On the Beaches of the Big Island of Hawaii
A Trip to the Big Island of Hawaii Part V - Letters from a Wanderer No 6
Hello and welcome to a new post about my recent trip to the Big Island of Hawaii!
It’s been a few weeks since we returned from our trip to the Big Island of Hawaii, and I still can’t stop talking (and writing) about it. Because the experience was better than I expected.
I had mixed feelings about visiting Hawaii. I try to be a thoughtful traveler, and I know overtourism is hurting the islands. A more selfish reason was my aversion to crowds and crowded tourist destinations. By choosing the Big Island instead of Oahu and visiting off-season, in late April, we hoped we could avoid it.
We were right; the island, though not devoid of tourists, it was not overrun, either. We still drove by several crowded beaches, but we found plenty others we could enjoy without feeling like sardines in a can.
And, as a bonus, we saw Hawaiian green sea turtles swimming close to shore and laying on several beaches.
Beaches are the main reason people travel to the islands. Everything else is an addition. We weren’t an exception in this case, either, although visiting the volcanoes on the island was a close second reason we traveled there.
White-Sand Beaches on the West Side of the Big Island
The most famous beaches on the Big Island are near Kona, on the west side. This is also where you’ll find most resorts. Although we are not resort type of travelers, this time we stayed in a few - for free, perks of having a credit card issued by a hotel chain.
Most of the resort amenities were lost on us. We only used them as a place to stay, but they put us close to some of the best beaches on the island.
Given my aversion to crowds, we didn’t spend time on the most popular, “best” beaches, recommended by the resort. Instead, we drove along the shore and stopped at beaches that were calling us. Not exactly, of course. It was more of a drive along the coast. While stopping at beaches, we noticed where we could find a parking spot.
That’s how we stumbled upon a gorgeous beach on our first day on the island that we later found out was a local favorite. We returned there for our last full day on the island.
We Found Beaches Within and Near Historic Sites
We also found gorgeous white-sand beaches on or around several historic sites on the island.
At the end of a mile-long trail in Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park to the Ai’opio Fishtrap, we found Honokōhau Beach, with its powder-fine white sand and crystal-clear water.
Ancient Hawaiians built the fish trap to capture reef fish for food. An ancient heiau (temple) stands at the end of the beach, and black lava rocks form tide pools and inlets.
Since I didn’t know the trail ended at a beach, I wasn’t prepared for a swim or snorkel, but enjoyed watching black crabs on the lava rocks - I only noticed them when they moved - sea anemones in the tide pools, and even noticed a turtle swimming out from beneath the rocks. It was my first turtle-encounter on the island.
Though cut off from the ocean by a large rocky area filled with tide-pools, the beach at Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Park offered a quiet place to sit on the powder-fine white sand, and walk out on the rocks to look for sea creatures.
Leaving Pu’ukohola Heiau National Historic Site, we stumbled upon a small beach with plenty of shade cast by mature trees in a protected cove with calm water.
We Also Spent Time on a Black-Sand Beach
Although the black sand on Punalu’u beach is too rough to even walk on it barefoot, the total opposite of the powder-soft white sand on the other side of the island, it was one of my favorites for another reason.
This was the beach I saw most of the Hawaiian green sea turtles on the island. Large and small ones, laying on the beach and swimming in the shallow water near the coast.
Returning to the First Beach We Went to on Our Last Day
We wanted to spend our last day on the island on the beach we felt was our favorite - which happened to be the first one we went to.
Powder-soft white sand, crystal-clear water, and several Hawaiian green sea turtles swimming close enough for me to see one, made it the perfect end to a great vacation.
Find Your Favorite Beach
I know I did not mention the name of my favorite beach; I’m not even sure what it is, although we thought we figured it out by the second time we stopped there.
However, even if I remembered, I would stop myself from mentioning it. I’d like to encourage you to find your own favorite. It wasn’t the only one with perfect soft sand and crystal-clear water.
You can also find turtles on many of them - just look for a sign at the beach entrance with info about them and a warning to stay at least 15 feet away from them. Beaches with this sign are a good indicator that you might see turtles either on the sand or in the water.
We skipped many gorgeous beaches - especially those often referred to as “the best” - because they were too crowded.
If you don’t mind a busy beach, try them. They may be even better than the one we found. You can also ask locals or hotel personnel for recommendations.
Or, you can do what we did, and drive along the coast, stop at several of them, and find your own favorite.
More about my trip to Hawaii …
I covered other aspects of this trip in my earlier newsletters, about:
Next, I’ll write about the greener side of the island, in and around Hilo.
You can also read an overview of the trip on Wanderer Writes.
Thank you for reading and Happy travels!
Best,
Emese
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I love seeing your pictures from a place I visited almost 20 years ago! ❤️