Fabulous snorkeling! Parking is $10 and it's $5 per visitor, but worth every penny. The shore is small and rocky in some parts, sandy in others and there's shade among some trees. There are bathrooms and outdoor showers. The same parking permit allows you access to Hapuna Beach as well. Highly recommended! Bonus: Lava Lava Beach Club is right down the road for a perfect lunch! read more

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This is a beautiful beach with clear blue water where you can spend the whole day sheltered from the sun in the shade of the trees. The beach is equipped with a shower and toilet. While swimming on this beach we met a turtle. Parking on the beach is paid. Also, non-residents of Hawaii must pay $ 5 each. But the beach is worth it! read more

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This is a State run beach. It costs $10/vehicle + $5/visitor to be admitted to this beach. It has barely any shoreline, barely any open beach, and a lot of rugged rocks and coral. Not the place to swim, nor frolick in the water. I would say, if you're very careful, snorkeling is nice here because of the rocks and reef. You don't have to go out far to find rocks, reef, and sea-life here, o snorkeling in this location is nice. The 10 to 15 feet of shoreline is suffocated by overgrown and uprooted (root exposed) rotted trees. There is a smell that overwhelms when you're on the beach, It comes from those trees. Sand spots are few and far in between because of the trees. Shade, however, is very prevalent here. I do not recommend this beach, especially if you have children with precious feet, arms, legs, and bodies that can be scraped, scratched, or cut by the rocks and coral reef. read more

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Waialea Beach is on the smaller side and you have to pay a fee to come here; $10 per vehicle and $5 per person. Honestly, there wasn't anybody to regulate the 'per person' fee so, it's up to your discretion. You pay at a kiosk and put your ticket on the dash. There is a parking lot and an overflow that's not paved, off-road and dusty . I recommend a vehicle with high clearance or be mindful when driving in and out for the pathway is quite bumpy and you can easily scrape your car. The beach is indeed lava rocky in some areas. My friends and I posted up under a tree that provided shade. We laid out our beach mat and used the tilted tree branch to keep some items out of the sand. We brought snacks and drinks to munch on and I ate my poke from KTA, which was delicious! This place is great for wading in the water (which is what I did), snorkeling, wave chasing and of course, sunbathing. The water was cool and refreshing, especially with the sun shining down on you (I recommend a rash guard). Be cautious when swimming and walking into the water though so the rocks don't get cha. About 2-3ft into the water you can see fisheses; mainly convict tang and the reef triggerfish. There's tidal pools more to the left of the beach and a little section of water you can sit in and feel the waves crash in. The soft sand and the beachy area is more to the right side. The left side is more flat, bumpy and rocky. Overall, my friends and I enjoyed our time here. We were able to spread out from other groups. People watch and eat our snacks. We explored around the giant lava rock hill and I walked along the shore. It was a great place go spend the afternoon. read more

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We came hoping for some good snorkeling but the water was murky today. It is a nice place to chill n sunbathe. Plenty of parking. read more

Waialea Beach - Pretty rocky here - Beaches Near Me - Kamuela, Hawaii

This beach was exactly what I was looking for during my vacation. It was clean, serene and not crowded. There are picnic tables if needed and plenty of shaded areas to relax. The water was warm and calm, perfect for swimming or snorkeling. If you're looking for a relaxing beach in the area I would highly recommend. I can't wait to return! read more

Waialea Beach - Beaches Near Me - Kamuela, Hawaii

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One of the better snorkeling areas on the Kohala coast. Usually I stay in Kailua-Kona on the big Island, and snorkel at Kahaluu beach park off of Alii drive north of the Keauhou Shopping Center. This time I'm staying in Waikoloa, 30 miles north on the Kohala coast, and don't feel like making a 70 mile round trip to snorkel. So we try out A-Beach , then Puako Beach. This time we drive north on highway 19, make a left on Puako Road, but when we come to the fork in the road, turn right onto old Puako Road. Narrow one land paved road, with a lot of small hills, obscuring vision ahead. Got to hope drivers coming in the opposite direction obey the 15 mph speed limit, as the hills are tall enough to block vision straight ahead, until its too late. Sign says entering Hapuna Beach Park, the most famous beach on the island. All state beaches in Hawaii charge $5 per vehicle for nonresidents. Hapuna beach has a toll booth, whereas Waialea Beach (also called beach 69) has ticket machines to collect the fee. Don't want to pay $5 if the snorkeling conditions are bad. Guess which beach I'm going to? Paved parking lot, with overflow dirt parking. And today on a weekday at 10am, we park our rental car in the dirt. I tape my wallet under the spare tire in the trunk, with the water resistant electronic car key in a heavy waterproof plastic zip lock pouch in my zippered rear swim suit pocket. Signs warn of dangerous shore break and strong current, but I my glasses are in the car, and ignore the signs. Ticket machine collects $5 from nonresidents, which I also ignore, despite what my too honest wife says. I tell the wife that there is no way for them to distinguish residents from nonresidents.   Wife goes into the bathrooms to change out of her shorts and sandals. I go scout out the beach, through the opening in the trees. Bright turquoise green waters, with a huge lava rock formation right in the middle of a half moon crescent shaped beach, on the small side. Inside a bay, with palm trees lining the sandy shores. A very long area of shallow water over a sandy bottom. Great for swimming, but the sandy bottom makes it murky for snorkeling, even at 10am in the morning, before the currents build up. I'm wearing a T-shirt, as the water is a bit nippy in December, and the T-shirt also prevents sunburn on the back when the sun shines bright.   My wife wears a 0.5 mil light weight wet suit mainly for body warmth, and prescription goggles -that's why she can't rent out snorkel outfits for $10 a week from snorkel bob's!.   She's also wearing my fins, as hers are too long for the carry on luggage.  No, I can't fit into her shoes - the 3" stilettos are too narrow for me!  I'm wearing my water proof water shoes, good for snorkeling in calm waters.  In rough waters, I'm counting on the wife pulling  me out, like a sack of potatoes! We go get on our snorkel mask and breathing tube, wet the mask to seal it, and go in -me forward, and she with the fins backward.   We float on top of the water around the big lava rock, looking at the tropical fish swimming around the bottom. Not the best of days to snorkel, as it is November, and lots of storms and surf advisories for the north and northwest coast of the Big Island. No turtles today. Half an hour later, we are at the outdoor showers, washing all the sand out of our gear, walking back to the car. Line of tourists at the ticket machine, with one millennial asking how to get the machine to work. Machine broken, and none of the cars in the parking lot have parking stubs. Nobody has paid $5 today, and I wouldn't pay even if the machine was working, as I'm paying a 25% hotel tax and a 37% rental car tax. read more

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Also known as Mike Marker 69 Beach, this beach is wonderful! The trees provide natural shade, so that you don't even need an umbrella to protect you from the sun! The water feels great. They have bathrooms! Lovely! Highly recommend! read more

Waialea Beach - Beach - Beaches Near Me - Kamuela, Hawaii

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Waialea is a beautiful small beach off of Highway 19 just south of the more well-known, white sand Hapuna Beach. There's plenty of shade and picnic tables for families to set up and relax out of the sun just off the shoreline. The parking lot ($5 for non resident vehicle), clean bathrooms, and outdoor rinsing showers were nice amenities for this quiet beach. When we stopped here, we were en route to Halaula (further up north) and were without our snorkel gear. This was unfortunate since this small cove is an ideal spot for snorkeling. Luckily, I had a pair of goggles on me for some quick glimpses of the colorful little fish huddled between the rocks. Enjoy, be safe, and don't forget your snorkel gear! read more

Waialea Beach - Beach - Beaches Near Me - Kamuela, Hawaii

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Tremendous wee beach. It's small, it's sandy, it's comparatively quiet, it's perfect. Snorkel with the Honu, play in the waves, cannonball off the rocks, or lie on the perfect sand, sipping cold Coconut Porters from Maui Brewco, while crispy-frying yourself in the hot Hawaiian sun. Is that bacon I smell? No wait - it's Irishman! read more

Waialea Beach - 69, dude!!! - Beaches Near Me - Kamuela, Hawaii

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I love here but I will recommend you be careful with the jellyfish... one jellyfish hurt my friend ...

The reason why I booked a resort right by this beach! It's so beautiful and tons of turtles to see! The beach is small but I felt like it was private and that was nice to have considering I don't like huge crowds at beaches. The water was clear and swimming was so much fun since you can see what's swimming next to you! My daughters didn't mind sitting on the sand, it was just so soft. I wanted to just stay there foreverrrr! Until I got a sunburn on my shoulders...grrrr. read more

This place was really neat - it had plenty of shade and was definitely family friendly. There was just enough surf for a boogie board, but a little too much for snorkeling (as is to be expected in the winter). You do have to pay to park here, as it is technically located in Hapuna Beach State Park. It is $5 for non-residents. However, the plus to this is that you can then drive up to Hapuna Beach itself and the pass will apply there, as well. Overall, a lovely beach that is not too crowded and has nice, soft sand. read more

Waialea Beach - Waialea Beach - Beaches Near Me - Kamuela, Hawaii

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GREAT beach! Absolutely awesome snorkling (better than you'll find around most of the island really, and very private in comparison). There is a huuuuuge reef here that you can follow for hours if you like. I saw sea turtles and much much more at a constant rate around it. We went on two occasions, once on a Saturday, when it was pretty crowded but still not like a busy busy beach, and once during a weekday when we actually had a huge section of the beach all to ourselves for hours. If you're within 20-30 minutes of this beach I'd recommend checking it out first. There are also clean bathrooms, working freshwater showers, etc. read more

Thought this beach was perfectly lovely. A bit south from the more famous white sand beaches, I believe I saw a combination of white, golden, and black sands coming together here. Lots of family types here, restrooms and shower a big bonus, I think. Yet, despite the fact that the beach had lots of people there, it just didn't seem crowded or loud. We had a space of at least 20 feet between us and the next couple over, and those who walked in the surf in front of us gave us wide berth. No loud screaming or obnoxious kids, just some kids running about a little and playing. Very pleasant way to pass the afternoon. read more

During my two week stay on the Big Island (in April), I stayed off of Ali'i Dr because it's conveniently close to everything. On day 4 I drove 45 mins out to Waialea Beach and liked it so much that I went back 3 other times. I've gone at different times of the day and although it always seems busy, there's always a spot to claim. The weather in April is amazing so the sun was always out and the waves were tame. I wouldn't recommend boogie boarding because the shores are really rocky, but snorkeling was a lot of fun!!! There aren't any rentals out there, so you'll have to bring your own gear. read more

Good place to snorkel and boogie board. Costs $5 to get in but between you and me I'm not quite sure if they check your dash to see if you got a ticket or not. The bathrooms are relatively clean and have a nice large open area to change in and there is multiple showers/foot washes to use. The beach itself is half trees and half sand providing shade for those who want to stay back and enough sand to comb the beach for shells, build a castle in, or just walk on. It's a pretty good beach for snorkeling since the waves are not too violent and there are reefs 10 feet out in the water. However it is rather rocky so be careful where you decide to snorkel. The best part to me though was that there weren't too many people there so it never felt crowded. Overall a good quiet area to relax and do a little snorkeling or swimming. read more

Lots & lots of fish of different variety. I feel like immersing myself in an aquarium tank snorkeling and watchinf the fishes. Great for beginner snorkelers as the the fishes were swimming very close to the shore. Parking close by but may be hard if crowded though the parking is relatively large. $5 for entrance/parking waived if you're beach hopping from another beach belonging to the Hapuna beach state park such as the White sand beach 1 star off because it used to be a military training site. A little unnerving to think one might come across a grenade. However, I do appreciate they post a sign warning beachgoers about that. Also, the 1 star off because there's no lifeguard. Also, the 1 star off due to only 1 fresh water rinse off station. read more

Shady and secluded - we loved this beach for a peaceful afternoon of swimming and lounging. Not much sunlight available so don't expect to lay out and tan here, but it's great for the family to spend a day! Bring a picnic and snorkel near the rocks - you'll see some cool fish on clear days (murky days it's pretty tough to find the good fish). read more

The sand is soft beneath my toes and I wander off in a nap thinking there's no better place to be. I wake with the sun beaming on my face as if it's calling me to get my tush off because I'm burning. Anyway, quiet beaches are the best, in my opinion. Not a lot of people there when I visited so it was veryyyyyyyyyyy relaxing. Can I go back already?! read more

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Great beach, good snorkling, has bathrooms, showers, shade trees, not crowded, just down from Hapuna Beach.