Great beach for wave watching, turtle watching, the queen's bath lava tube and an energizing hike if you choose to walk across the lava field. Do not enter the Queen's bath or Lava Tube, it is forbidden. read more

See all

Only 8 campsites and they are really really close together so if you have families it can be really noisy and annoying for those with no children. Camp/park rangers nice and check on your permits and you can ask them anything. Rocky beach with a small sandy area. Depending on the season it can be super wavy. You can snorkel here. read more

Kiholo Bay - Evening at the camp site - Beaches Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

See all

DAY 4 of Vacation - After walking around in Kings' Shops, we decided to visit a new beach. This was approximately 20 min down. We followed the road down as far as we can. It's a narrow road going both ways. It definitely got bumpy otw way down. Good thing we rented an SUV but highly do not recommend driving down this road with a Sedan. There were goats along the road. Once we got to the end of the road, there is no actual parking lot. You pretty much make your own parking spot. Free parking. It's very rocky and uneven, so be careful. Walking there, we found two portable potties. No sinks or wash area. When we got to the shore, the view was absolutely beautiful. The sand was similar to a black sand beach, but it was more rocky. I recommend bringing water shoes and snorkels. We unfortunately did not bring our's. We only stayed close to the shore and found baby crabs, urchins, and sea shells. read more

See all

Awesome area! Beach is a little Rocky. No lifeguards. Swim, Surf, Paddle and play in the water at your own risk. Good trail for taking a walk... Hike .. jaunt... Whatever suits you depending on how far you want to go. Definitely wear shoes (not flip flops)... Your feet will thank you. No fresh water...so bring in your own Bathroom is port o potty. Parking can be rough. Dirt/Gravel Road down is good if you can find it.... Not too many ruts. Wouldn't suggest a rental car sedan... And most rental car companies probably forbid you from driving down here. Jeeps and trucks and SUVs had no problems getting down as we saw a bunch. read more

Kiholo Bay State Reserve is such a wonderful place to check out in Kailua-Kona. Lovely scenery, pretty rocky and not too crowded. I even saw a sea turtle in one part of the bay. This is good for a sandy and rocky hike (best to utilize hiking shoes), though I would not recommend swimming or snorkeling due to rough conditions. Lots of tide pools, black sand and rocks, and lovely views of the ocean and the Kohala Mountains in the distance. The access dirt road can be somewhat easy to miss as you are driving on Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway, but it is between Mile Markers 82 and 83. Not a lot of big signage, and it's probably easier to get into the access dirt road if you are going southbound on the highway. I would highly recommend a 4x4 vehicle such as a Jeep because as you approach the main parking area, the terrain gets really rough and is not meant for 2-wheel drive cars. I actually saw a tourist couple get almost all the way down to the parking area with their Nissan Altima and looked like they got stuck or were struggling, though they said they were okay and were being careful to not scratch the bottom of the car. read more

See all

We wanted to find a fun beach to visit and Kiholo Bay was the perfect spot. It was a great hike to get to, so got in some exercise, and the bay was worth the trek. Definitely wear tennis shoes. Some of the way there isn't a clearly defined trail, so you're navigating however you can find to get to the bay. Many different terrains- lava rock, sand, and rocks. The water is so welcoming and clear. We saw sea turtles on our trek back. It's such a pretty spot. So many good photo opportunities. read more

See all

Nice place to see wild animals and sea creatures. We saw birds, goats, sea urchins, crabs, sea cucumbers and fishes. However, we didn't see any sea turtles. Tips: wear shoes or sandles because the beach is quite rocky. read more

See all

I have been and I really would only go there again to get away from the tourists. It is place I'd expect to find more locals and it is actually very dismal overall, the further you go down into the bay area, where the fish pond is, it is pretty gross. Reminds me of an Indian reservation and what you'd expect to find there, not much at all and what is there is pretty disappointing. read more

Beautiful for a sandy/rocky hike and turtle spotting. I would say a bit too rough and rocky for swimming or snorkeling, BUT enroute you can take a dip in the freshwater queen's bath (lava tube filled with fresh water). You can do the hike in strappy sandals (eg Teva's), but I have bad ankles and glad I brought my hiking shoes. Parking: there is a dirt road that leads to a parking spaces and port o pities, and you're basically right in the bay. You can make it just fine with a sedan. Directions: once you're parked, take a few hundred yard walk and you hit the bay/ocean then turn right (north) and head up to see the beautiful views and wildlife read more

See all

I wish we found this beach sooner. It is similar to the Punalu'u Black Sand beach but rockier and less crowded with a stronger current. Google maps directions are accurate. The access road is rough and leads to a parking area and campsites. Note that you can only camp in designated areas and the gates close at 7 pm. We walked along the beach and watched whales breaching in the distance. On our journey we came across a structure (see picture) that stated it was the future home of Hui Aloha Kiholo. We unfortunately could not spend long here since we needed to catch our flight. If we return to Hawaii in the future, this beach will be on our list of places to visit! read more

See all

Not a good place to see tropical colorful fish...water was murky with low visibility...so hard to find this place...Yelp address wrong - had to google search fir Kiholo bay state park...no signage to help find the small road led down to the beach...bumpy, rocky road, no low riders here, 4 wheel drives recommended...once you survive this one car road down the hill, walk and walk and then walk some more to the bay...turn right when u reach the shore and walk some more...the only saving grace to this place were the turtles...but then again, honu can be spotted at other beaches with less work...did I mention the wrong Yelp address and the walking? Yeah... read more

Kiholo Bay - Kiholo bay - Beaches Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Went looking for Honu (turtles), the road to this beach is terrible for your vehicle, I'm glad we had rental insurance. Didn't see any turtles on shore but saw a few briefly swimming. Not as good as I hoped. read more

This was a cool place to see sea turtles! We saw at least 6 in the water, but none wanted to come sunbath on the beach while we were there. To get to the bay you need to drive down a rocky, narrow road (need to veer to side to let cars pass). There are no real markers - just turn when google maps tells you. There's an area at the end of the road to park. The walk along the coast is beautiful, but the terrain is rough so I wouldn't recommend wearing flip flops. read more

Thanks to the recommendation of Yagi Hawaii, this was one of our stops for our tour. I specifically wanted to visit a black sand beach and this place was exactly what I pictured. The beach is slightly "off the beaten path," meaning these isn't a huge sign stating this is a beach, plus you also don't see a lot of people entering and exiting (non-crowded beach? Huge plus for me!) You enter, and drive a few minutes to a couple different streets. If you turn left, that will take you to the over night campsites, and/or large group areas. If you continue straight, that leads you to a parking area good for the day visits. Plan to use an actual restroom before visiting this beach. They only have 2 portable potties, at the Day parking area. This beach is super pretty. I love the crystal, baby blue color of the water. It's a different blue, with certain areas clear enough to see right through the water, it's so pretty and I saw a few people snorkeling. For me, this isn't the type of beach where you would go into the water to swim or lounge in an inner tube. This beach is more of a walking/sight seeing beach. Although, there are areas where you can lay out on the black sand. Be sure to wear walking shoes along the beach because the sand has a mixture of tiny lava/coral stones. Along this beach path you may see some local turtles. Be sure to stay a good distance from them, it's a rule and take pictures from a distance. These creatures are so fun, and I'm so exited I was able to see a couple sleeping along the water. (Check off bucket list!) Another cool, hidden secret is "The Queens Bath." It's a natural water bath from what looks like a crater. It's a natural bath, that is filled with very ice cold water. It's refreshing, keep an eye out for this natural bath. Enjoy your visit to Kiholo Beach! read more

See all

This is a pure black sand beach and a must see. The drive down is quite a trek, but it takes you right to the beach with limited walking. Once you get out it's black sand for as far as you can see. There are a ton of little tide pools with warmer water in them for dipping your toes in and the water wasn't too rough here. We didn't see any turtles here, but did see some on a beach just north, so they are around the area! read more

See all

Looking up hikes on the west side of the Big Island, Kiholo Bay comes up pretty often. Accessible via a dirt road off of the highway, this hike is simple in that you just walk out to the ocean and head north; in that sense it's more of a long beach walk than a rigorous hike, which may turn off some. There are interesting spots along the way though; for instance, there is the Queen's Bath, which is a flooded lava tube that you can swim in. There is also a gated community along the beach where there are some interesting houses; there is at least 1 that's a beach shanty (see the pics) and others have aqueducts to feed their own private fish ponds. There is 1 owned by an old crazy lady with a ton of trespassing signs though; she pretty much is out there all day barking at people who come within 20' of her property. I don't understand why you would retire from the mainland to a well known hiking trail when you would rather be left alone--not the most rationale nor aloha-friendly thing to me, but I digess. Also be careful when you're walking in the 1-2 wooden areas alone the beach, as there are trees with huge thorns. I'd recommend wearing shoes for this reason, as it won't be a good walk back if one of the thorns goes through your flip flop (and they are that long). Once there, Kiholo Bay is serene, deserted, and includes a small island along with the obligatory sleeping sea turtles. The water is a beautiful teal colors, and it's protected enough that you should be able to swim. Not the best snorkeling spot though as there are no fish. In addition there is yellow-colored algae in spots which gives this a 'Golden Pools of Keawaiki' vibe. If you brought food and drinks, all the better to just chill--relaxation and 'being here' is the main attraction. Would do this hike again at some point in the future. It's not the most difficult and the beach walk is sort of boring, but there are some things to like and the destination is stunning. Probably it's a bit better if you're not staying close to beach. read more

Great little area to explore, Kiholo Bay is not for the casual beach goer! We parked at a small lot past Mile Maker 81 and from there you hike through lava rocks towards the bay. For this part you definitely need sturdy hiking sneakers-there is a path cutting through but you are walking over and on sharp rocks for much of the time. Once getting towards the bay, you'll notice private property marked by signs and barbed wire. Go around that to the right for access to the beach area, which then is public property again. So worth the 10-15 trek out to the bay! The water was a clear turquoise blue, and while not suitable for swimming, it's a great area to clamor around on the rocks for some tide pooling. We walked the length of the bay and saw one turtle sunning himself on the rocks. The contrast of the dark rocks on the beach with the amazingly blue and clear water was one of the most beautiful sights I've seen on the island so far. We spent about 90 minutes total, exploring the beach and the mini-hike to and from the lot. Highly recommended if you are up for a short adventure! We stopped here on our way up the Kohala coast, but if you aren't heading up that far, you can also tack on some time in the Waikoloa area. Have fun, be safe and respect the private property boundaries. Enjoy! read more

See all

Beautiful black sand beach. There are lots of sea turtles so please respect them and give them space. The water can have low visibly in the cove as it did when we went, but off the shore line by the campsites its amazing. Great spot to watch the sunset, but bring a flash light because the surface of the lava rocks could pose some danger if not careful. I suggest wearing shoes or reef walkers. I wear slippers everywhere and this hike/walk slippers were fine, but difficult to walk along the shore as the stones get between your slippers and feet. Some pictures, seem to be photo shopped so beware the water may not seem as blue as in pics, but the water is none the less different than most beaches. read more

Kiholo Bay - Sunset along Kiholo Bay - Beaches Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Beautiful area for hiking and swimming. Interesting thing about this area is that there are turtles. Very cute. For snorkeling, there are not many fish, but sometimes you can see turtles in the sea resting or swimming, which is rare and very exciting to see. read more

What an amazing find! Let me start by saying that, if you like to walk on the beach, this is the place for you. When you park in the parking lot, you might not even know what is in store for you. So, be prepared for amazingness and quite a long walk. Things you'll see on the very-worth-it walk: -After about 1/4 of a mile on the right, you will see a natural lava tube. It's a bit in the woods. You have to look for it. You can swim from one lava hole to another with two openings. -You will see 2 pretty amazing houses. You'll know when you get there. The first house you stumble upon is owned by the creator of the pacemaker. The next is an intricately detailed house that is owned by the founder of Paul Mitchell hair products. Both houses will leave you wanting more and asking so many questions as to how you can get closer. Don't worry, you can't! They both have private property signs on them. -You will see sea turtles laying on the beach. You might not even see them at first because they blend in. Be sure to keep your distance. -You'll start to go around a bend and think: "Ah, houses I might be able to afford." Ones that haven't been lived in in some time, but with a few renovations, we can make them work. -As you turn the corner, the best is yet to come. You will get to a bay that is 100% worth the walk. At this bay, after you cross the stream and walk on plenty of rocky lava, you will find A LOT of sea turtles (we saw 8) in their natural habitat. They were resting out of the water on the island. You can get to the island through some pretty shallow water to hang with the turtles. You will also see other turtles swimming in the water right next to you or with you. -There are many islands that you can access at this point. Lucky for us, there were other people out there so we used them as landmarks as we walked. If the weather wasn't overcast, we could have spent all day here. It was so peaceful and surreal. You don't need to walk the entire way, but the more you walk, the more you will see. read more

Kiholo Bay - The island of sea turtles by the bay. - Beaches Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

The water is amazing. Different hues of blue all meet up in this bay. The drive is off the beaten path, so make sure you have a 4x4 for the dirt road. read more

Kiholo Bay - Beautiful shades of blue, peaceful and very relaxing. Today it was a perfect mixture of sun, clouds and wind. - Beaches Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

See all

This is great beach love the black sand. Easy drive In. I drove a sedan in. I wish there was. Alie more parking tho

We wanted to see some sea turtles and heard this is the spot to see them. It's located on a random side street off the highway (might miss it - around mile 80 marker). The path down is a bit rocky and unpaved. There isn't much of a beach to swim or sunbathe in. It's got a lot of volcanic rock and you can see plenty of black sand. We did see about 4-6 sea turtles within a half hour, although none of them came to the shore to sunbathe; they were out in the ocean. read more

My husband and I decided to check this out on a whim and we are so glad we did! This is a hidden gem just 15 minutes away from the resorts by Mauna Lani. It's off a hidden drive right off highway 19. We wanted to see the black sand beaches on the big island but were sad to find out that it would have been a five hour round trip to get to and from them from where we were staying. This was the perfect solution. This state park shows off Kiholo Bay and the rugged black sand shores. We hiked along the right side of the bay and came across so much marine life! We saw lots of fish, 4 sea turtles, crabs, whales, and lots of birds. The beaches aren't the smooth black sand beaches on the other side of the island but they are still beautiful. There are a lot of lagoons that the sea turtles love to graze in and they sun themselves on the shore. There was also a hidden pool made from what I believe to be a caved in lava tube. There are private residences off the beach so be careful you stay on the beach which is open to the public. You should definitely wear closed toe shoes so you can climb along the lava rock that makes up the shore. read more

See all

Can you sunbathe here? Yes Can you see sea turtles occasionally sunbathe here? Yes Hidden fresh water lagoon? Yes More privacy? Yes Bathrooms? No Showers? No Public trash bins? No Side Notes: When I went here the tides seemed pretty aggressive so I did not venture father than getting up to my ankles wet in the water. The water was nice though, and the beach itself is pretty rocky, with parts that have a mix of white/black sand. I explored ok in flip flops but probably would have been easier in some closed toed sneakers. The road to this beach is not paved with concrete and is a bit bumpy but we were able to find parking not too far from the park entrance. I saw 2 sea turtles sunbathing and 1 swimming in the shallows probably getting its lunch on. The queen's bath/fresh water lagoon thing is pretty cool, and the water is colder than the ocean water. A little step ladder is there to help you get in and the area is shaded with some trees. The most I saw people were families using the lagoon, but other than that, I barely saw anyone exploring or sunbathing on the beach. If you want a soft white sand beach, this really isn't it. But if you want to maybe see a turtle and check out a small fresh water lagoon and explore a little, this is a cool spot to spend an hour or two. read more

See all

The hike out is pretty much just a normal Hike, (you might need some bug spray) but once you get to the ocean, there is nothing like this beautiful bay of teal water. read more

A bit of a ways from the parking area. Pack light! The turquoise blue lagoon water is a little cloudy for optimum snorkelling but so many turtles! Absolutely worth the trek to the lagoon. Note: no bathrooms, just a Porta-potty at the parking area. Also no shade by the lava lined lagoon, although some shade spots along the lava and dark sand beach between the parking area and the lagoon. read more

Kiholo Bay - Near the parking lot, lagoon is about a 15 minute walk from here. - Beaches Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Pretty and cute! If you make it to Kiholo Bay, you must find the queens bath lava cave. The water is clean, spring water and only after few seconds you will get used to the cold and actually enjoy a little swim underground. read more

5 star for he simple fact of seeing plenty of see turtles. There are about three different entrances to this place. If you want to see sea turtles enter then go to the right until you reach the "lagoon" which is very calm and pretty water. The lagoon was not good for snorkeling. This is quite a hike. Tennis shoes definitely. If you go to the left its a great place to boogie board. Most of all this place is mostly secluded and not a lot of traffic due to the simple fact of the hike to reach it and there aren't really any road signs. read more

Kiholo Bay - Beaches Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Amazing beach and well worth the hike. Be sure to find the lagoon for safer swimming and the opportunity to see sea turtles! read more

Kiholo Bay - Beaches Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Cool spot! Just appreciating the rocks and all of a sudden, a sea turtle bobs up below me! Great place to walk around and soak some ocean breeze. Beware - the shore is rocky and the rocks could get slippery. 2WD vehicle can get all the way near the end of the parking lot. Not ideal for ocean swimming. Peaceful yet accessible, not many people here by sunset. read more

See all

Beautiful. Secluded. Turtles. That is all I can say about this place. How can you not love that?

We were here yesterday! Great place! We walked a bit, but didn't go into water. Saw honus and enjoyed the scenery! It was difficult parking, but we enjoyed this beach very much! Will be back! read more

Walked down from the road, came out near the Bali house. Went around 9am. Saw turtles sun bathing and didn't see anyone else for hours. Walked the beach and observed the sea life. Lots of fun :) I was going to snorkel but didn't want to go alone, as I am traveling alone and no one else was around. read more

As far as we could tell when we arrived (and from what we read elsewhere on a few recent updated sites), they have closed the road for tourists to drive down from the main highway, so you have to walk the whole way. Whereas older blogs and guides say it's only a mile each way, truly it is quite a bit farther with this road closing if you actually want to see the turtles. Both my husband and I enjoy hiking and are in good enough shape for this hike (now in our late 20's - my hubby ran 4 miles before breakfast that morning), but the added length (and time) was not really what we had prepared for, so that was disappointing and exhausting. If you are well prepared and bring lots of water, you may enjoy it more. On the one hand, the hiking does not require any major elevation change and is therefore not too hard on the heart and lungs. However, due the heat and sand-walking (which gets tiring), it can feel long and exhausting. There were about a dozen turtles swimming and sunning themselves when we got to the lagoon, and the water was a beautiful turquoise, but for maybe 4-5 miles round trip (~2 - 2.5 miles each way or ~40 minutes each way) in the searing heat, I was not sure it was worth it. It depends how much you love turtles. The specifics of the hike / how to get there: It's probably a 1 - 1.5 mile walk to the beach (a fairly easy walk mostly on a gravel road that people used to actually drive down but now you have to walk down if you don't live there, and it was VERY hot - bring lots of water. We went when it was super windy, and that was our saving grace, but there is very little shade on the walk). To find the trail head, you will want to park along the road near mile marker 81 on Highway 19. (Note: there is also a cool view at mile marker 82 that you should go see for a few minutes with your camera, but that's not how you walk down.) After you follow the trail and turn off into a short woodsy part where it says "beach access", you arrive at a nice rocky beach. Then once you hit the beach, you have to turn right and walk about another 1 mile. You will pass all of the sand, a few homes, and some rocks and lava (over which you have to carefully scramble), to get to a lagoon where the turtles hang out. For this part, you will definitely be better off with sneakers / tennis shoes. When we arrived, we wished we had worn bathing suits, because the water in the lagoon was calm and beautiful, and by then we were really hot, so it would have been nice to cool off. Then again, you would have to walk back in wet clothes, so that's a tough call to make. We were very happy to see many turtles but then got a lot less happy when we realized we had a long hot trek back to our car. If your expectations are set right, I think this could be a fun hike. Just be prepared! :-) read more

Had no trouble driving our car down to the end of the road and parking near the entrance to beach. Almost no one there on a weekday. Saw numerous sea turtles sunning themselves on the beach. Lots of lava rock and probably not a great place for swimming, but a beautiful secluded bay and we were very glad we went. read more