We stumbled upon this spot around 9AM and there were plenty of spots left! You have to check in…read morewith the security and they give you a parking pass. There are nice restrooms and showers to use all for free! Such a good spot to wade in the water or snorkel around. We even got to see a sea turtle in the bay!

Awesome place. Small quiet area Parking is limited. If you can't swim good beach to go toread more

This is a beautiful, smaller beach, great for little kids. It's more like a bay since there's a big…read morereef protecting it from waves. For the adventurous you can snorkel out beyond the reef. The parking lot does get full quickly, so getting there early as ideal.

Kikaua Beach is a great location to relax at when visiting the Big Island of Hawai'i. However, you…read moreneed to obtain a parking pass to access the lot, and parking passes are very limited. Best to come first thing in the morning if you can. As for the beach, there are restroom facilities and showers, and there is a protected cove so it is great for families and their young kids. It is not super big, but the sand is clean and well-kept by the grounds crew.

Tucked away and not too crowded even at peak season this is a little golden nugget of a beach. Some…read moresnorkeling opportunities just off the beach too, explored a few small coral reefs with schools of tropical fish and even a large sea turtle.

This little beach is a hidden gem. Ask for a parking pass at Mauna Kea resort or walk the 1/4 mile…read morecostal trail in from Spencer Beach Park. You won't find more than a handful of people here. Sandy crescent shaped beach where the waves gently crash against the shore, a few people take paddle boards out, and everyone generally relaxes and enjoys the Kohala Coast without the masses of people you will find at more popular beaches like Hapuna. Well worth checking out!

Fabulous snorkeling! Parking is $10 and it's $5 per visitor, but worth every penny. The shore is…read moresmall and rocky in some parts, sandy in others and there's shade among some trees. There are bathrooms and outdoor showers. The same parking permit allows you access to Hapuna Beach as well. Highly recommended! Bonus: Lava Lava Beach Club is right down the road for a perfect lunch!

This is a beautiful beach with clear blue water where you can spend the whole day sheltered from…read morethe sun in the shade of the trees. The beach is equipped with a shower and toilet. While swimming on this beach we met a turtle. Parking on the beach is paid. Also, non-residents of Hawaii must pay $ 5 each. But the beach is worth it!

We were staying at the Hilton Waikoloa. A friend recommended fishing at Holoholokai Beach Park…read morewhich is a short drive from the Hilton. First, we headed to the Walmart in Kona to pick up fishing gear. We found telescopic poles (perfect for traveling), a net and other fishing supplies. Then we headed to Safeway for shrimp for bait. When we arrived at Holoholokai Beach Park, there were only 2 other cars parked in the parking lot. We walked to the left side (facing the ocean) of beach but found it a bit too rocky. There was a turtle stranded on the reef, about 20 feet from the water. We called DLNR, but they said that the turtle will be find and that they won't be sending anyone out to help it. I hope that the poor guy made it back to the water. We headed to the opposite side of the beach (right side) and found a couple areas which allowed us to walk out on the reef (at low tide) and fish in shallow pools or close to where the waves were breaking on the reef. My son caught a fish on his first cast. He caught another fish (mostly Kupipi), then another and another. We almost always smash the barb on our hooks with a plier so that it is easy to remove a release the fish, so not to cause much harm to the fish. My friend said that Kupipi is good eating, just throw it on a grill. But why eat an ugly reef fish when you can order pizza and pasta from the resort that you're staying at, right? Ha ha! Anyway, it was a beautiful day for fishing. We even came back a second day and the results were the same, we caught (and released) a lot of fish. We saw less than 10 other people there (all tourists), but no other fishermen. If you go, make sure to bring sunscreen, a hat and bottled water. It's quite hot and there aren't any trees to provide shade (at least not near the fishing area). We will look for other fishing spots the next time we visit Kona, but this is definitely a convenient fishing location while staying in the Waikoloa area. There is also a public restroom near the parking lot. Happy fishing! : )

The worst bathroom I've seen in my life, no divider between the urinals AND NO DOOR TO THE…read moreTOILETS!!! When you walk in the door you have a clear view of the toilets. And if you need to drop the kids off?? No privacy AT ALL

Mahalo palena 'ole (Gratitude beyond measure)…read more My first time visiting the Big Island. It is nearly twice as big as all of the other Hawaiian islands combined, peaceful, beautiful, and less chaotic than O'ahu. Don't discount visiting the Big Island... I know O'ahu is the party island attracting surfers and outdoor adventurers... then you have romantic Kauai for couples. Maui is for family and fun... and the Big Island... well, it's just... big ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I love the Big Island! Don't look for the stereotypical Hawaiian getaway -- luaus and romantic stuff. We spent time both in Kailua Kona and Hilo and everywhere else in between for a short 3-1/2 days. Both ends are so different from each other. All in all, we couldn't accomplish all I wanted to see in such a short time including going to all the national parks (3 total) and visit as many beaches as we could and eat traditional Hawaiian food and shop, eat and shop... shop and eat... ahhh! so little time but we did see some beautiful sites and places and got to enjoy some local eats. We loved the lush greenery and vegetation, the legends (some creepy) and the lava! We just missed the last glow at Kilauea volcano. The eruption in the Halema'uma'u has paused... also, you don't need to join a hiking tour to see lava, we went to an area near Pahoa and Puna where lava-covered portions of Highway 132 in lower Puna area was inundated by lava during the 2018 eruption of Kilauea volcano... this part is located in Lava Zone 2. If visiting the Big Island don't miss visiting the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and see Pele's home... the Kilauea Volcano. She has been growing the Big Island since 1983. The beaches are colors I've never seen before! Aloha Oe... Hana hou! Safe travels! Review #2306

I like Big Islands and I cannot lie! You other bruddahs…read morecan't deny! -- Sir Mix a Lot after eating loco moco with a cup of Kona coffee I really enjoyed my stay on the Big Island. We stayed on the Hilo side, mainly because I had never seen lava flow and wanted a glimpse. We planned out our visit before Kilauea's temper tantrum so due to the overzealous and insidious amount of lava flow, much was still closed off when we visited. It didn't stop us from having a good time though. We saw as much as we could from MacKenzie State Park, shopped, saw local attractions and ate our way through Hilo one loco moco at a time. Hilo is where loco moco was first invented so might as well indulge in a local favorite, right? The landscape is just beautiful. You will feel like you are living in paradise except for those pesky little mosquitoes. I was basically their blood bank for the whole trip so bring or buy that all important bug repellent. It's so green and vibrant on the island. The black sand beaches are unique and there's even a green sand beach that I want to visit next time I'm here. The water on the beach is crystal clear with so many shades of blue. Snorkeling is a popular activity for good reason! There's a reason why everything is so green. Hilo is #1 in rainfall out of all cities in the U.S., averaging 130 inches of rain a year. It rained pretty much every day we were here but it didn't deter us too much from going to places we had planned to visit. Just remember to have a hoodie or umbrella on hand when it gets really rainy. The locals are some of the friendliest and nicest that you'll meet. I was always greeted with kindness and a smile. I definitely want to make it back to the Big Island. I'd love to check out the Kona side as well as spend more time in Hilo.

Whoa, this is a pretty epic little park. Not well known. If you're making the drive up north on…read morethe Kohala Coast to Hawi, pick up some lunch in Kawihae at the popular poke shack or even some yummy fried chicken at the MinuteStop and have yourself a picnic here. At Māhukona Beach Park, the shoreline is rocky and lacks a sandy beach. There is a swimmers ladder in the old harbor. Fishing, snorkeling, picnic areas, and camping are available. At the south end of the park you'll find an unmarked trail that leads to a view of the old Mahukona Lighthouse. Next time we'll plan on snorkeling here. If you do snorkel/swim, remember to use reef-safe sunscreen.

Very nice walk through this historic site which is well labeled with descriptions in the trail map…read more The park ranger was very friendly and informative. Good ocean watching half way around and several other trail walkers saw whales, but we did not manage to see any.

This was a strange outpost. Out of nowhere with no staff. The views were amazing however, so it was…read morenice to look out onto the ocean, hoping to see migrating whales. No luck today, but a nice vantage point anyway.