Beautiful white sand beach on the Big Island of Hawaii


makalawena beach hawaii big island beautiful beaches hawaii big island kona travel tips hawaii big island kona

Our trip to Hawaii’s Big Island was filled with a lot of sight-seeing, but we also made sure we had time to relax on the beautiful beaches near Kona. Since we were looking for beaches which were both relaxing and beautiful, we did a lot of research! We learned that one of the most beautiful beaches in Kona is Manini’owali along Kua Bay. It has white sand, black lava, and promises turtle and dolphin sightings. The beach is relatively straight, and offers an incredible view of the crystal clear blue waters of the Pacific Ocean.

This is a well maintained beach with restrooms, showers, and free parking. The sand is white, the water offers beautiful shades of blue, and the lava creates a fabulous contrast between the white sand, blue waters, and black rocks. The parking is along the road into the beach area, so be sure to wear flip flops or shoes from the car to the beach.

beach flip flops

There isn’t very much shade, but if you are lucky, you can grab a spot under the one tree we could find. It was directly in front of the picnic benches when you walk onto the beach, you can’t miss it! We sat there with two other families, and it was perfect!

The waves at Manini’owali Beach get stronger as the day progresses; so it’s calm in the morning, but after lunch, don’t try to swim or boogie-board unless you are an experienced swimmer. While there were plenty of visitors at the beach, I did not see a life-guard on duty. Make sure you can handle being in the water; especially with waves!

swimsuit outfit ideas hawaii over 40 hawaii travel style over 40

While we didn’t spot any of the promised turtles or dolphins, there was a seal lounging on the beach, living his best life. The rangers even made sure his area was blocked off, so he could truly live the VIP life on the beach. Must be nice to be a seal! Haha

I was feeling a little bit tired, so while my husband took the kids swimming, I took a nap on the beach, under the tree. It was incredibly relaxing.

Shop my Hawaiian beach outfit / tankini and cover-up:

Sometimes when you go on vacation, you just need to relax! That is exactly what we did at Manini’owali Beach. We swam, napped, and lived our best lives; just like the seal. We just didn’t have the roped off, VIP area like he did. haha

Thanks for stopping by!

Aloha!

Cathy

beach shoes blue waters hawaii big island


10 thoughts on “Beautiful white sand beach on the Big Island of Hawaii

Comments are closed.