A Day at the Beach
You might think there are hundreds of miles of beaches on the Big Island. Not so. Much of the coastline is quite rugged, and some of it is inaccessible. Although there are decent places to surf, when it comes to good beaches this island doesn't have the reputation of Maui or Oahu. Nonetheless, there are some very nice beaches and great snorkeling locales here and there. Not surprisingly, a few of the best are found fronting major resorts, but Hawaii's beaches are for everyone, so they can be enjoyed by all. Here are some nice ones:
Kahalu‘u Beach Park, just south of Kailua-Kona.
‘Anaeho‘omalu Bay (A-Bay), in front of the Hilton Royal Waikoloa Resort.
Kauna‘oa Bay, at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel.
Hapuna Beach State Park, on the south Kohala coast a few miles south of Kawaihae.
Spencer Beach Park, just south of Kawaihae.
Leleiwi Beach Park, black-sand beach near Hilo.
Punalu‘u Beach Park, black-sand beach on the southeast coast.
For more detailed information on Big Island beaches, pick up a copy of John R. K. Clark's Beaches of the Big Island (University of Hawaii Press, 1985).
