type of beach park. Essentially it is divided into two sides. On one side is the only loading boat ramp on the entire Puna coastline. If you are going to be catching a commercial lava boat excursion or fishing trip it is likely to leave from here. This is also where many of the local fishermen will depart from and any form of pleasure boating in the area will depart from this area as well. The boat ramp enters into Pohoiki Bay and this point …(more info)

Perhaps the very best and the most famous beach for snorkeling on the Big Island is Kahalu'u Beach Park. The variety and volume of fish found at Kahalu'u will rival any spot in Hawaii. I found this out first hand on one of my very first trips to the Big Island. I was looking for a place to swim distance one morning and was erroneously referred to this beach which was too shallow to swim without scraping knuckles on coral but when I jumped in I was immediately surrounded by all types of …(more info)

Kahena Beach in the Pahoa district of the Big Island is amazing for a couple of reasons: First because of the spectacular nature of the beach itself, and secondly because of the people who tend to go there. We'll deal with each topic one at a time. …(more info)

One of the most famous black sand beaches in the world was found in the area called Kalapana in the district of Puna on the Big Island. "Was" is the operative word here as this beach was completely covered by lava in 1990. Today, what was once a spectacular black sand beach lying before the small Hawaiian village of Kalapana is now covered by a lava flow perhaps sixty feet deep. The photo above shows the lava flow that now covers the once beautiful Kaimu Beach in Kalapana. …(more info)

If you're the type who enjoys a bit of 4X driving ( 2X drive if you're careful ) and hiking with your beach enjoyment Kekaha Kai Beach Park may just be the spot for you. The beaches found here, Mahaiula Beach, and its sister beach which is a twenty minute hike further north called Makalewena Beach are the first truly incredible white sand beaches to be found close to Kailua-Kona. …(more info)

Kikaua Point Beach is a tiny but very beautiful beach that is located about ten miles north of Kailua-Kona. Kikaua Beach is perhaps the calmest beach on the Big Island being protected from the open ocean by a series of huge boulders and rocks that provide a rim for the pond-like beach within. This beach is really perfect for just two activities: it is fantastic as a place to bring children or people who can't swim well because it is so calm with no wave action and it is a favorite place as …(more info)

If you're searching for a beach with excellent swimming, great snorkeling and crystalline brilliant clarity, Kukio Beach is probably not the beach for you. Located just north of the small cove at Kikaua Point, Kukio Beach unfortunately is riddled with numerous near-shore rocks which make entry into the water very difficult on even the calmest of days and downright dangerous when the ocean swells are generated. Murky conditions also persist here so better choices could be made for your day's …(more info)

The single most beautiful beach closest to Kailua-Kona that you can get to without having to travel on an unpaved road over lava is Maniniowali Beach which is also known as Kua Bay. This beach and bay are spectacular. It's not really all that far though as it is about the same distance from the Kona Airport to Kua Bay as it is in the opposite direction from Kona Bay to downtown Kailua-Kona. Taking the drive from Kona is truly worth it however because the beach is generally considered to be …(more info)

Mauna Kea Beach ranks right up at the top of great beaches on the Big Island of Hawaii. It is very close to its sister beach of Hapuna and shares many of the same attributes. The beach is long and it is wide. The sand is a luscious golden color. The sand extends out into the water so the water entry here is very simple. Actually the beach remains remarkably shallow for a long way out and it takes a while just to wade out to waist deep. Snorkeling is good but really only at the two extreme ends …(more info)

Both Mauna Lani Beach and Makaiwa Bay are located in this same description because they are entered from the same public parking access parking lot. Both are quite beautiful and snorkeling is excellent at both but they require a fairly long walk to get to each.
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The Old Kona Airport landing field became obsolete in the early 1970's but the one-mile landing strip still exists. This huge stretch of asphalt lies right next to the ocean just north of the city of Kailua-Kona and today serves as the gigantic parking area for the Old Kona Airport Beach. …(more info)

Many beaches are great for swimming but that is not true of this beach. Pololu Beach is located at the entrance of the Pololu Valley which is the last in the series of valleys beginning with Waipio Valley that guard the northern flank of the Big Island of Hawaii. All these valleys are giant with huge escarpments descending to the valley floors and to the ocean below. These valleys are so large in fact that they are impassable and no system of roadways connects any of these valleys. The main road …(more info)

Punalu'u Black Sand Beach is the largest black sand beach in the state. Located south of the Volcanoes National Park on the coastal Highway 11 it is a beach that is basically fairly far from populated areas and most people will decide to enjoy a quick visit when they take the southern route to visit the volcanoes if they are staying in the Kona region. This is good because, although it is a beach that would easily find its place on any "top ten" list of beaches to see in Hawaii, it …(more info)

If it wasn't for the fact that Spencer Beach was located so close to Hapuna and Mauna Kea Beach, it would receive more notoriety than it does. Although it is a beautiful white sand beach with a sand bottom allowing for an easy water entry, it just lacks some of the luster and beauty associated with its nearest beach neighbor. The strong suit for Spencer Beach however is its almost always present calm waters as it is protected from the open ocean by a large reef and also to a degree by the neighboring …(more info)

Waialea Beach is one of the most perfect all-around beaches on the Big Island's western coastline. One of the best things about the beach is that it is not located on or near a hotel so there is no problem with access directly from the road. Local people and visitors alike make good use of this beautiful beach for this reason. This gorgeous light-brown sand beach consists mostly of sand but does have a number of interestingly placed lava segments and the trees that line this beautiful inlet …(more info)

One of the first signs you will see when you arrive at the Wawaloli Beach Park just north of the town of Kailua-Kona is a sign that says "Low Flying Aircraft, No Kite Flying". This odd sign gives testament to the fact that Wawaloli Beach is located just south of and in the flight pattern of the Kona International Airport. This may be the most unique and interesting feature this beach park may provide as it is in most ways unremarkable and not particularly inviting. …(more info)

One of the oddest County parks on the Big Island is a small park called Whitington Beach Park. It is located at the 60 mile marker on the circle island Highway #11 and is a good spot to visit if you are traveling from Kona to visit the Volcanoes National Park. The name is a misnomer at the very least as there is really not a beach here. Where the water does come up to the shoreline it crashes against rocks and the likelihood of any swimming in the area is next to nil and should not be attempted …(more info)

Related Information

A listing of all Big Island Beaches can be found on these pages. Check for the Big Island Beach that will be perfect for you! …(more info)