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Review of big island beaches including sand, snorkeling, swimming and big island beach resorts in Kailua Kona, Kohala, Waipio, Hilo and the South Coast.
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The very best big island beach locations are along the sunny Kohala Coast. This barren coastline appears at first to be inhospitable, with the dominant feature being the craggy black rocks deposited by lava flow after the eruption of Moana Lua in 1801 and 1859. But several small roads off the 30-mile coastal highway lead to a handful of stunning public beaches, most with a luxury resort complex nearby.
The first Kohala beach area when driving north from Kailua Town is at Puako. This newly developed residential area boast some fine rental homes and the beach here, whilst narrow, is very quiet and has good tidal pools for exploring.
The protected black and white sand beach (called a salt and pepper beach) alongside the beautiful Kona Village Resort has good swimming and sea-turtles can usually be seen resting on the beach during the afternoon, whilst the adjoining beach at the Four Seasons Resort has white sand but rougher waves. Both are backed by palm trees. A ten mile trail to the north (inaccessible by road) leads to some of the most stunning and seldom visited fine white sandy beach spots in Hawaii.
Anaehoomalu Beach, backed by hundreds of palm trees and, is famed for its breathtaking sunsets. The beach itself is nice, with white sand and good swimming and there are several small coves along the coast which are almost always empty. Anaehoomalu graces a couple of large resorts and slightly north but within the Waikoloa Resort complex is the extraordinary Hilton complex with its man-made white-sand crescent beach and coral lagoons that are ideal for family swimming and snorkelling.
Perhaps the most intriguing coastal walk in Hawaii is the one-hour stroll around Mauna Lani, about 10 miles north of Waikoloa. Here you can walk from a brilliant white boulder beach to a fine white sand beach, to a black and white sand beach, then a green sand beach and finally back to a long sweeping palm fringed beach. To the north of Mauna Lani is world famous and award winning Hapuna Beach State Park with its mile long sandy beach and great body surfing. The protected beach at Spencer Beach Park still further north has safer swimming for families but is less attractive.
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