The Big Island's Best Beaches

Green Sands Beach, photo courtesy of @mayaontheroad

White sand, grey sand, black sand, and green sand...the Big Island has some of the most incredible beaches in Hawaii! Beaches recently reopened on the island after being closed for two months due to the COVID-19 quarantine. We couldn’t be more stoked! This good news inspired us to share some of our favorite beaches on the Big Island, from Kona to Hilo, and Ka’u to Kohala, to the island’s newest beach - formed by the 2018 volcanic eruption. Holy smokes, the Big Island is pretty cool!

Note: the following beaches are chosen for their “beachiness” meaning they have plenty of sand. There are other “beaches” which are all rock that offer great snorkeling, like Two Step in Honaunau Bay.

To keep your sense of direction, the following beaches are listed clockwise around the island, beginning at the southern tip.

Green Sands

This otherworldly beach is a must see during your visit to the Big Island! The green sand gets its color from the mineral Olivine, present in the large cinder cone that envelopes the beach named Puʻu Mahana which erupted about 50,000 years ago.

Located some 60 miles south of Kona, Green Sands, or Papakōlea beach is very remote and only accessible by a 2-3 mile (one way) hike or 4x4 drive. There is no shade along the hike or at the beach, so if you plan to stay long bring plenty of water and sun protection. There are no lifeguards or amenities. Removing sand from the beach is not allowed.

Ho’okena

Located about 20 miles south of Kona town, this grey sand beach is absolutely gorgeous, with plenty of shade trees and regular dolphin sightings. The drive down is fun, zigzagging along the side of Mauna Loa volcano on a one lane country road, passing grazing cows with million dollar views. Be sure to drive slow! Ho’okena is home to a historic fishing village, with a small community of local residents still living there today. It once had a port where ships would come in. There is tent camping available on the beach for a fee. Amenities include bathrooms and showers. No lifeguards.

Magic Sands

This is My Hawaii Hostel’s ‘home beach’, just a short bike ride down the road from our location. White sand, clear blue water, and a popular spot for locals and visitors, there’s always something going down at Magics. It’s a good spot for people watching and hanging out for a beach day.

Magic Sands is known for its beach break which is beloved by body boarders and body surfers. The waves here can get ENORMOUS especially in the winter months and it is a spectacle to watch! Exercise caution getting in the water when the surf is up. People do get injured in the shore break as the large waves break into very shallow water.

The water can just as easily be calm and glassy, it just depends on the swell. The beach gets its name from the disappearing sand, which gets kicked up and pulled out to sea by the heavy winter time surf, only to magically return in the spring. The beach has lifeguards and amenities including bathrooms, showers, and a volleyball court.

Catching waves at Magic Sands Beach, photo courtesy of @emilysouthpaw.

Makalawena

Arguably Kona’s most beautiful beach, this remote, pristine beach is located north of town, a few miles past the airport. Accessing it requires either a 2 mile hike (one way) or 4x4 vehicle to drive in, but it is well worth the trek! You’ll want some sneakers for this hike, as it’s over rough rock. Read more about the hike here.

Impossibly soft, fine, bright white sand and aquamarine water - this beach is totally undeveloped and wild. Flowering morning glory vines cover giant sand dunes. Ironwood and palm trees offer some natural shade. A handful of feral chickens roam. The beach is very large, broken down into three separate crescent shaped coves.

One of its best kept secrets is its brackish pools, located to the far north of the beach nearby the campsites (there is first come, first serve camping down here). Part ice cold freshwater that seeps underground from the slopes of Hualalai volcano, part salt water, these pools are wonderfully refreshing for a rinse after your beach day. (Just don’t go in slathered in sunscreen, please. Help keep the pools beautiful and clean!) You’ll also want some rubber slippers (flip flops), because the rocks in the pool are sharp on your feet. This beach does not have any amenities or lifeguards.

Kua Bay

Located directly north of Makalawena, Kua Bay is an easily accessible white sand beach in North Kona. It’s known for body surfing and body boarding. Exercise caution getting in the water here during big surf. It has a powerful shore break and and strong current when the waves pick up, especially in wintertime. It can also be calm and glassy. This beach is very popular and can get quite crowded, especially on weekends. Get there early to get a good spot! There is no shade, so bring an umbrella or sun protection if you plan to hang out all day.

There is a large mound, Pu'u Ku'ili, as you enter the road to Kua Bay. It is a fun, short hike to the top which rewards you with a panoramic view of Kua Bay, Hualalai, Mauna Kea, the Kohala Mountains, and even Maui’s Haleakala on a clear day! Kua has lifeguards and amenities including bathrooms and showers.

69s Beach

This tucked away white sand beach is wonderful for relaxing with very calm, clear water in a protected bay. It is located immediately north of Puako and south of Hapuna Beach, with no sign, just a dirt parking lot. The beach is long, but very narrow and backed by a strip of homes. There are plenty of natural shade trees to sit under. This is the perfect beach to curl up with a good book and a picnic lunch. It's a favorite spot for families with kids too, due to the calm water. See it’s location on Google Maps.

Hapuna Beach

The only beach on this list that requires a fee for entry for out of state visitors. Parking is $5 for those who do not have a Hawaii ID. This white/gold sand beach is massive and fun to walk up and down. On the north end is the fancy Hapuna Prince Hotel. This is an excellent beach for a low key beach day up north, with plenty of space and sand for lounging. Be sure to bring an umbrella for shade, since there are no trees to sit under. The water can be calm, or when the swell picks up, fun waves begin rolling into shore for body boarding and body surfing. The beach park has lifeguards and full amenities, including bathrooms, showers, and numerous picnic pavilions for BBQing.

Pololū Valley Black Sand Beach

One of our all time favorite hikes on the island ends at this beautiful black sand beach. Pololū Valley begins where highway 270 deadends, at the valley’s spectacular lookout. The drive up to north Kohala is a scenic one from Kona, whether you go the coastal route or the upper mountain route. The hike down to this beach is steep (300 ft. down) a zigzag trail, but relatively short, at just 0.5 miles. Save some energy for the hike back up! You’ll want some sneakers for this hike.

Down below, Pololū’s black sand beach is rugged and always changing its many moods. One of its defining characteristics is the presence of thousands of flat, rounded volcanic stones in shades of black, purple, red, and blue. Driftwood is usually plentiful. The beach is backed by massive 40 ft. sand dunes covered with a forest of towering ironwood trees, with rope swings strung about.

For the ambitious, the trail continues on through the valley and up the other side to a lookout point with a bench. It is possible to continue on past the bench to the 2nd and 3rd valley after Pololū, however the trail is very rugged and unkempt and only for seasoned hikers. Read all about the hike here.

Richardson’s Beach Park

Part of Hilo’s Keaukaha area, Richardson's beach park is a lovely black sand beach good for swimming and snorkeling. Sea turtles can often be spotted here. The water is a beautiful deep blue color and extremely refreshing with pockets of fresh water filtering in from underground. The view from this beach is also fantastic. On a clear day, you can see across all of Hilo bay to Hilo town and the slopes of Mauna Kea volcano. There is limited parking in the parking lot, but extra space can be found along the road. The beach has lifeguards and amenities including bathrooms and showers. Richardson’s is part of a string of pretty black sand beaches in this area.

Pohoiki Black Sand Beach (new beach created by 2018 lava flow)

This massive black sand beach was created by the 2018 eruption of Kilauea volcano and devastating lava flows. Hundreds of homes were lost and the Pohoiki boat ramp and surf break was buried under this new beach to the heartbreak of many local residents. Keep this in mind when you visit! You can learn more about the beach in this youtube video.

Pohoiki beach is about an hour drive south from Hilo and is located off the Red Road (Hwy 137) about 7 miles north of Kehena Beach. Find its location on Google Maps. Take care swimming here, as the water can be quite rough and the current strong. Check with the lifeguards. There are porta potties, but no other amenities.

Kehena Beach

Located off the scenic Red Road (Hwy 137) in the Puna district, this black sand beach is known as a clothing optional haven for hippies and free-spirited folk. On Sundays, the beach often gets crowded for a weekly gathering of eccentric locals and visitors. This beach is best earlier in the day, as the sun begins to move west and over the cliffs which block the direct sun in the late afternoon. There are some shade trees to relax under. The waves and current can become quite powerful here, so swim at your own risk. There are no lifeguards or amenities. Dolphins are often spotted offshore here playing. Accessing the beach requires a short, steep climb down the side of a lava rock cliff. Take care descending as the rocks are sharp.

Happy beaching friends! Don’t forget to tag us in all your epic beach adventures @myhawaiihostel on Instagram and Facebook.