Exploring the Kona Coast

Exploring the Kona Coast - Hawaii

Chelsea getting her snorkel on

We've been seeking out a combination of non-touristy and a few touristy activities to experience both the authentic and tastefully overdone aspects of island life here on the Big Island of Hawaii.

There are so many tours and tour operators to blow wads of cash on that it's mind boggling - but we know it's 100x more intense on Oahu in Waikiki (we've been there too)... so we've been very selective, opting for experiences that are as unique as possible to Hawaii - from lesser-visited beaches to night-time snorkel tours.

Kua Bay (Manini'Owali) Beach

Just north of Kailua-kona

OK, so we're not crowds people... but... when you want white-ish sand in Hawaii, you have to share it with others, period. We wanted a pure play-day for the kids, but didn't want a resort beach, so we chose a beach with decent waves, decent snorkeling, potentially substantial crowds and easy on the eyes.

It's like that in Hawaii - a palette of beaches to choose from, many easily accessed by car.

Gearing up

The kids loved this beach - boogie boards on waves just big enough to ride into shore from a substantial distance - like 50ft.

The sand is bright, giving the water its turquoise hue - visibility was superb in this water - crystal clear offshore (away from churning waves), making it easy to spot fish and all the more tempting to dive under the surface and "touch down" on solid ground or get up-close-and-personal with a little wildlife.

Just below the surface, on the beach

Incredible visibility

Chelsea enjoying the surf

Beautiful fishes - zoom in for a better view

Another beauty!

I could post the badzillion fish pics we took... but I won't - and you're welcome :) Suffice it to say that this beach is stunningly beautiful, fun to play in at the shore and a treat under the surface too - everything it was touted to be.

The parking lot was full, but I hovered 1min and got a good spot - quite a bit of turnover at 1pm when the real heat hits :) Other, less lucky folks just parked on the shoulders of the access road.

Honomalino Beach

So, you couldn't really find a beach more different from Kua Bay than Honomalino. Honomalino was in 'our hood' - search for Honomalino Bay and/or Miloli'i rd on Google maps.

Kona Coast, just north of Ocean View

This is a black sand beach - a real toe-burner. It's fringed with coconut-laden palms and has a friendly shoreline of black volcanic gravel. Just beyond the shoreline, into the water, the gravel gives way to coral and even some large patches of white coral sand, giving the water an attractive turquoise hue.

Not a soul in sight

This beach was more our speed - we went early in the morning to have the place to ourselves - what a treat! Land access to this beach was quirky - we drove down Miloli'i rd until we got to a wharf and then a church and community out building. We parked beside the out building in front of the church by the basketball courts, which didn't seem to offend any of the locals we spoke with.

Be sure to drive slowly through the community if you pay this beach a visit.

Basketball with some camera-shy locals :)

There were impromptu signs indicating which way to the public beach from the parking lot - the path was partially submerged in one section, so if you're planning a visit, be prepared to get a little wet, depending on the tides.