History of Ironman on the Big Island

The origin of Ironman on the Big Island dates back to 1978 when Navy Commander John Collins, a former triathlete, proposed the idea for an endurance race that would combine three existing events: swimming 2.4 miles in Kailua Bay, biking 112 miles around the island, and running 26.2 miles from Keauhou to Hawi. The first event was held in February 1982 with 15 participants and has since grown into one of the most popular races in the world.

How Long Has It Been Held?

Since its inception in 1982, Ironman on the Big Island has been held annually every October or November, depending on weather conditions. Over 4,500 athletes participate each year, making it one of the largest Ironman events worldwide.

In addition to this championship event, there are also several other smaller races throughout the year, including half-Ironmans (1/2 distance) and sprints (1/4 distance). These events provide an opportunity for athletes of all levels to compete in a variety of distances and challenge themselves.

When Does Ironman Take Place?

Date and Time of the Race: The date for Ironman varies each year but typically takes place in October or November. This year’s race will be held on Saturday, October 24th at 7 am HST (Hawaii Standard Time). Unfortunately, the Championships have been split between Nice, France, and Kona, with this year’s women’s race taking place in Kona and the men’s race in Nice. In 2024, they will reverse, with the men coming to Kona.

The course starts with a 2.4-mile open water swim off Kailua Bay, followed by a 112-mile bike ride through some of the most beautiful scenery in Hawaii, including lava fields and lush tropical forests. It ends with a 26.2-mile run along Ali’i Drive overlooking Kailua Bay, finishing at Kamakahonu Beach Park near downtown Kona.

As someone who has completed a few Ironmans, seeing the best of the best in action in person is amazing. For instance, in the 50-years-old category, in order to be good enough to make it to the Championships for your age, you most likely have to run your marathon section in under 3 hours. So, you swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and THEN run at a pace of 6:52 for 26.2 miles. A pace that most people can’t run for one mile. A time that most people dream of if they are only running a marathon. But at over 50 years old, this is what the best are doing.

What Other Races Take Place on the Big Island?

From Ironman triathlons to marathons, there are plenty of opportunities for athletes looking for a challenge.

Types of Races Available: The Big Island offers a variety of different types of races that cater to all levels and abilities. For those who want an intense physical challenge, there are Ironman triathlons, half-marathons, 10Ks, 5Ks, and more. For those looking for something less strenuous but still exciting, there are also fun runs like color runs or glow runs, as well as obstacle courses such as mud runs or zombie crawls.

Popular Races and Events on the Big Island: Some popular races on the island include the Ironman World Championship held annually in Kailua-Kona; Hapalua Half Marathon, which takes place every April; XTERRA World Championship, which is held each October; Lavaman Triathlon, which occurs each March; and Run 4 Hope, which happens every November. In addition to these larger events, there are also smaller local running clubs that organize their own weekly group runs throughout the year.

Where Can You Watch Ironman on the Big Island?

Spectator Locations for Ironman Races

The most popular spot is Kailua Pier in Kona, where the start and finish lines are located. This area also offers plenty of restaurants and shops nearby, so you can grab a bite or do some shopping while watching the action unfold.

Other prime viewing spots include Waikoloa Beach Resort, which provides a great view of swimmers as they make their way through two miles of open water; Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows, which overlooks both bike and run courses; Ali’i Drive along Queen Kaahumanu Highway near Keauhou Shopping Center; Holualoa Village at mile 23 on Kuakini Highway; Puako Petroglyph Preserve at mile 28 on Queen Kaahumanu Highway; Hapuna Beach State Park at mile 32 on Queen Kaahumanu Highway; Kawaihae Harbor at mile 35 off Akoni Pule Highway (Highway 270); Mahukona Beach Park at mile 40 off Akoni Pule Highway (Highway 270); Spencer Beach Park near Kapaau town at Mile 42 off Akoni Pule Highway (Highway 270); Kohala Mountain Road between Hawi Town and Waimea Town just before Mile 45 off Akoni Pule Highway (Highway 270).

Why Did Ironman Leave Hawaii?

The Ironman organization wanted to separate the race into separate women’s and men’s races so that they could focus on each race rather than combining them. It also meant they could have larger fields and more TV revenue. The race is a big financial gain for the Island of Hawaii, but it also puts a strain on the community. Traffic and lodging become issues, and essentially, the town gets taken over by the World Championships. Having TWO races in which this happened was more than the community felt they could handle and they expressed their concern. Thus, the decision was made to have one race each year. Kona is what makes the Championships special, and we hope they stay on the Big Island or go back to having only one race. Our feeling is that a race in any other city becomes just a race.

It’s a windswept, often tree-lined route that takes crowds of shoppers, restaurant-goers, sightseers and departing cruise ship passengers past eateries, spas, trinket shops, resorts and ancient churches at its northern end, and brings surfboard-clad cars past a string of highly popular beach parks and surf breaks – places like Lyman’s Surf Spot, Kahalu’u Beach Park and Magic Sands Beach – along its southern stretch. Some locals refer to its commercial section as “Big Island’s Waikiki”, after the City of Honolulu’s world-famous tourist row of postcard-level beaches, novelty restaurants and glitzy shops found on the Island of Oahu.

Most visitors experience Ali’i Drive in this order – north to south – starting the day in Kona town with gift shopping and a hearty brunch at places like Kona Inn Shopping Village, Kona Farmers’ Market, Journey Cafe Big Island and Kona Wave Cafe. One of the island’s best ethnic restaurants, featured in its own dedicated review on this blog, is Kamana Kitchen, which serves up an authentic, mouth-watering Indian cuisine menu of rich curries, aromatic rice dishes, tandoori meats and homemade naan bread at its open-air dining area located on the first floor of the Waterfront Row Shopping Center. Kamana starts serving lunch at 11:00am, and their to-go meals make for healthy, savory picnic snacks.

For souvenirs, the north end of Ali’i drive boasts plenty of choices; high-end shops like Kona Marketplace, Pacific Vibrations, Pueo Boutique, Big Island Jewelers, Hilo Hattie and Tasty Boutique, but also cheaper spots selling run-of-the-mill items like shell necklaces, Aloha print shirts, handmade bags and purses, jewelry and carved woodwork. The best deals on these trinkets and much more can be found at the craft-heavy Kona Farmers’ Market, open from 7:00am to 4:00pm Wednesday through Sunday.

The market can be easily spotted while heading in either direction along the drive; a sprawling complex of white pop-up tents inhabiting a parking lot just beyond a long, stout wall of mortared black lava rocks bordering the sidewalk. This is one of the busiest spots along Ali’i Drive, and during high tourist season and on holidays it’s common for drivers to get stuck at crosswalks here for a minute or two – no crossing signals means wandering pedestrians more or less own the road. Traffic can also get backed up in this area due to the Kona Trolleys – the colorful open-air public busses that ply the drive every hour and tend to make frequent stops. The Trolleys operate seven days a week from 7:00am to 9:00pm and service every beach park and business mentioned in this article, as well as many other locations in downtown Kona.

With full shopping bags and contented bellies, visitors to the city – whether driving rental cars or riding the Trolley – will usually head south at this point to spend the afternoon at the beach. Just a few miles outside of town the commercial facade of tidy shops, convenience stores, bustling eateries and outdoor market complexes quickly melts away, turning into an undulating coastline of sandy bays, rocky points and waves crashing over offshore reefs, lined with sporadic pockets of resorts and vacation rental homes crammed between expansive beach parks of towering palm trees, parking lots, lifeguard towers and volleyball courts. All of these spots are excellent for swimming, snorkeling, boogie boarding and sunbathing, from Pahoehoe Beach Park to Kahalu’u Bay and the many smaller informal stretches of sandy beach in between.

Usually, those new to the Kona coast will just cruise south along Ali’i Drive until they spot some promising looking beach park with a vacant parking lot and go for it. Since so many great swimming spots can be found right next to each other virtually in a line along the main road, it’s possible to visit several different beaches in a single afternoon. 

End Of The Drive and Accommodation Options

The large green golf courses of Keauhou, along with its famous Kona Coast Resort and Kona Country Club, mark the southern terminus of the drive, which promptly turns into “Ali’i Highway” before becoming Mamalahoa Bypass Road heading further south to the towns of Kealakekua and Captain Cook. 

Visitors who get an early start and find themselves in Keauhou on a Saturday morning have a great opportunity to visit Keauhou Farmers’ Market, found in the parking lot of Keauhou Shopping Center next to Bianelli’s Gourmet Pizza. The plastic folding tables at this market are usually overflowing with perfectly ripe, locally grown tropical fruits like avocados, mangos, lychee, papaya and citrus. They offer a much better selection of produce at a more reasonable price when compared to the daily Kona Farmers’ Market vendors, who seem crowded out by an army of craft and trinket sellers. The weekly Keauhou market opens at 8:00am and wraps up at noon on Saturdays.

At this point visitors have only traveled a little over half-a-dozen miles, but have visited several different beach parks, markets, souvenir shops and restaurants. They’ve tried their hand at riding a surfboard, bought much-needed sun hats, sampled some strange and exotic new fruits, spotted dolphins and sea turtles milling around in the bay, and caught some sun at a beach of white sand and bright turquoise water that should be in a brochure.

Few people come to Big Island for the “luxury” Hawaiian vacation experience. It is, after all, considered an “outer-island”, largely rural, full of country folk and devoid of mega-condos and never-ending suburban sprawl. Most people make the extra airplane jump out here to see things like magnificent waterfalls, smoking volcanic craters, raw black sand beaches, striking rainbows, towering lush green valleys and orchards full of tropical fruit. But for those wanting to eat well and stay well while exploring all of these quintessentially Big Island sights, and even to bring a special piece of the island home as a memento or gift for loved ones, Ali’i Drive is the closest thing the island has to Honolulu-level lavishness. 

For accommodation, it features some of the most centrally located, best-outfitted, and highest-rated lodging on the island, including two and three-star spots like Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Kailua-Kona, Kona Islander Inn, Royal Kona Resort, Club Wyndham Kona Hawaiian Resort, WorldMark Kona, Kona Tiki, and Club Wyndham Royal Sea Cliff. Toward the drive’s southern end is the 4-star hotel Aston Kona By The Sea, located right next to the beach and surrounded by tranquil forests. It’s an easy walk from this hotel along the shore to Ali’i Saltwater Swimming Pool.

In addition to hotels, there are countless less-formal vacation rentals stretching up and down Ali’i Drive and beyond, from beach villas to condos to guest houses, many of which are pinned on Google maps and found on sites like Airbnb and VRBO. As a general rule, accommodation tends to become cheaper the farther you go away from the drive, and with Kona towns’s easy drive-ability and relatively efficient and wide-reaching bus service, it’s possible to get a room in a farther-flung neighborhood and still take full advantage of everything Ali’i Drive has to offer.

How To Get There:

For those wanting to explore the entire length of Ali’i Drive, its northern terminus is located at the bottom of Palani Road, roughly three blocks down the hill from Kona Walmart, next to a long flat-topped rock wall running along Kailua Bay. Ululani’s Shave Ice, Big Kahuna Beach Grill, Seiji’s Sushi and Cherry Hill Kona Coffee Outlet can all be found near the start of the drive, and Gertrude’s Jazz Bar and the historic Hulihe’e Palace are immediately after.

Moku’aikaua Church, Hawaii’s oldest Christian church dating back to the early 1800s, is an easily recognizable landmark located at the top of Ali’i Drive, with its tall white arch and walls of roughly hewn lava boulders sticking out from the much more modern buildings surrounding it.

The Hawaiian word “ali’i” (AH-LEE-EE) means royalty. Ali’i Drive got its name because Hulihe’e Palace was once used by the Royal Family of Hawaii as their home, and the nearby Ahuena Heiau was where King Kamehameha, the first monarch to rule over a united Hawaiian archipelago, spent his retirement. Today the palace is often used as an outdoor music and art venue, where sweetly sung Hawaiian songs drift out onto the sidewalk accompanied with riffs of iconic “slack key” guitar. At one end of the palace grounds is Niumalu Beach, a tiny speck of white sand offering a great photo opportunity of the bay.

Important Note: This stretch of the drive is used as part of the racecourse for the Ironman World Championship held in Kailua-Kona annually, usually in the beginning of October. During the events, the road is closed to vehicle traffic and congestion in the city becomes pretty extreme.

The expansive coastline of rough, smooth black lava pebbles appears almost perfectly straight while standing at the shore, with the low-rise commercial buildings of the city’s downtown flanking the beach on one end, while the brackish waters of where Waiakea Pond meets Hilo Bay form the other boundary. To its south is Kamehameha Avenue – named after the legendary Hawaiian warrior-king who was the first to unite the island chain under one rule – which connects two of Big Island’s main highways; Highway 11 and Highway 19. This casts the beaches of Hilo Bayfront Park essentially in the center of town, and makes them hard to miss for anyone driving from one end of town to the other along the picturesque coast.

The beach park is a more than half-mile-long thin sliver of gently sloping land criss-crossed with concrete walking paths, groves of dizzyingly tall coconut palms and well-manicured ornamental shrubs, and seemingly endless racks of hand-paddled watercraft of every imaginable variety. There are traditional Hawaiian outrigger canoes; sleek hulls of raw wood complete with lacquered tree branches used as supports lashed down with white nylon rope, as well as more modern fiberglass rowing skiffs in an assortment of neon colors. Many are stored in simply built shelters set in a line roughly 100 feet up from the beach, while others are haphazardly scattered along the beach without cover, turned over to deflect rain and stacked atop chunks of beach wood. The Hawaiian names of the vessels are often painted in large white text just above their waterlines: “Moku Ola”, “Hemolele”, “Malanai”, and “Makai Aloha” to name just a few.

Most of the shelters are slapped with hand-painted wooden signs reading “Puna Canoe Club”, “Kamehameha Canoe Club”, “Hilo Paddlers Club” among others, put up by their respective sponsoring organization. “Paddling clubs” are a highly popular pastime on Big Island, and are a natural fit for Hilo Bay considering its several-mile-long breakwater which arcs out into the open ocean tempering the strength of incoming waves and making for a large open area of calm inshore water. For many native Hawaiians, engaging in these water sport past-times help them maintain a connection to the past and keep their millennia-old culture alive. Due to their popularity, paddling sports have supplanted many mainland typical U.S. past-times like baseball, football, basketball and hockey, evident in the fact that the state has no professional sports teams.

So, a visit to the park is a great place to get acquainted with arguably the most popular sport in Hawaii, and to get an up-close look at a truly remarkable variety of watercraft, often while they are in-use. Some are small, light and compact, seemingly built for solo paddles along the waters of Hilo Bay. Others, though, are giant boat-looking crafts with stations for a half-dozen paddlers that look like they must need to be carried across the beach overhead by teams of burly water men and women. This is perhaps the group that Hilo Bayfront Park is most popular with: paddlers, and the park’s flat, even shoreline and typically calm waters of Hilo Bay beyond it – along with a hard-to-beat location at the center of the city hustle and bustle – make it arguably the best spot for paddling on the entire island.

Canoeing, Kayaking, Surfing and Stand-Up Paddleboarding In The Heart Of Hilo Town

The park’s popularity is shared among stand-up paddle boarders as well, who are a relatively new sight on the island but still can be seen on most days plying the bay’s shallow waters and dodging the path of the occasional charging canoe. For visitors to Big Island who are new to the sport, Hilo Bay is a terrific place to learn: board rentals are affordable and plentiful in town, the expansive calm waters are rarely crowded, and depending on the time of year paddlers can take advantage of days-long stretches of cool, reliably sunny weather.

The park is not so great, however, for swimming and snorkeling, since from the beginning of the 20^th Century over-tourism and nearby industrial activity has badly eroded the coastline, with oftentimes murky water along its beaches that can become quite cold from mixing with the runoff of several nearby streams. This is unfortunate considering that, back in the old days, Hilo Bayfront beaches were considered some of the finest swimming spots on the island. Still, today some local Hilo snorkeling enthusiasts claim that there are patches of suitable snorkeling ground several hundred feet offshore that are worth the effort to see.

For those opting to remain on dry land, the park is a great spot for long, easy beach walks across the flat shore of uniformly coarse black sand. Its snaking concrete walking trail and adjacent green lawns set just up from the beach are also popular with picnickers, dog-walkers, joggers and cyclists, who can often be seen cruising along the thoroughfare on breezy Hilo afternoons in between the city’s frequent rain showers. Several picnic benches are strewn on either side of the footpath, often situated in patches of shade cast by the resident towering coconut palms. And visitors can rest easy: these trees are trimmed obsessively by city parks workers, so despite its impressive array of tall palms, “falling coconut” danger at the park is almost nonexistent.

Hilo Bayfront Park connects downtown Hilo with the popular tourist destinations located along Waiakea Peninsula, from its world-famous and history-rich boulevard of towering trees known as Banyan Drive, to the idyllic groves and stretching footbridge of Coconut Island, to the beautifully lush and colorful Liliuokalani Gardens. The park serves as the conduit for cyclists and walking tours making their way from the overloaded tables of delectable tropical fruit offered up daily at Hilo Farmers’ Market along the waterfront to see the sights on the other end of town. So, it’s a great halfway point for walkers and bikers, who can manage to find a vacant picnic table in the shade, enjoy their tropical bounties of fruit and fish, and look out over a bay of glimmering, placid water as a warm, humid breeze stirs up the palm fronds.

Other amenities at the park include multiple restroom and public shower facilities, as well as a large and easy to access parking lot that always seems to be mostly deserted. It’s important to keep in mind, though, that there is no lifeguard tower at Hilo Bayfront Park – most likely because swimming is so unpopular here – so visitors should get in the water at their own risk and keep an eye out for unsafe ocean conditions, which are infrequent yet not unheard of in Hilo Bay. Also important to note: the park is more of a local hangout than a tourist hotspot, so remember to be respectful of the locals while exploring and taking pictures, and make sure any trash created makes it into a bin. Nothing draws the ire of Hawaiians more than visitors who do not “malama aina” (respect the land).

How To Get There:

Hilo Bayfront Park is located along Kamehameha Avenue just three miles from Hilo International Airport and less than one mile from the city’s main downtown commercial strip. From Kamehameha Avenue, there are a handful of entrances to Bayfront Highway, from which the beach park’s sprawling parking lot can be accessed. Some of the narrow side-roads running along the parking lots are technically one-way, so it can be a little tricky navigating once you’ve turned off the main road. Keep an eye out for a heavily eroded hand-carved wooden sign with the park’s name emblazoned on it.

Restroom and shower facilities are located adjacent to the lot, while the primitive shelters housing the wide variety of canoes and other watercraft both ancient and modern are set slightly farther back from the road, along dirt footpaths leading down to the water’s edge. The park’s beaches are some of the only shore spots on the island with significant amounts of driftwood, which can be tossed around and spread out during high tides and heavy storms. So it’s best to bring a pair of sturdy shoes if planning to embark on a beach walk, and setting out on a cloudy winter day with a strong onshore breeze could call for a windbreaker to stay warm.

An afternoon spent exploring the park is sure to work up an appetite, and thankfully there are some exceptional restaurant options right down the road, including Hilo Bay Cafe, Ken’s House of Pancakes, Verna’s Drive-In, Ponds Hilo and the legendary Suisan Fish Market – arguably the best place for traditional Hawaiian plate lunch featuring the iconic staple poke (diced, seasoned raw local fish).

After all, Big Island is the place of towering green Jurassic Park-looking valleys, mystical fairy forests of ironwood trees browsed by wild horses, bubbling lava cauldrons at the summits of volcanoes, and waterfalls as tall as office buildings crashing into turquoise pools of water with rainbows forming out of the ensuing mist. It seems that everywhere you go on this island there’s another spectacle of incalculable natural beauty hiding behind every bend in the road, so it’s no wonder that the word “magic” gets thrown around often while describing the sights to see on trip to the youngest Hawaiian isle.

But head roughly four miles south along the main commercial seaside boulevard in Kona Town known as “Ali’i Drive”, and visitors will find a pristine beach park that truly does its own magic trick; it’s a short crescent-shaped plot of white sand and jutting black lava rocks that’s immensely popular with swimmers, sunbathers and boogie boarders known as “Magic Sands Beach”. In fact, this serene stretch of sandy Kona coastline is often ranked among the best beaches on Big Island for boogie boarding, and in the past has hosted the Magic Sands Body Surfing Championship – the only event of its kind on the entire island.

Magic Sands for the most part is what surfers call “beach break”. This is where, absent an offshore reef to induce the incoming rolling waves to form barrels and crash in deep water, the waves make their way into shore unencumbered and crash close to the beach in a spectacular explosion of white sand, misty spray and bubbling sea foam. Summer months see much tamer waves than winter ones at Magic Sands, with frequent high surf advisories issued for the beach during the winter swell when swimming, playing and boarding in the waves can become extremely dangerous.

And it is precisely the force of these intimidating winter waves which makes the beach’s magic trick possible. After a day of heavy surf crashing against the blanket of white sand and rolling back out again, the smaller particles of sand are dragged offshore leaving behind a bed of jagged, unforgiving rocks. A day later, changing wind and ocean conditions manage to blow the sand back again, making the beach appear wildly different from one day to the next. It’s a common experience; visitors will have a perfect once-in-a-lifetime beach day at Magic Sands sunbathing, swimming, picnicking and watching the sunset over a postcard-quality soft, gently sloping bay of white sand, only to come back the next morning to a completely different sight: blasting waves and badly eroded swaths of tumbling black lava rocks with not a single boogie boarder or swimmer in sight.

Luckily for wintertime ocean-goers, there’s a well-staffed lifeguard tower prominently situated out on the sand beside the park’s volleyball court. During these big swell days, lifeguards are usually blaring notices about current ocean conditions, and if in doubt simply find the tower and ask those working inside whether it’s a good idea to go for a swim or not. As always, keep in mind the statewide Hawaii ocean safety motto: “If in doubt, don’t go out”.

La’aloa – A “Very Sacred” Place

The sandy swimming spot’s official name is “La’aloa Beach Park”, meaning “very sacred” in the Hawaiian language. This name traces back to an 800-year-old ancient Hawaiian temple built ages ago on the south end of the beach known as “Haukalua Heiau” – the word “heiau” meaning temple – the ruins of which can still be seen along Ali’i Drive today. The purpose of this seaside temple has been lost to history, but traditional Hawaiian spirituality holds it to be sacred ground nonetheless. There are several other names for Magic Sands Beach mostly popular among locals, including White Sands Beach and Disappearing Sands.

Besides the temple, other historical spots found near the beach park include a stone honoring the god of fishermen known as a “kuula”, a canoe landing platform, a “papamu” also known as a Hawaiian checkerboard, bait mortars, and a boundary wall marking the edge of a lavafield of smooth, ropey black rock known as “pahoehoe”.

Today, these ancient sites are found along a miles-long commercial strip of hotels, restaurants, gear rental shops, convenience stores and trinket shops. For visitors wanting to experience a day of world-class boogie boarding at Magic Sand Beach – again, often ranked the best beach for it on the entire island – the rental shop called Boss Frog’s is located right up the street and has very reasonable rates: Roughly 10 dollars a day or around 25 dollars per week for board rentals.

Snorkeling and scuba gear can also be rented in Kona Town, and there is a rocky cove at the south end of Magic Sands Beach with fantastic snorkeling grounds of lava rock nooks and crannies inhabited by the island’s many colorful, curious forms of sea life. Exploring this cove, however, is only viable on days with calm water, and accessing it can become extremely treacherous when sets of big rollers come into shore.

In addition to the lifeguard tower and volleyball court, amenities at Magic Sands include a handful of picnic tables situated beneath a grove of shady broad-leafed trees and coconut palms, beside which is a modern restroom facility with a colorful mural painted on its outside wall, as well as stands of outdoor public showers for washing off the extremely fine and surprisingly sticky white sand. Occasionally, food trucks set up shop in the beach park’s parking lot, serving up typical barbecue fare like hamburgers, shave ice, tacos, ice cream, smoothies and the like. 

Found just a stone’s throw from the white sand is Magics Beach Grill, with dine-in options either within the restaurant or outside on the patio overlooking the beach itself. The Grill served up entrees like fish and chips, ahi steak, mushroom pasta and fully-loaded salads. For a quicker and simpler bite to eat, the Beach Shack found right beside the restaurant offers breakfast and lunch items like burritos, acai bowls, baked goods, burgers, fish tacos, and specialities like smoked ahi chowder.

For beach-goers wanting a taste of local Hawaiian comfort food, “Da Poke Shack” is roughly a mile north of Magic Sands Beach and serves poke bowls (raw cubed, seasoned Hawaiian fish) in an astonishing variety of flavors – everything from spicy ahi to octopus, scallops, cod, crab and more. For under 20 dollars, diners can select two choices of poke, a healthy scoop of white or brown rice, and a side dish like potato or macaroni salad, calamari, kimchi mussels, garlic edamame or seaweed salad. The Shack only sells poke bowls to go, so lunch-goers might as well bring their fishy delights to the beach and find a patch of shade for a tropical picnic.

How To Get There

Magic Sands Beach is easily spotted on the right-hand side of Ali’i Drive roughly four miles south of downtown Kona. It is one of a string of highly popular beach parks grouped together along the Kona Coast, including Pahoehoe Beach Park, Kahaluu Beach Park, and the informal surfing spot known as “Lymans”.

Look out for the hand-carved wooden sign painted in brown and tan reading “La’aloa Bay Beach Park”, which is visible from the road and located next to the park’s restroom and shower facilities. To the right of the sign is a well-shaded sunbathing and picnic area set just up from the beach itself, with a grouping of large black lava rocks poking out of the sand.

Immediately south of the beach park is a small parking lot that is almost always full, especially on sunny afternoons with medium-sized surf. Across the street from Magic Sands, however, is a larger lot with ample parking made up of a smaller paved area leading to a large gravel section. There’s also parallel street parking along the southern travel lane of Ali’i Drive right above the park’s entrance. All spots in these public parking areas are free.

Magic Sands can get very crowded on weekends and holidays, and at times finding parking can be a challenge. For those wanting to experience the beach at its off-hours, come early in the morning just after breakfast and easily find a parking spot and a vacant picnic table.

For accommodations, there is an ample amount of small private rentals near Magic Sands Beach to be found via Airbnb. There are even rentable condos above Magics Beach Grill, offering some of the best views of the beautiful white sand and easiest access to it. Other resorts and condos in the area are just a few miles away, including the Outrigger Kona Resort and Spa, Castle Kona Bali Kai, Banyans Hawaii, and the Royal Kona Resort. 

Inhabiting one corner of Kahalu’u Bay, this Kona-side swimming and surfing spot is a stretch of mixed black and white sand beach with a coastline of smooth black lava rock that gives way to a shallow bay of crystal blue water. Offshore, a crescent-shaped wall of sunken boulders created centuries ago by ancient Hawaiians tempers the strength of incoming waves, which crash spectacularly against the manmade reef before coming into shore as little more than a gentle lapping on the beach. 

This underwater wall ensures that the bay is calm and clear on most days, creating an ideal environment for safe, leisurely swimming and for exploring the island’s astounding variety of marine life. Kahalu’u Bay is often ranked within the top five snorkeling spots on the island, as the expansive bay provides a seemingly endless supply of submerged rocky outcrops for resident crab, eels, octopus, sea horses, urchins – even green sea turtles. Milling around above the lively beds of coral are schools of brilliantly colored tropical fish, including butterflyfish, boxfish, parrotfish, unicornfish, zebrafish and much more.

The snorkeling grounds eventually give way to the primary surf break at the bay’s northern end. Surfers have been paddling out to this spot since ancient times, hoping to catch the medium-sized barrels forming as the waves roll over the reef, and ride them towards shore into the calmer waters of the bay. Here the sea is so clear that it is possible to see the multi-colored fields of coral that make up the reef while sitting on a surfboard and waiting for the next set to come in.

On days with ideal ocean conditions, a line of surfers can be spotted out at the break taking their turns catching the waves and trying their best to keep a solid footing. Being such a popular spot for beginners, the beach crowd will usually bear witness to a high number of wipeouts, where sometimes a single wave can be seen gobbling up multiple surfers at once with its jaws of thrashing white foam. Others manage to hold on the take the ride, cutting a wide and graceful arc along the bay with arms outstretched for better balance. A never-ending stream of surfers can be seen making their way into shore to rest, often helped along by the rolling waves, while fresh arrivals pass them paddling the other direction out to join the group.

Some of the larger waves crash here at the outer reef and then go on to reform again – much smaller this time – creating an intermittent secondary break closer to shore which is perfect for smaller children and first-timers. The first break can reach heights that can be challenging for beginners – sometimes up to six or eight feet – so on high surf days Kahalu’u is a popular destination due to these smaller nearshore breaks. These are often taken advantage of by school-age kids riding boogie boards and wearing fins, who furiously kick to build up speed as the waves approach and then takeoff on their sharp zig-zagging rides.

All of these boards – surfboards, boogie boards, stand-up paddle boards and more – can be rented from several different shops lining the bay off of Kona’s iconic seaside thoroughfare Ali’i Drive (pronounced “ah-lee-ee”). These include Kona Surf Town Adventures, which offers rentals, surfing and paddle boarding lessons and customized surf trips, as well as Kahalu’u Bay Surf and Sea found right across the street from the surf break in an orange house. This colorful, locally renown shop offers board rentals and lessons for all skill levels.

A Perfect Beach Day – Picnics, Barbeques and Wildlife Watching

Kahalu’u Beach Park is very well-outfitted in terms of amenities. It has a large covered pavilion full of picnic tables, multiple stands of outdoor showers, bathroom facilities and a prominent lifeguard tower. On most days, there are several pop-up concessionaires and food trucks operating in the parking lot serving up everything from hamburgers to smoothies to shave ice to ice cream.

Then there’s a grove of towering coconut palms located right up from the shoreline which provides much-needed shade on scorching days when the hot Kona-side sun makes the sand too hot to walk across. Picnickers and sunbathers find these shady patches and sprawl out on blankets and beach towels, watching the snorkelers make their rounds in the shallows just offshore. A concrete stand of barbeque pits sits across from the picnic table pavilion, with their well-charred metal grates. It’s easy to imagine the park at full capacity on a busy day, with every picnic table full of patrons and all five of the barbeques going at once, with the enticing smell of cooking meat wafting along the sidewalk.

And humans aren’t the only ones taking their meals at the beach park; green sea turtles can often be seen milling around the bay feeding on seaweed. They take breaks from their hunt to haul themselves onto the shore of warm lava rocks and catch some sun. And although it is tempting to get close to these fascinating creatures for a better look, keep in mind that the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle is an endangered species under state and federal protection, with laws requiring observers to keep a ten foot minimum distance away. Snorkelers will often come upon them while exploring the shallows, and it is important to observe from a distance and not chase them.

The world-class snorkeling at Kahalu’u Beach Park is made possible by its healthy and abundant populations of coral. These are the building blocks of the reef ecosystem, without which the nearshore environment would be drab and lifeless. So, protecting the health of the coral is a great way to preserve the beauty of Kahalu’u Bay, and this means taking care not not to touch or walk on the coral while exploring or while entering and exiting the ocean. 

Another way to do your part in protecting the coral in Kahalu’u Bay is to use reef-safe sunscreen. Many of the predominant sunscreen brands available today are made with chemicals known to be toxic to the tiny jellyfish-like organisms that build the elaborate coral structures. Without these creatures, the coral suffers from what is known as “bleaching”, where the once-colorful underwater structures turn a ghostly white and all the resident sea life moves away. Thankfully, reef-safe sunscreens (utilizing Zinc oxide or Titanium oxide as their active ingredient) are available in dispensers at the beach park’s pavilion for those who didn’t bring their own.

How To Get There:

Kahalu’u Beach Park is located right off of Ali’i Drive, the several-mile-long main coastal thoroughfare running from main street Kona to the town of Keauhou. It’s in a grouping of other nearby beach parks and surfing spots including Pahoehoe Beach Park, Magic Sands Beach, Lymans Surf Spot and Makolea Beach. Roughly four miles south of Kona town along Ali’i Drive, drivers will spot the large crescent-shaped beach and clear, shallow waters of Kahalu’u Bay with a gaggle of surfers lined up at the break.

An easy to spot landmark assuring visitors that they’re in the right place is the board rental shop Kahalu’u Bay Surf and Sea, found on the left side of Ali’i Drive if heading south, with the easiest access for surfers found directly across the road from its orange house. This is at the northern end of the beach park, where a narrow sandy path meanders across the rocky shoreline leaving just enough room for surfers to walk into the water, plop down their boards, jump on and start the short paddle out to the break. 

Free parallel parking can be found on either side of Ali’i Drive, although on busy days finding a parking spot adjacent to the beach park can be tricky. Sometimes it’s necessary to park a few blocks away and walk down to the ocean. The pavilions, barbeque pits, restrooms, showers and shady coconut grove are all easily visible from the road, and on most days visitors will find at least a few white pop-up tents selling hot food, snacks and cold drinks.

For those wanting to spend more than just an afternoon in that area of south Ali’i Drive, there are several accommodation options near the bay including Big Island Retreat and Kahalu’u Beach Villas at Kahalu’u Beach, both located just a short walk away.

Important note about ocean safety at Kahalu’u Beach Park: According to some locals, Kahalu’u has the highest incidence of distressed swimmers in a given year than any other beach park on the entire island. And although there is a manned lifeguard station at Kahalu’u, beach-goers should not rely solely on outside help in order to stay safe while in the water. It is each individual’s responsibility to know their limits, observe ocean conditions before getting in, and watch out for rip tides and rogue waves. As the statewide Hawai’i ocean safety motto goes, “if in doubt, don’t go out.” 

Flanked on either side by walls of sea cliffs, the crescent-shaped beach of protected waters is like an oasis springing out of an otherwise rough and unforgiving terrain of sloping lavafields. Much of the South Kona coast is similarly wild and rocky, with few decent, easy-to-access beaches to speak of until reaching the bottom of Ali’i Drive. So Ho’okena is a diamond in the rough, immensely popular because of its isolation and frequented by everyone from fishermen to kayakers, sunbathers to boogie boarders, swimmers, hikers, snorkelers, campers and more.

Scattered rows of broad-leafed trees planted along the beachfront offer shade, and create a cool understory of flat, sandy ground which on any given day is crammed with a rainbow of tents and pop-up shelters. The sand is amazingly soft, piled up in pillowy drifts, and makes the idea of sleeping on the ground much more inviting. And nights at the beach park are often clear, as it sits in the rain shadow of Big Island’s two massive mountains – Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa – giving some campers the confidence to ditch the rainfly altogether. All of these ideal conditions, along with the fact that there are few easy alternatives for beach camping in the area, make Ho’okena one of the most popular destinations for spending a night outdoors on Big Island.

Those opting to stay under the stars here are usually lulled to sleep by the gentle, lapping waves of Kauhako Bay – a formidable notch carved out of Big Island’s western coastline, which has been used for centuries as a steamship harbor and an ideal spot to launch fishing canoes. Even today, visitors can see the traditional watercraft strewn along the beach belonging to fishermen who continue to ply the waters around the bay looking for suitable catch, just like their ancestors have done for centuries. 

The lucky beach-goer could even spot a launch in progress, or a crew returning with a hull overflowing with a bounty of fish. Then there are the more modern vessels – fiberglass kayaks available for rent from a well-outfitted concessionaire located at the near-end of the beach. There’s even camping and snorkeling gear for rent, basically ensuring that all visitors need to bring for a day and a night at the beach is their towel. This is an ideal resource for visitors who don’t want to lug bulky beach gear around in their suitcase, and can’t justify buying it new to use only for one weekend.

All that remains of the old dock at the center of the beach are a mound of rocks being lapped at by the lazy waves rolling in from beyond the cliffs. This makes for great snorkeling grounds, as a wide range of Hawaiian sea life has taken up residence in the nooks and crannies of the pier’s old foundation, and at high tide the typical group of bobbing, snorkel-clad heads can be spotted milling around the submerged stones, exploring coral labyrinths and their schools of colorful tropical fish. For West Hawaii visitors keen on embarking on the island’s “snorkeling tour”, Ho’okena makes a great tour stop as an add-on to a visit to Two Step, located just a few miles up the highway, which is arguably the best snorkeling ground on the island. 

One Of The Last Canoe Fishing Villages In Hawaii

Ho’okena Beach Park and its adjacent town were not always the sleepy beachside neighborhood that they are today. Native Hawaiians spent centuries launching their fishing canoes from the beach, taking advantage of its gently-sloping bottom of grey sand. It was one of the main coastal villages in the area, and remnants of the old days can still be found all over town. The fishermen would trade their catch for other needed crops grown by upland farmers, most importantly the starchy Polynesian staple taro, otherwise known as “kalo”, from which the dish poi is made. 

The village’s growth was accelerated in the late 19^th century when Ho’okena Beach became a primary landing for Hawaii’s inter-island steamship trade, seeing everything from passengers to livestock to foodstuffs to tools land on its shores on a weekly basis. Over time the town grew into a proper port – one of the busiest along the Kona Coast – with a wharf, a school, a jail, a horse stable, a courthouse and a network of roads.

Sadly, in the 1930s severe storms and high surf destroyed the pier, and many living in the village opted to move away from the unstable shoreline and reestablish their lives higher up the mountain and closer to the main road. Today, the beach park is run by local residents gathered together in an organization called Friends of Ho’okena Beach Park. The group manages the park as a micro-enterprise providing employment opportunities for the community and funds for conservation work so that the natural and cultural resources of Kauhako Bay can be protected for generations.

So campers, kayakers and snorkelers can feel good about where their fees are going, and Ho’okena Beach Park gets to be a beautiful, well-outfitted and clean one-of-a-kind destination for locals and visitors alike. Due to the park’s popularity, though, camping must be reserved at least three days in advance of arrival, and it is common during high season to see campsites fully booked for weeks at a time. Camping fees for adult beach-goers are roughly $20 per person for visitors, and significantly less – around $5 – for Hawaii state residents. According to Friends of Ho’okena Beach Park’s website, to receive the discounted resident rates, campers will have to show either a State of Hawaii Drivers License of State of Hawaii ID card.

Amenities at the beach park include a concession stand selling ice, food, cold drinks, ice cream and camping and beach supplies, as well as modern restroom and outdoor shower facilities, a large scattering of picnic tables, a covered pavilion and racks of equipment rentals. However, there is no lifeguard tower at the beach so swimmers must be vigilant about keeping an eye on ocean conditions and knowing when to not go out.

How To Get There:

Ho’okena Beach Park is located roughly 20 miles south of Kona Town, or 8 miles south of Captain Cook, along Highway 11, otherwise known as Hawaii Belt Road or Mamalahoa Highway. This stretch of highway is very windy and has a cliffside shoulder without guardrail in some places, so follow the speed limit and stay alert. The highway runs through downtown Captain Cook, and a few miles south of town passes by the locally renown Fujihara Store, which is the last stop for snacks and refreshments before Two Step and Ho’okena Beach Park.

Drivers will pass Ho’okena Elementary and Intermediate School on the right, and immediately after the school the road will fork. Turn right at the fork, following signs for Ho’okena, onto Ho’okena Beach Road. This road quickly turns into a switchback-heavy one-lane road that skirts down the bluff for two and a half miles. The ocean starts to appear in the distance as a thin blue line, but as drivers get farther down the road the ocean becomes more and more pronounced. Ambient air temperature creeps up a few degrees as the cool mountain slopes of Mauna Loa give way to the hot, thick wet air of sea level.

After one final hairpin turn at the bottom of the hill, the village of Ho’okena appears with its spattering of humble homes and a handful of vacation rentals. Keeping left at the bottom of the hill will bring visitors to the beach park’s main gravel parking lot, and the concession stands, gear rentals, showers, restrooms and campsites are all a short walk away.

In general, winter months bring the highest surf and strongest rip current to Big Island’s leeward beaches like Ho’okena. This is exacerbated by windy ocean conditions also more frequent in the winter, which is also tourism’s high season. While most days of the year see the typical conditions of gentle waves, gentle breeze and slight current at the beach, this is not always the case. So, it’s best to check conditions beforehand and schedule your beach trip for a safe day, and to always abide by the State of Hawaii’s ocean safety motto: “if in doubt, don’t go out.”

Very seldom, populations of stinging jellyfish known as Portuguese Man-o-War can wash up on the beach and linger in the waters offshore. Those concerned can check with the concessionaire or campground attendant about swimming conditions upon arrival, or simply observe whether other swimmers are out that day or not. Also, do not leave any valuables in your car while its in the parking lot as break-ins have happened in the past.

This is hands-down the best snorkeling spot on the island, dubbed by locals as simply “Two Step” after the two giant stairs found at the peninsula’s farthest point which lead its visitors down into the water. This is the easiest and safest spot to get in and out, and a supreme lack of other viable ocean access means that on busy days, a crowd of people can often be found milling around the shore. Some are waiting their turn to make the descent, while others are simply exploring the checkerboard landscape of pock-marked lava rocks with shallow tidal pools inhabiting the low points in between.

Sunbathers, tide pool explorers, fishermen and families with small children all sprawl across the rocky shore, hoping to spot the camouflaged shells of giant sea turtles who crawl up on the rocks to warm themselves in the sun, or the frenzied leaping of spinner dolphins, or the signature cloud of white sea spray marking a passing pod of humpback whales. On shore, there seems to be marine life around every corner, and beneath the surface snorkelers and scuba divers are absolutely surrounded by it.

Colorful, strange-looking fish with mesmerizing neon stripes dart in and out of the crevasses of massive colonies of reef-building coral, whose underwater structures come in mindbogglingly complex shapes: from fingers to brains, heads of cauliflower to grains of rice, mounds, lobes, antlers, cups. The seafloor is strewn with them; the building blocks of this underwater world, without which all the marine life darting about couldn’t survive. There are octopuses, sea horses, sea stars, urchins, eels and jellyfish scattered about, some clung tightly to the sides of coral domes, while others creep along the sea floor hunting for food.

And the variety of fish species is even more dizzying: Emperor fish, butterflyfish, boxfish, filefish, goatfish, parrotfish, needlefish, pufferfish, soldierfish, trumpetfish and countless more. Marine biologists and novice tropical fish enthusiasts alike have a field day exploring the reefs surrounding the bay, who within just a few minutes of strapping on the mark usually can chalk up a dozen or more species sighted. Schools of tiny bright orange fish engulf snorkelers and then immediately scatter with just one kick of their fin, while the shadow of a large blacktail snapper is projected against the white coral, causing small fish to flee every which way as it passes. All of this makes Two Step a fantastic opportunity to see Big Island’s vast, brilliantly colored underwater world which surrounds the island and serves as an integral part of its food-chain, and to learn a great deal about native Hawaiian fish.

The fish-watching at Two Step is so legendary that there’s usually a disorganized line of snorkelers completely decked out in face masks, fins and underwater cameras slowly filing toward the steps, patiently waiting their turn as their peers navigate down the slippery rocks and, when the critical moment comes, launch themselves off the platform into the water and start paddling. At the same time, snorkelers who made the leap half an hour ago queue up just offshore, hoping to catch one of the gentle, bobbing waves lazily making their way in and ride it back onto the platform.

Those entering the bay use the swelling waves in a similar way, often kneeling on the lower step until a large enough surge comes in, laps at the rocks, and then gently carries them away from shore and into the snorkeling grounds. Timing the waves like this to get in or out can be a little nerve-wracking at first, but thanks to the ever-present line at the steps, there’s plenty of opportunity to watch others’ technique before the critical moment comes. Many snorkelers making their way to the steps can be spotted wearing water shoes or “booties” – this is because spiky sea urchins sometimes like to make their homes within holes in the platforms, and nothing ruins a vacation faster than an urchin barb through the foot sole.

Endangered Turtles and Dolphins – Give Them Their Space!

Those sea turtles not actively sunning themselves on land can usually be seen gliding around the coral fields and underwater canyons of ropey lava rock, while dolphins are sometimes seen farther offshore in the deeper waters of Honaunau Bay. Both the Hawaiian green sea turtle and the Hawaiian spinner dolphin are endangered or protected species, and state law doles out stiff punishments for swimmers who chase, harass or even get uncomfortably close to them. So, observe them from afar, appreciate their natural beauty and tread lightly in their habitat, since human interaction can disrupt feeding and mating habits and negatively impact their population numbers.

Upon descending the steps and entering the bay, keeping to the left will give snorkelers the best chance of spotting turtles in action, as the water gets slightly deeper on this side – around 20 feet. This depth, along with the seafloor’s matrix of healthier-looking coral, makes for a more ideal habitat, and it’s this region of the bay where turtles are usually found lazily swimming around while their peers rest in the sun up on the rocky bank.

Most dolphins are usually hard to spot in open water during the day since they feed at night and rest during daylight hours. Their “resting” consists of shutting down parts of their brain and slowly cruising near the surface in protected waters, like those in Honaunau Bay, where they don’t need to be as alert for predators. This is why dolphins are often spotted here, and make for an incredible, one-in-a-lifetime experience for visitors. This is especially the case when spinner dolphins come in close to shore and begin their famous acrobatic displays where they leap out of the water and do front-flips.

Even as far away as 200 feet from shore, with water over 25 feet deep, there is still plenty of marine life, rainbow-colored fish and coral-packed seabed to explore. On the opposite side of the bay from the turtle grounds is a large underwater sandy area, and along its edge “aloha” is written with pieces of cement blocks in the sand – a landmark for snorkel-clad visitors that makes for a great underwater photo.

Amenities at Two Step are very limited – a small parking lot, a few picnic tables, portable toilets, and no concessions, drinking water or showers. Resourceful bay-goers will bring an extra jug of fresh water to rinse the salt off after a swimming or snorkeling session. Bring a picnic and set up on benches or beach towels along the rocky shore beside the gaggle of sunbathers, but just don’t come expecting to find much shade – most of the bay’s coast is featureless black lava rock, with just a small hedge of trees near the road.

This means that Two Step is one of the destinations on Big Island which absolutely requires some type of sun protection, from sunhats to light, loose-fitting shirts to sunscreen. Those opting for this last option should keep this in mind, though: Hawaii’s coral reefs are in a critical state of decline, caused partly by careless beach-goers who continue to use sunscreen made with reef-destroying chemicals. The chemical known as “oxybenzone” is the primary culprit, but several other common sunscreen ingredients can be harmful to coral health as well. So, opt for “reef-safe” sunscreen or products whose ingredients labels doesn’t include chemicals known to be reef toxic.

How To Get There:

Two Step is open daily from 7am to 9pm, with parking available a short walk away along Honaunau Beach Road just before the entrance to Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, also known as “City of Refuge”. Two Step and its surrounding area comprises the right side of the bay, while City of Refuse makes up the left. It’s an intriguing national park created to honor an ancient Hawaiian historical site where criminals, defeated warriors and civilians fleeing persecution could seek refuge. It spans across 182 acres and features many traditional carved wooden statues, palm-frond roofed structures and the reconstruction of a Hawaiian temple known as a “heiau”.

Honaunau Beach Road is accessible from the direction of Kona Town and Captain Cook via Highway 11, otherwise known as Hawaii Belt Road or Mamalahoa Highway. Less than 10 miles south of Captain Cook, turn right onto Keala O Keawe Road and continue down the hill for another 3.5 miles until the left turn for Honaunau Beach Road appears on the left. Follow Honaunau Beach Road for several hundred feet until the entrance to the National Historical Park comes into view. Park beside the road just before the park’s entrance in one of several informal parallel and pull-in parking spots, and then walk down the one-lane side alleyway to the coastline where a group of snorkelers waiting to jump in can usually be spotted at the far edge.

Honoli’i is without a doubt the most important surf break for the Hilo surfing community – a small but dedicated tribe, who can be spotted from the park’s cliffside parking lot lined up in their procession a hundred yards offshore, waiting their turn to take the ride and hopefully not wipeout. East Hawaii Island has a serious lack of surfing spots when compared to its western Kona Coast, where every few miles there seems to another sandy bay with a steady set of incoming crystal blue waves slowly cresting as they intersect the offshore reefs.

The white sand beaches both north and south of Kona Town are awash in world-class, picturesque surf breaks and West Hawaii surfers take their pick on any given day. But in Hilo, it’s different; the beaches are more rugged, and waves come in off the open ocean striking the island’s unprotected windward side. Here there’s an absence of the reef-building corals abundantly found on the dry side of the island. It’s these corals, slowly building their underwater stone complexes over millennia, and their reefs’ subsequent effect on incoming waves which creates suitable surf breaks for the modern-day human aquatic daredevil.

Without the coral reefs, Hilo breaks are harder to come by, making spots like Honoli’i coveted by this rugged, unglamorous and dedicated Big Island surfing community. This might be why there always seems to be surfers out there, even at inopportune times: early in the morning on weekdays or on Hilo’s all-too-common grey, rainy afternoons. On weekends of clear, sunny weather, the place can get very busy, with two, sometimes three packs of surfers milling around several different-sized breaks. Nearshore are the smaller waves frequented by younger and inexperienced riders, while about 100 yards offshore, approaching the rocky coastline of towering sea cliffs, is the main attraction: a surf break with large, perfectly formed barrels where the huddle of more experienced surfers wait just beyond the crashing waves, bobbing wildly up and down as the massive walls of water roll underneath them.

Then there’s the small army of boogie boarders who usually stay near the beach, running frantically along the water’s edge as waves roll in, and leaping onto their boards, skimming along the water and steering into the next wave, using it as a ramp to launch themselves several feet in the air. These are usually school-age kids, whose older siblings and parents are the ones catching the monsters by the cliffside. However, there are always a few die-hard middle-aged boogie boarders at Honoli’i who seem to launch themselves with the same gusto as the kids.

Extended families sprawl out on the long sandbar of finely ground black sand which looks out onto the crescent-shaped bay and its several surf breaks. A row of stout, broad-leafed trees line the sandbar, creating ample shade for groups of beach-goers sitting on makeshift driftwood benches. Stand-up paddleboarders ply the calmer waters on the opposite side of the park from the sandbar, and sunbathers and groups of picnickers stretch out on the expansive green lawns that roll down the hill to meet the beach. 

Lava rock planters of colorful tropical shrubs spring out of the carpet of green here and there, with heavenly scented plots of ornamental ginger, curious-looking Bird of Paradise plants, stands of the broad-leafed traditional Hawaiian “ti” plant, and even a few specimens of the legendary Kukui Nut, known in English as “candle nut”. Bordering trees give the park the look of a well-manicured seaside grove, complete with a scattering of picnic tables and short patches of navigable beach shaded by stands of mature coconut palms. An interminable warm, wet breeze that smells of salt blows in off the bay, casting ripples on the water and blowing clouds of white sea spray onto the land as their mists creep up the cliffside.

A Beach Park With A Little Something For Everyone

Honoli’i Beach Park gets its name from the stream which forms its northern boundary, flowing from its headwaters along the slopes of Mauna Kea down through the hills of Hilo’s Wainaku neighborhood, and finally beneath the tall concrete bridge belonging to Highway 19, otherwise known as Mamalahoa Highway. Honoli’i Stream meets the ocean on the far side of the beach park’s sandbar, where a shallow pond of brackish water has formed at the mouth of the stream. This pond is arguably the best swimming area at the park – many times better than the beach itself since its floor turns to boulders just a few feet offshore, and it can experience extremely strong rip currents. So, for small children and those learning to swim, the stream-side pond is a much safer spot to get in the water, although it can get deep in some places and sometimes drop off abruptly.

All of this makes Honoli’i much more popular with surfers and sunbathers than swimmers, who have many other, better and safer Hilo swimming spots to choose from like Richardson Ocean Park and Carlsmith Beach Park on the other side of town. But for groups of visitors who all want to do something different, Honoli’i is the perfect catch-all for a Hilo beach day, with accommodations for virtually any board sport, plus a safe swimming hole for the kids and plenty of gorgeous shaded greenery for sunbathers and picnickers.

Accessing the park is via a steep concrete staircase with several landings which winds down the hill. Thankfully there’s a sturdy, hazard yellow-painted metal handrail adjacent to the stairs, but even with this improvement handicap access is unfortunately not available. The last staircase at the bottom of the hill gives way to a concrete footpath leading to the restroom facility and outdoor public shower area found in the center of the park. The restrooms are in a red-roofed building, while the showers are around the corner next to a line of heavy-duty surfboard racks and a low, mortared lava rock wall. A lifeguard station can be found along the beach below the restrooms, which is constantly manned in order to keep an eye on the surfers and boogie boarders, and to come to their aid in case of emergency. For many visitors, having this lifeguard presence is a major selling point for the park, allowing some small peace of mind at a surfing spot that often sees dangerous conditions, especially in winter months when Hawaii sees its biggest ocean swells.

On big surf days, it’s not uncommon to see crowds of spectators lining the road that runs along the cliffside above the park. These are locals and visitors alike who’ve come to watch the surfers catch barrels and make their graceful, zig-zagging rides into shore. Sometimes cheering can be heard coming from up on the cliffside after a particularly impressive maneuver. However, the popularity of the spot can also make for a congested parking area, sometimes forcing visitors to park a ways up the road and walk to the entrance.

How To Get There:

From downtown Hilo, head north along Highway 19, otherwise known as Hawaii Belt Road or Mamalahoa Highway. After roughly two miles, the headstones and vaults of Alae Cemetery can be spotted on the left-hand side of the road. Turn right at the end of the cemetery onto Nahala Street and continue for less than a block, turning left onto Kahoa Street. Street signs tend to be nonexistent in the area, but this is made up for by the fact that these are virtually the only two streets in the neighborhood – the cliffside drops off after Kahoa Street. Parallel park along the guardrail running the length of the cliff, making sure to park as far out of the one-lane road as possible. Walk a hundred feet down the street until the bright yellow handrail of the concrete staircase comes into view.

Surfboards and boogie boards can be rented at very affordable daily rates in Hilo Town. On a calm day, non-crowded day, Honoli’i is a great place for beginner surfers, with extremely patient and forgiving regulars. 

Important Note About Beach Safety: Ocean conditions at Honoli’i Beach Park can vary anywhere from a slight riptide and small to medium sized waves to an extremely dangerous tide and massive, fast moving and unpredictable waves. Even with a lifeguard presence, it is still the responsibility of beach-goers to know their limits and pay attention to ocean conditions. There are drowning death every year on Big Island, most of the time due to swimmers and surfers being in the wrong place at the wrong time. If you come to Honoli’i and are concerned about conditions, talk to one of the friendly lifeguards, spend some time watching other swimmer and surfers before getting in, and, as a last resort, practice the statewide Hawaii ocean safety motto: “If in doubt, don’t go out!”

Its official name is Waialea Beach, but hardly anyone calls it this. For decades, numbered telephone poles ran along the winding coastal road beside it, and telephone pole #69 sat right at the entrance to the beach’s parking lot, earning it its nickname. The poles are long gone now but the name has stuck, and the area in general is often just referred to as “Puako”. 

The beach is a roughly quarter-mile long crescent of gently sloping golden sand, divided into dozens of smaller mini-beaches by the writhing, tangled trunks of massive kiawe trees growing right out of the sand (pronounced KEY-AWE-VAY). At high tide, it’s impossible to walk from one mini-beach to another along the shoreline due to these walls of branches separating each area, and visitors will usually resort to the upland trail which connects both ends of Beach 69 with the parking area.

Sunbathing, snorkeling, swimming, and stand-up paddle boarding are all popular at Beach 69, and on hot Kona afternoons during high tourism season the place can be packed with each individual mini-beach occupied by visitors and locals alike, with many large families sprawled out on the sand. Waialea Bay protects the beach from much of the high surf of Big Island’s leeward side, making it a popular place to bring young children learning how to swim. On a calm day with slight onshore breeze, waves gently lap at the shoreline and kids chase each other in and out of the surf while their parents lay out lunch spreads on the many picnic tables found scattered along the shore.

There are three main snorkeling areas at Beach 69: the north end, the south end, and the outcrop of lava rock jutting out of its center. These are the places where Puako’s blanket of ubiquitous white sand gives way to some rocky underwater features, with ample amounts of coral, brightly colored tropical fish, eels, urchins, octopus – and in some cases even giant sea turtles! Snorkelers often make their way here from neighboring Hapuna Beach – a more traditional, spread-out, postcard-type white sand beach – which isn’t as protected and requires a farther swim to get out to the good spots.

Many opt to still wear their fins at Beach 69, but with such gentle surf and a very short swim to the outcroppings, they aren’t really necessary. A labyrinth of intricately formed coral in every imaginable shape – sponges, brains, mushrooms, cups, antlers, fingers – can be found on the seafloor, serving as the building blocks of the tidal ecosystem. At low tide, many of these formations are exposed, making navigating through them difficult, but at high tide many of these snorkeling spots can be anywhere from 10 feet to 30 feet below the surface.

A Beach Where Visitors Leave Their Parasols In The Car

Swimmers, snorkelers and boarders take breaks in between sets and lie out on beach towels underneath the welcome shade of the kiawe canopy. Families build sandcastles out of the soft, fine white sand, and adventurous children climb around on the piles of interwoven trunks, while tiny colorful birds can be seen flittering back and forth high up on green branches. All of this gives Beach 69 the appeal of a secluded white sand beach tucked into a forest, and makes it unique compared to most other adjacent swimming spots like Mauna Kea Beach and Hapuna Beach, where wide open swaths of sun-cooked sand are frequented by swimmers relaxing beneath rows upon rows of lounge chairs and parasols.

The hottest days of summer along the Kona coast can see mid-day temperatures approaching triple-digits, and the sand at many popular swimming spots becomes too hot to stand on. These are arguably the days when Beach 69 is busiest, as locals and visitors look for places to stay cool. Even on a 100-degree afternoon, its pockets of shaded sand remain comfortable and breezy, and swimmers will spend awhile frolicking about in the waves being blasted by an unrelenting sun and then take time to rest in the shade, trying to stave off sunburns.

Probably its greatest draw, though, is its seclusion. Unlike most other beaches around the Puako area, Beach 69 is uninhabited by hotels, condos or resort complexes, making it a destination for those wanting to get thoroughly immersed in nature. It is – as some guidebooks describe it – a “getaway” beach. This also helps with wildlife watching, as the typical crush of humans isn’t there to scare away animals like dolphins, turtles and even humpback whales during winter months. The roughly 35 acres of land and water comprising Waialea Bay is a designated Marine Life Conservation District, which is a zone specifically set aside to conserve and replenish marine species populations.

Although Beach 69 is more off the beaten path and rustic than typical Kona-side beaches, it still hosts much of the same amenities as its counterparts: a large restroom facility, well-maintained concrete walkways down to the shore complete with steel handrails, and a multi-user outdoor shower to blast off all the fine white sand that seems to cling to bathing suits. There’s a grouping of several picnic tables near the beach’s entrance downhill from the restroom and shower, ideal for larger groups of visitors and multi-family swimming trips.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that there are no lifeguards on duty at Beach 69. On calm days with favorable ocean conditions, the waters in Waialea Bay are placid and peaceful, but conditions can change quickly and visitors with little experience in ocean swimming must be careful. As a general rule, stick to the statewide Hawaii ocean safety motto: “If in doubt, don’t go out.” Be sure to check weather and tide forecasts when planning a trip to Puako, and remember to spend a few minutes after arriving watching the ocean and paying attention to whether other swimmers are out that day.

How To Get There

The drive out to Beach 69 isn’t as straightforward as those to other Puako-area beaches, but this is arguably part of its appeal as a semi-hidden gem. 

To find it, follow Highway 19 north of Kona International Airport for roughly 23 miles, past the junctions for Waikoloa and Mauna Lani resorts. A few miles after passing a firehouse on the left, a left-hand turn lane will appear with signage for Puako Beach Drive. Take this left and drive less than a mile downhill, and then take the first right onto the unmarked Old Puako Road.

Another mile or two along this winding, narrow one-lane road will bring visitors to the entrance of a clearly marked parking lot with a large yellow gate. The parking area is open from 7am to 8pm daily, though the closure time has varied in the past, and it’s smart to confirm this upon arrival. In the past, there have been instances of beach-goers getting their vehicles locked in at the end of the day. Parking in the paved area is available for a small fee, payable at the automated booth.

There are drinking fountains attached to the restroom facility with potable water, so hauling several jugs in the car for the day isn’t necessary. Besides these few basic amenities, though, there’s little else for visitors to avail themselves of, and it’s smart to pick up beach snacks, picnic supplies, sunscreen and refreshments in Kona town along the way. For beach-goers coming from the opposite direction, the closest supermarkets are in the towns of Kawaihae and Waimea, while old Puako town has a convenience store selling basic essentials.

The concrete walkway skirting the restroom and shower slopes down to the shore, and visitors can choose to go either right or left at this terminus: to the right is a smaller but easier-to-access grouping of mini-beaches that quickly ends at the bordering sea cliffs, while to the left lies the majority of Beach 69 swimming spots, though some of these have rockier bottoms and steeper drop-offs. 

Important Note About Shoes: Keawe trees are notorious for their long, sharp thorns. The trees readily drop them in even the slightest breeze, and the beaches and trails around Beach 69 are usually littered with keawe twigs. This makes walking barefoot at the Beach a very bad idea, and many visitors in the past have learned this the hard way. There are even North Kona locals who swear that keawe thorns are strong and sharp enough to pierce the soft rubber soles of flip-flops. So, be sure to bring sturdy shoes with thick soles for the walk out, and to make sure to warn every member of your party about the hazard.

During the winter months of December through April, over a dozen distinct species of whales, from melon-headed whales, false killer whales and orcas to sperm whales, pilot whales and beaked whales migrate to the warmer, shallower waters around Big Island to mate or give birth. But despite this varied collection of species, the most sighted is the humpback whale, as large groups travel from the frigid and dangerous waters of Alaska to the calmer, safer sub-tropical Pacific.

This perfectly coincides with tourists and adventure seekers looking to escape the colder months of their hometowns in the sun and fun of the Hawaiian Islands.

There are quite a few great spots for whale watching on Big Island, but the best places are the coasts along Kohala, North Kohala and North Kona, all of which offer plenty of opportunities to see the beautiful creatures in three specific ways: lounging on the beach, swimming or snorkeling, and chartering a boat for a whale watching tour.

Tip from a local:

The winter months are the rainy season in Hawaii. Typically, all the islands have similar weather patterns. The east side (windward) of each island is usually rainy and cooler, while the west side (leeward) is usually hot and dry.

While there is potential to spot whales in Hilo Bay on the east side, this is one of the rainiest spots on Big Island. So, if you’re looking to enjoy the beaches and abundant sunshine while you keep a lookout for whales, you’re much better off on the west side in towns like Kona.

Just be sure to bring plenty of sunscreen. 

So, the biggest question to ask yourself when planning a whale watching excursion is: how close and personal do you want the whales to get?

Here is a quick overview of the options for viewing sites and snorkeling locations but keep reading for recommendations for the best whale watching tours on Big Island.

Want and little more information about whale watching or just watch from shore? Here are our favorite places to watch whales on the Big Island of Hawaii

If you prefer to keep your feet on dry land, then there are four great parks and beaches with a high likelihood of spotting these amazing creatures.

• Lapakahi State Historical Park, located on the northwestern edge of the island, rises to an elevation of about 100’ above sea level, providing a perfect overlook to spot whales in the distance.
• Kapa’a Beach Park is located very close to Lapakahi State Park, and while it is 20’ lower in elevation, it does provide shaded picnic pavilions, so it might be a better choice for extended whale watching.
• Pu’ukohola Heiau National Historic Site, located a little further south than the previous two, is the best place to spot whales, as its name translates to “hill of the whale”.
• If you’d prefer to stay a bit closer to Kona, the Pu’u Kuili cinder cone overlooking Kua Bay rises to 342’ above sea level, providing incredible views of the ocean.

If you want to get a bit closer to the action and you’d like to get your feet wet with a little swimming and snorkeling, there are many fantastic beach options all around the island, but not really any specific recommendations in this list simply because swimming and snorkeling are less about whale watching and more about listening to their beautiful song. Sound travels much further underwater, so if you’re planning to swim or snorkel anyway, you may be treated to a serenade. During whale season, the majority of safe and accessible beaches on the west side of the island, in particular, can offer plenty of opportunities to hear the whales singing without the need to enter deep and dangerous waters.

Now, on to the main point. Boat tours really are the best way to ensure an unforgettable whale watching experience. There are many charter options for whale watching in Kona and in Hilo, but most of them offer essentially the same (wonderful) experience. So, here are the three best charter companies that offer some unique features and stand above the rest.

Captain Zodiac Kona Whale Watching Tour

Captain Zodiac is the best tour option for those wanting to get as close as possible to the whales, while maintaining the legally required 100 feet of distance to ensure the safety of the beautiful creatures and, of course, the passengers. Their 16-person Zodiac rafts are smaller than many of the other charter companies, giving every passenger a front-row view. However, this 3-hour tour can be a bit rough with such a small boat, so Captain Zodiac caters to the more adventurous whale watchers.

Where: They are located just south of the Kona International Airport on the southern side of Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park.

Hours of Operation: Their tours run every day except Wednesday from January to the end of March.

Tour Details: The smaller, faster Zodiac rafts allow more time to explore the coastline along the way, with the possibility of getting up close to lava tubes and sea caves. But because of the rough nature of the boat ride, they do not allow pregnant women or anyone with neck or back problems.

Cost: $75 for children ages 4-12 and $105 for anyone 13 and older.

Perks: With on-board hydrophones, you can listen to the hauntingly beautiful whale song during the tour. They also offer sunset tours aboard 24-foot Zodiac rafts to combine two of Hawaii’s most beautiful sights.

Contact Info: (808) 329-3199; https://www.captainzodiac.com/big-island-excursions/whale-watching-tour/

Captain Dan McSweeney’s Whale Watch Learning Adventures

Captain Dan McSweeney has studied whales for nearly four decades and has worked with National Geographic and Discovery Channel. He personally conducts and narrates every tour to ensure that his guests not only have an amazing experience but also learn about whales and ocean conservation. This is Kona’s only full-time whale watching tour company, unlike most other charters that offer various other snorkeling and sightseeing tour options.

Where: They are also located just south of the Kona International Airport on the southern side of Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, in the same harbor as Captain Zodiac.

Hours of Operation: Their 3-hour tours run daily at 7 AM and 11 AM during whale season between January to the end of April.

Tour Details: Captain Dan pilots “Lady Ann” on every tour. The boat has ample seating, sunny and shaded areas and welcomes guests of all ages. While other tours offer more rugged adventures, Captain Dan focuses more on an educational and leisurely cruise experience coupled with unforgettable whale sightings.

Cost: $125 + tax per child (infant to 11 years) and $135 + tax per adult.

Perks: Captain Dan guarantees that guests will see whales during his tours, using his decades of experience studying whale migration habits to guide him to whale sanctuaries that other charters may not know.

Contact Info: (808) 322-0028; https://www.ilovewhales.com/index.html

Hilo Ocean Adventures Humpback Whale Exploration

If you would prefer to stay on the east side of the island, Hilo Ocean Adventures does offer a unique whale watching tour, so you do not have to make the long (but beautiful) drive to Kona. The Humpback Whale Exploration tour is a bit shorter than others at 2 hours, but there are waterfalls and cliffs along the Hamakua coast to make it a great option for those equally interested in basking in the beautiful Hawaiian scenery while keeping one eye out for whales.

Where: They are located near the Hilo International Airport and just around the corner from the majority of the hotels and resorts of Hilo.

Hours of Operation: They offer three different tours at 8:30 AM, 11 AM and 1:30 PM every day between December and April.

Tour Details: Children must be 8 years or older to participate and due to the rough nature of the boat ride, pregnant women, people with back and neck problems, people over 300lbs and those who are unable to swim without assistance are not allowed.

Cost: $119 per person, with an optional upgrade to the Whale Song Snorkel package for $158 per person.

Perks: Hilo Ocean Adventures offers the Whale Song Snorkel package for additional cost, which includes full snorkel gear and lifejacket, so that guests can see, potentially swim near, and hear the beautiful song of the humpback whales. Also, this tour offers guests the chance to learn more about native Hawaiian history and lore, specifically the story of Kanaloa, the god of the animals in the ocean, which is represented by the whale.

Contact Info: (808) 934-8344; https://www.hilooceanadventures.com/boat-tours/whale-watch/

Final thoughts on Whale Watching Tours in Hawaii

No matter which charter company you choose, be sure to check in with their website. Most companies list when their reservations open for the next whale watching season months in advance and they all sell out very quickly.