Big Island beaches range from fine, white sand to rare green sand or luxurious black sand in tiny coves or vast shorelines all around the island. The beaches along the Kohala Coast are the most beautiful, easily accessed beaches on the Big Island; great for swimming, snorkeling, boogie boarding or just relaxing.

Kohala Coast Beaches

Kauna’oa Beach - Located within the Mauna Kea Resort, this beach fronts the famous Mauna Kea Hotel. With all the beauty of its southern neighbor, Hapuna Beach, this crescent shaped, secluded white sand beach is great for swimming, snorkeling and family fun. Ask for a beach pass at the gate to the Mauna Kea Resort and follow the directions to beach parking. Come early, as beach access parking is limited.

Hapuna Beach - This state park hosts one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. More crowded than its neighbor, Kauna’oa, this beach is approx 1/3 of a mile long and offers beautiful white sand with few rocks. Great for swimming, boogie boarding, snorkeling and building sand castles, this beach is always a family favorite. Bring your umbrella because there is no shade available on the beach.

49 Black Sand Beach - This beautiful black sand beach is located within the Mauna Lani Resort. It is a great beach for snorkeling and water play. The luxurious black sand is an elegant back drop for a day of leisure at a quiet beach. The sand does get extremely warm throughout the day so be sure to keep your sandals handy.

Wailea Beach - Recently converted into a state park, this beach offers protection on windy days and plenty of shade. Great for swimming, snorkeling and relaxing, the whole family will love this beach.

Puako - The beaches along Puako Beach Drive are a combination of lava rocks and sand. Divers, swimmers and snorkelers can walk carefully out over the rocks for some great deep water swimming. For the little ones, the tidal pools make for some fun exploring in the shallow waters teaming with minnows or turtles sunning themselves on the rocks. The sand crabs are comical to observe as they burrow into the sand. Divers will enjoy some of the best diving spots on this coastline. Beaches are accessible and by public access ways conveniently located along Puako Beach Drive. Look for the blue Beach Access signs.

Anaeho’omalu Beach - Located at the Waikoloa Resort, the sand at this beach is more coarse than the others, yet located in a bay setting, it is protected from big waves. You can find a variety of ocean sports at this beach where you can rent equipment from boogie boards to kayaks, or make reservations for sunset sails or seasonal whale watching.

Ki’holo Beach - This beach may require a hike to get there, yet once you arrive you discover it is a lovely cove where sea turtles enjoy basking in the warm Hawaiian sun. This is not a great sandy beach but perfect for the nature enthusiast. And because of the hike, tends to be less populated than some of the beaches more easily accessed.

Kona Beaches

Kua Bay - Just north of Kona, Kua Bay offers a scenic white sand beach gently sloping down into the ocean. The beauty of the white sand beach and light blue waters is breathtaking – no doubt, this is one of the prettiest beaches on the Island. However, there are no trees or shade here.

Makalewena Beach - The beautiful beach of Makalawena stretches over five cove/inlets and covers an area of about a half a mile to a mile of shoreline. Makalawena is a remote beach, with few crowds. Prepare yourself for a 15-20 minute hike to get to this beach. The trailhead is in the Kona Coast State Park, off Route 19, the Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway.

Kekaha Kai State Park - This sandy white beach nestles in a bay with gentle surf. It has a limited number of picnic tables shaded by coconut trees fed by bubbling freshwater springs, but no drinking water. Portable toilets are the only additional facilities.

Old Kona Airport - The beach has a sheltered, sandy inlet with tidal pools for children, great for toddlers to wade without any worry of surf or current.

Kahalu’u Beach Park - This is one of the best snorkeling spots on the Big Island, with a huge variety of fishes in clear shallow waters. Swim with schools of colorful fish in these protected waters; don’t forget your underwater camera!

Other beaches - in the Kailua-Kona area include: Pine Trees, Baby Ponds at Kona Bay Estates, Honl’s Beach, and Magic Sands.

Kealakekua Bay Marine Sanctuary encompasses 315 acres and measures 1.5 miles in length and one mile in width. It is the largest sheltered natural bay on the island of Hawaii. The spectacular marine sanctuary at Kealakekua Bay offers an abundance of colorful tropical fish, a variety of beautiful coral reefs and visibility often to 100 feet. The calm, protected waters of Kealakekua Bay provide superior snorkeling and diving year round.

A pod of Hawaiian Spinner dolphins frequents Kealakekua Bay. The bay serves are a place for them to rest, feed, and a nursery for mothers and their calves. Due to the calm water conditions, extensive coral reef, and thriving underwater life, Kealakekua Bay offers some of the best snorkeling and diving in Hawaii. From the wharf across Kealakekua Bay, you can see the Captain Cook Monument. In the shallow waters adjacent to the Monument is where the best snorkeling and SCUBA diving is located. Additionally, there are spectacular views of the bay and the sheer cliffs on the eastern edge.

Southpoint Beaches

Green Sand Beach - You need good hiking shoes, or a permit and a four-wheel-drive vehicle to get to this truly green crescent beach, one of the most unusual on the island. The beach lies at the base of Pu’u o Mahana, a cinder cone formed during an early eruption of Mauna Loa; the greenish tint is caused by an accumulation of olivine that forms in volcanic eruptions. Swimming is dangerous in this windy, remote area, and there are no facilities.

Punalu`u Beach - Punalu’u Black Sand Beach is one of the most picturesque beaches we have, with jet black sand and tall, leaning coconut palms. At the far end of the beach there is a pond with exotic ducks. A natural freshwater wading pool is good for rinsing off after snorkeling with the turtles. The water can be a bit brisk, as this was a popular place for Hawaiians to get fresh water from the many springs that bubble up in the bay. The word "Punalu’u" actually means "diving spring".

Article by MacArthur and Company Sotheby's International Realty.