Best local beach ever. Great for small kids and snorkeling. I would bring water shoes. It has…read moreshaded area close to the water.

I don't know how a beach can be a hidden gem, but this one is it! Located inside the Kona Village…read moreResort is a public bay that is accessible through the private entrance at the Kona Village Resort. Simply drive straight to the guard station and ask for a pass to the beach. They will issue a free parking and admission pass for the day. You reach the shoreline about 1/2 mile from the entrance. It is surrounded by beautiful landscape, trees and grassy areas for picnicking. The Kona Village really takes pride in the property, it is very clean and maintained in pristine condition. We enjoyed a leisurely day in the sun and brought a long a few snacks, we did not notice any food for sale nearby. The areas is preserved very well to ensure the natural land is not disturbed. Bookmark this location if you want to avoid crowded beaches. Don't forget to tell 'em that Rosemary sent ya!

Incredible blue, clear water that looks like pool water. Waves were fun but not scary. Great white…read moresand space for laying out too. Best swimming beach we found in Kona! If you don't have a local ID, it does cost $20 to enter with your car. (If you park at the top it's a 1.5 mile walk down to the beach so I don't recommend that). But the beach is well worth it!

Small beautiful bay. waters can be rough with lots of shore breaking waves. Beach is rocky and…read morechallenging to get to... Parking and park fees are expensive... Hawaii is gouging tourists with fees and taxes nowadays... but if you are on the Kona side this is worth the trek if you are a beach lover .

Great beach to boogie board or snorkel with fine white sand. When I was here there were a few sea…read moreturtles swimming around, which was very cool to see. YOU NOW HAVE TO PAY TO ENTER!!! Many reviews I see from late 2025 say it's free, but you now have to pay through credit card or Apple Cash. It's ~20 dollars for 2 people.

Almost every beach we went to on the Big Island was so rocky but we found this one on our last day…read more White sands, clear water. It was just picture perfect. It was crowded but we found a slightly isolated patch of sand to play in. Free parking, showers and restrooms.

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.

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.

Don't let the drive in stop you unless you have a super low riding car. The road in is both paved…read morein spots and incredibly rough in others. Take your time and it will be worth it. We didn't stay at the beach at the parking lot, choosing to park and hike into the trees and the gorgeous beach at the end of the trail. We arrived early morning and were one of only 2-3 cars already here. By the time we left at 1:00 the parking lot was much fuller. Take snorkel gear, water, and anything that will allow you to stay and relax both the water and on the beach. There are some trees for shade but don't expect them to be unoccupied. Plan ahead. We spent lots of time snorkeling with turtles, which we left a,one as much as possible. One of them seemed interested in us and we had to repeatedly trying to to avoid him for his own safety. Our swim was really enjoyable and families can bring young children as this bay area seems safely out of strong water tides and pull. There are rough rocks in areas so watch where you enter, swim and exit.

Snorkeling here was so wonderful, lots of underwater beauty to gaze at, every color of the rainbow…read more Both days saw turtles and gave them their respective wide berth while looking lovingly at them.

Great beach for wave watching, turtle watching, the queen's bath lava tube and an energizing hike…read moreif you choose to walk across the lava field. Do not enter the Queen's bath or Lava Tube, it is forbidden.

Only 8 campsites and they are really really close together so if you have families it can be really…read morenoisy and annoying for those with no children. Camp/park rangers nice and check on your permits and you can ask them anything. Rocky beach with a small sandy area. Depending on the season it can be super wavy. You can snorkel here.

This was our favorite beach while visiting the Waikōloa area on the Big Island. The sand is like…read morepowder, the water is warm and shallow (check tide conditions), it's clean, and the kids loved it. Besides the beach area, there is a large grassy area with canopies, picnic tables, and a large lawn area. The lawn area gave us shelter from the sun, and was a great place to take breaks and have snacks. There were a few chickens wandering around the grassy area, so watch your food. The bathrooms are decent, and there are several water spray areas to wash off. The kiddos just loved wading in the water and letting the waves wash over their legs. It's a great place for the whole family.

We came to see if there were waves for surfing. I saw a lot of Boogie Boards in the Beach. I…read morebrought mine from home. But no waves today and incredibly crowded. Not much shade , bring your own. Lots of paid parking And shade area s to picnic. A nice big big area for families.

This is a very calm harbor bay. A couple of sailboats anchored , a lot of shade , restrooms and…read moreshowers. White sand beach with palm trees. marked parking in lave field. A long walk with gear to the Water. No surf, done Snorklers in the Water. .

PICK UP YOUR TRASH TOURIST!…read more we visited this beach as it's across the Marriott where we were staying. Soft sand and nice blue waters. Note no lifeguard on duty.