The worst bathroom I've seen in my life, no divider between the urinals AND NO DOOR TO THE TOILETS!!! When you walk in the door you have a clear view of the toilets. And if you need to drop the kids off?? No privacy AT ALL read more

We were staying at the Hilton Waikoloa. A friend recommended fishing at Holoholokai Beach Park which is a short drive from the Hilton. First, we headed to the Walmart in Kona to pick up fishing gear. We found telescopic poles (perfect for traveling), a net and other fishing supplies. Then we headed to Safeway for shrimp for bait. When we arrived at Holoholokai Beach Park, there were only 2 other cars parked in the parking lot. We walked to the left side (facing the ocean) of beach but found it a bit too rocky. There was a turtle stranded on the reef, about 20 feet from the water. We called DLNR, but they said that the turtle will be find and that they won't be sending anyone out to help it. I hope that the poor guy made it back to the water. We headed to the opposite side of the beach (right side) and found a couple areas which allowed us to walk out on the reef (at low tide) and fish in shallow pools or close to where the waves were breaking on the reef. My son caught a fish on his first cast. He caught another fish (mostly Kupipi), then another and another. We almost always smash the barb on our hooks with a plier so that it is easy to remove a release the fish, so not to cause much harm to the fish. My friend said that Kupipi is good eating, just throw it on a grill. But why eat an ugly reef fish when you can order pizza and pasta from the resort that you're staying at, right? Ha ha! Anyway, it was a beautiful day for fishing. We even came back a second day and the results were the same, we caught (and released) a lot of fish. We saw less than 10 other people there (all tourists), but no other fishermen. If you go, make sure to bring sunscreen, a hat and bottled water. It's quite hot and there aren't any trees to provide shade (at least not near the fishing area). We will look for other fishing spots the next time we visit Kona, but this is definitely a convenient fishing location while staying in the Waikoloa area. There is also a public restroom near the parking lot. Happy fishing! : ) read more

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Beautiful beach, amazing water. We could see a large turtle in the water from the beach. We went 2 days in a row. Can't wait to go back.

Snorkeling along the ocean north of Waikoloa on the big Island? I had read about Puako Beach being a good place to snorkel, and decided to come. We left our resort in Waikoloa, driving north on highway 19 for 7 miles, before making a left turn onto a narrow paved road called Puako Beach Drive. A fork in the road appears, with Old Puako Road going to the right. Sign here says entering the Hapuna Beach State recreation area. Beyond the sign is a long sandy beautiful beach called Beach 69 -I know what you are thinking!. Further along appears the famous Hapuna Beach, perhaps the most popular beach on the Island.. $5 nonresident fee to enter State beaches. Now I may look like a local at 5' 7" and 185 lbs, with a mild CA tan, but my driver license says otherwise. We take the left fork, going along Puako Beach Drive. Driving a ways we see a big open area of the ocean. This is Puako Bay with a boat loading ramp, where snorkeling tour boats head out for manta ray showings at night. Traveling along Puako Beach Drive, we enter Puako town proper, with built up areas of residential homes on both sides of the street. Many older buildings, reminding me of Old Hawaii, on the mountain side. Periodically we see gaps on the ocean side, with 7 public access easements to small sections of beach. Very limited public parking in these narrow easements Puako beach runs parallel to Puako Beach Drive, with small areas of black and white sands beach broken up by expanses of black volcanic lava. We drive the entire 4 mile length of Puako Beach Drive, until it dead ends in the south. About 100 yards before it dead ends, on the ocean side is Holoholokai Beach Park. Tall trees surround the dirt entrance to this beach park, with trees delineating the parking area for perhaps 20 vehicles at most. Porta potties here, but no showers to wash off your gear. Most people change in and out of their swimming suits in their cars or vans. Would not want to trip, on taking off your pants, fall against the inside wall, and tip over the porta potty! Then you would really need a dip in the ocean! Signs warns of dangerous rip tides, and of the dangers of stepping on the edges of the volcanic lava, and having it break off. It's 10am on a weekday but already the place is packed with pickups and older vans, sure signs of the locals swimming here. Tide pools abound on the rocky volcanic edge of the beach. Difficult access for snorkeling from here, although you can walk among the tide pools. On a calmer day, one might see turtles among the tide pools. Today the waves are pounding the area with a strong surf, as there is a surf advisory in November. Only the locals, who know how to swim in these rugged waters, are out in the waters. Two young ladies in thong bikinis sunbathing, concealed by the large volcanic rocks on the beachfront. I want to stay for a better look, but the wife wears the pants in the household, unlike those pants less ladies, and has contrary ideas. No snorkeling for us today, as they would be bringing me out in a body bag! read more

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This is not a swimming beach. However, it was one of my most treasured ocean edge adventures because it's a beautiful rugged shoreline adorned with lava rocks and coral. (Wear appropriate shoes for walking on loose rocks and in the water.) I was mesmerized by the shapes and types of coral and lava rocks. Pick up a little piece of HI here as your souvenir--it's legal. This state park has easy parking, lots of picnic tables in shaded areas, a water fountain, and restrooms with changing rooms. I chose to lay my hotel towel on the small rocks and ate my picnic while watching the ocean waves in idyllic solitude. read more

Holoholokai Beach Park - Beautiful rugged beach with lava and coral. - Beaches Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

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The ocean is a gentle reminder, among many other facets of nature, that life is beautiful. We should all appreciate the Ocean, since it provides us with many things, especially food and entertainment. I happened to find myself here at this beach on a Saturday afternoon. It was the eve of the 2017 Kona marathon and half marathon and I just wanted to chill out for a little bit, away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist life and to be one with nature. The Ocean always will wait for you, with its soothing caressing nature and an ear to listen to your problems. It doesn't matter what you have or don't have, but the energy and the mana of this place is certainly felt and embraced. The waves call to me like it was meant to and it offers a place of refuge when the world around you is a scary and daunting place to live. I was here for about 2 hours before heading to the petroglyphs site nearby. I arrived with a friend from El Paso, Texas who claims he had not been to the Ocean in more than a year. He enjoyed this aspect of the Ocean and it was my first time coming here too. It's the beach after all, but all beaches aren't created equal. The overall experience here at Holoholokai beach park is rather majestic and soul rejuvenating. I find that just being with nature helps reconnect the mind and body with everything spiritual to help you get back on track with everything. The crashing waves just helps with many things and just being there watching the ebb and flow of the Ocean tides is a stark reminder of what we can be missing from our lives when we don't pay attention. Holoholokai beach park is definitely beautiful here and it's away from the resort areas, while being apart of the local landscape. The entrance to this beach park is off Highway 19 north of Waikoloa Beach Road. It's address is 72-88 N Kaniku Drive in Waimea. To be honest, there's limited parking here, so best bet would be to come here early to secure a spot for the best views. Sunset would be optimum for this, although sunrise would be sweet too. Not sure if the Hele On public transit comes through here, but you'd be better served if you had a rental car anyway for convenience and ease to travel. This is a public beach overseen by the County of Maui. This means that it is free free free! No admission required! That's awesome!! For me, the Ocean always is a good and free option to those who want something to do and maybe are bored of the same ol status quo. Who wouldn't be? The solution would be to take a chance and come here to enjoy the beach and the Ocean currents. It just may be the best thing ever to calm and rejuvenate your mind. Body, and soul to live the next minute and the days that lay ahead. I personally have totally enjoyed my time here at this beach and recommend you to come here, if you are in the area and need that alone time away from the resorts. It's Definitely a scenic and quiet spot to be in and there is no public wifi. 5.0 stars overall. Gorgeous scenery on the island of Hawaii. It's possibly the best beach ever. Support local! A+ read more

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Beautiful landscape with redic views of the ocean. Perfect place to sit on lava rock, listen to the crashing waves, chill and meditate. Mahalo. read more

Holoholokai Beach Park - Dope - Beaches Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

This is not a good swimming beach. The beach is all coral and can't be walked on bare foot so wear your water shoes! On this beach you will find awesome treasures like lava glass and coral sculptures and shells. This was a really neat beach to comb. If you don't want to sunbathe but you want to explore come here! read more

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Beautiful shoreline with white and black rocks, clear blue water and a nice trail along the beach. A hidden gem! read more

Holoholokai Beach Park - A beautiful lava rock shoreline. Great trail and stunning landscape, but don't plan on swimming here. - Beaches Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

Beautiful beach location with lots of white sand, tons of parking, BBQ amenities, clean restrooms, and decent snorkeling. We visited on a Friday afternoon and there weren't many people at the beach, which was surprising given the lack of sand beaches on this side of the island. The park also has two lifeguard towers. The best part was the warm outdoor showers to wash off all the sand at the end of the day. read more