What a beautiful sandy beach also known as Magic Sands/Disappearing Sands due to the strong surf…read more It was packed here & we ate at the adjoining restaurant which was beautiful with a phenomenal view. (Magic Sands Restaurant). We were able to park for free just across the street. This beach is super small and busy. Note, it is thee only sandy beach near Kona. All the rest are super rocky & dangerous. It has shade, lifeguards, toilet facilities and a little shallow water. Be very careful of that surf & the lava rocks underneath. But the water is so beautiful and clear with a gorgeous turquoise hue. We were told we may see turtles but we didn't today. I'm assuming it was just too busy. I'm sure if we were there super early we may have a better shot at it. Do not miss.

This beach can get quite crowded, but it boasts an excellent restaurant right next to it. It…read morefeatures a volleyball area for family fun, pristine white sand, and minimal rocks.

Great beach! It has shade and some good views. Definitely a good place to bring the family as it is…read moresomewhat protected. Parking is expensive kind of a bummer. The area itself didn't have much amenities, but definitely have palm trees and shade, which was nice in the afternoon. Happy to make it on our first day

Best beach to snorkel to see fish and honu green turtle Clear water, shallow, living coral,…read moreplenty of variety of fish, parking is $12 for 4 hours, volunteer to help guide you to the water, free mineral sunscreen, plenty of table under the big roof. Clean restrooms, water and shower stations, black sans beach under the palm trees So many things to like about. Adding your smiles, it's heaven. Lifeguard saw 8 ft shark in the water do they close the beach for 2 hours per protocol. Too bad.

Small little calm water cove next to the pier with Kona boys rental, in front of Marriott…read morecourtyard, with ABC, snacks, Ululani best shaved ice ,safe for kids to play and snorkel to see plenty of coral fish. Keep an eye for dolphin playing around the outside too. Outside shower, restrooms, very close to the street.

This beach opens into a small lagoon that you can snorkel in before you get to the open ocean…read more There is a great beach Shack that offers lessons for SUP if needed . The small beach with white sands is also a nice quiet place to relax at night to listen to the waves if you are staying at the King K hotel. We had a small impromptu night picknic with food purchased and drinks from the hotel listening to the Ironman World Championships banquet luau music at night . It was beautiful , relaxing and soulful. Highly recommend.

This was a nice clean beach to settle into for the day. The water was clear and had a lot of see…read morelife to see snorkeling. I hung out for a long time following a squid watching it change to its surroundings.

As some travel experts have pointed out, Makalawena Beach is arguably the best beach on the Big…read moreIsland that cannot be reached by road. That's right, there are two ways to reach this beautiful white sand beach and gem by hiking, and the path I took was via the Kekaha Kai State Park's main parking lot, and first that is a rough 20-minute drive with 4x4 vehicles like Jeeps from Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway to that trailhead. Then it's about another 30-minute hike in each direction and you go on lots of loose lava rocks and it can get hot, so make sure you have sunscreen, a good bucket hat, and plenty of water. I don't know about the second way in, so I could not speak to that method. But in any case, it is so worth the time and effort when it was all said and done. There were a few crowds when getting to Makalawena Beach but not super busy at all. You'll find other tide pools, palm trees, and other native plants. Waves are rather rough at times, but it is still swimmable for the most part.

Pretty, has a life guard, shower, flushing toilets But small…read morebeach area, too many people... Taking 1 star off for being a busy beach..

This is a state park beach with a lifeguard…read more Ok, so parking can be very difficult and I see the parking go all the way back down to the highway on the outside which is probably like a mile or more - just fyi. There are rips and strong currents here and they sometimes put out red flag warnings but I like to swim here, I enjoy it, I think its fun. Lots of people snorkel and scuba dive here because there are a lot of reefs and rocks with fish and turtles. There are also a lot of great spots to take photos.

This spot is off the beaten path, with no real signs leading to the sight. Although I had…read moreresearched it, we really arrived by accident and were just exploring. Goats wandering around, beautiful views and a little hike to get to the water across burial grounds. The views were really amazing. We came here twice, once during a rain storm and the other on a beautiful sunny morning. This is a special spot that you should not miss. B

Fantastic. Can't say enough. Quiet amazing place to eat a dinner and watch the sunset. Ocean…read morecrashing into lava rock all around you. The view is outrageous.

I absolutely love this place! The walking trail is level and paved while the other side is the…read morebeach. It is so pretty with all of the plants and art. We came before sunset and walked the trail. As the sun was setting we crossed over to the beach side. It was beautiful. The coolest part were some friendly locals were playing their ukulele and singing. It felt magical honestly. There is so much parking and space. I always come to this park at least once on my visits. Highly recommended

As a lover of travel, this was great to visit although we didn't have time to stop at the beach or…read moreanything. The landing strip was remade to a regular road along the pretty long drive (felt maybe a mile?) out and back. There was plenty of parking and even a walking path if I recall. I don't know what it was used for other than the obvious, planes, but maybe the walking path had some history noted.

Come back after a month. Still beautiful but no luck with the sunset. Free parking across the…read morestreet, velvety white sands, amenity and lifeguards, restaurants and quick food next door. Always has music( you might not want though plenty of rock to sit on to watch the beautiful sunset.

Right off Ali HWy with marking along the street. There are waves which makes this beach perfect for…read moreboogie boards or just riding the waves. There's a lifeguard that goes on the megaphone to warn people to stay away from the rocks, watch your kids, and go under the bigger waves because those waves hit! It was so fun. It's fun watching people ride the waves too. It's not the biggest area but so beautiful. There are a lot of people so it can get crowded. I had so much fun!

This is a beautiful, smaller beach, great for little kids. It's more like a bay since there's a big…read morereef protecting it from waves. For the adventurous you can snorkel out beyond the reef. The parking lot does get full quickly, so getting there early as ideal.

Kikaua Beach is a great location to relax at when visiting the Big Island of Hawai'i. However, you…read moreneed to obtain a parking pass to access the lot, and parking passes are very limited. Best to come first thing in the morning if you can. As for the beach, there are restroom facilities and showers, and there is a protected cove so it is great for families and their young kids. It is not super big, but the sand is clean and well-kept by the grounds crew.

A hidden gem rich in Hawaiian history, wildlife, and outstanding staff!…read more ​If you want to experience authentic Hawaiian history away from the crowded resort beaches, Kaloko-Honokōhau is a must-visit in Kona. ​Walking along the coastal trails gives you an incredible look at ancient Hawaiian engineering. The Kaloko Fishpond (loko iʻa) and massive stone seawalls built without mortar are mind-blowing to see up close. Along the paths, you can also spot ancient petroglyphs carved into the lava rock and historic heiau (temple) sites. ​Highlights of our visit: ​Honu (Green Sea Turtles): We saw multiple sea turtles resting on the shoreline at ʻAiʻōpio Beach near the harbor. Remember to give them plenty of space! (20ft to be exact) ​Cultural History: The park does a fantastic job preserving the spirit of how native Hawaiians lived and farmed aquaculture centuries ago. ​Exceptional Staff (Special shoutout to Ranger K. Cartee!) Park Ranger K. Cartee made our visit extra special. She was so polite, knowledgeable about the land and wildlife, and had absolute wonderful energy while answering all of our questions. When I asked about the walk to the beach, she explained it was about a mile each way from the main lot, but took the extra time to give us a game-changing tip: driving down to the boat yard road leads to a short, easy 10-minute walk instead. That suggestion was a lifesaver for my 70-year-old mother and allowed our whole family to enjoy the trip comfortably! Mahalo K. Cartee for truly carrying an awesome Aloha Spirit! :)

This is a NPS managed site that protects the ancient fish traps and fish catch ponds. centuries old…read more, all by hand to catch fish that come in on the tides to feed. One Way traps. A marvel to imagine