Kehena Black Sand Beach

May 29, 2020 | General Information

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Kehena 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.

Beautiful KEhena Beach
Kehena Beach is beautiful. It is located along a coastline that does not offer up much in the way of sand beaches but mother nature really went out of her way to design this incredible spot. The beach is small, perhaps no longer than about seventy-five yards. It is essentially carved out of the side of some cliffs that descend straight down about 30 feet or so and the beach is right along the main road in that area called Red Road. In order to get down to the beach you have to maneuver your way down a steep and narrow pathway that zigzags its way to the bottom. The sand at the bottom is amazing. It is completely black, very black, and it is course yet soft and very comfortable to walk or lay upon.

Pathway down to Kehena Beach
The ocean water here is often very beautiful as well and beautifully colored in blues and greens depending upon the time of day and type of weather that is occurring. It is also a beach that is frequented by dolphins cruising by so much of the beach experience here is related in one way or another with the ocean if only to listen to it crash on the beach and the rocks surrounding it. This is however a dangerous beach based upon the testimony of a lifeguard working a tower at a nearby beach. He explained that the currents could be quite strong here and the waves quite dangerously powerful. Since there is no lifeguard on duty here it would probably be best to not to enter the water at all based upon his recommendation.

People at Kehena Beach
Now a word about the people who tend to populate this beach on any given day. A few words come to mind. Nudists, hippies, dope smokers and free spirits would be words that might in some way describe ninety-percent of the people that regularly visit this beach. Though both public nudity and marijuana smoking are both illegal in Hawaii a generous quantity of each will often be visible to you on any given day. We showed up on a Sunday which we were informed was “drum circle” day and indeed there were a considerable number of people sitting around in a circle beating on drums and any other form of percussion instrument that could provide a sound. We were also informed by some of the beach goers on that day that many days of the week have their own theme. One was supposedly “gay day” and as to any others we could only presume to imagine but I’m certain that if they were in any way similar to the day we arrived that they would certainly be colorful and lively.

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 however it is not advised that you enter the water at this location. 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. There are no lifeguard towers at this location.