Wawaloli Beach

Located on the west side of the Big Island near the Kona Airport, Wawaloli Beach - also known as Wawaloli Beach Park - is a small white sand beach with many lava rocks.  This beach park is operated by theNatural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii (NELHA) within the Hawaii Ocean Science and Technology (HOST) park. 

Although Wawaloli Beach does not have lifeguards, it offers many other amenities including restrooms, showers, picnic tables, barbecue grill facilities, and shady areas.  Dogs are not allowed here, and it is open from sunrise until sunset.

Wawaloli Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, swimming, snorkeling, tidepooling, and fishing.  If you are planning to go in the water near the beach, the beach is protected by a natural lava breakwall that forms a shallow lagoon, making it an ideal spot for tidepooling, swimming, and snorkeling.  Snorkelers can explore coral reefs and see a large variety of colorful tropical fish and Hawaiian marine life.  If you like tidepooling, there are tide pools near the beach that can be explored during low tide.  Visitors can see sea urchins, hermit crabs, starfish, and other marine creatures that get temporarily trapped in these tidepools of water for a few hours until the tide rises again.  It is a great spot for children to wade in these sand-filled tide pools and a fun place to explore.  If you are planning to fish in the waters near Wawaloli Beach, you may see people fishing from the cliffs along either end of the park, but please make sure that you are in compliance with the local fishing regulations. In addition, visitors can see interesting rock formations, colorful mosses, and algae while walking along the shore.  Wawaloli Beach is an excellent place for visitors to unwind and enjoy the tranquil surroundings while watching the planes take off and land due to its close proximity to the Kona airport, especially at sunset.

Getting to Wawaloli Beach is easy - the beach has a free and small parking lot that is located at 73-188 Makako Bay Drive near Mile Marker 94, which is easily accessible by Highway 19.  After parking, you need to walk southwest for a minute to access the beach.

There are many attractions near Wawaloli Beach.  Hulihee Palace was a former summer house for Hawaiian royalty where they came to unwind and was originally built out of lava rocks.  The palace has been turned into a museum that features a gallery displaying Victorian artifacts including koa wood furniture, portraits, sculptures, Kapa, feather work, Hawaiian quilts, and artifacts from Hawaii's royal heritage - it also offers an interesting guided tour and self-guided tours.  Makalawena Beach is a long white sand beach with many lava rocks situated within the Kekaha Kai State Park.  Makalawena Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, snorkeling, surfing, body boarding, fishing, tidepooling, hiking, scuba diving, and swimming.   If you are looking for another attraction near Wawaloli Beach, Kiholo Bay has a black sand beach that offers many fun activities including snorkeling, swimming, hiking, camping, and fishing.  Visitors can spot green sea turtles near the beach. It has a few amenities including portable restrooms.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Wawaloli Beach.  Huggo’s is an upscale waterfront restaurant that serves incredible salads, shrimp, seafood, pasta, steaks, short ribs, and sashimi.  Foster’s Kitchen Waikoloa serves shrimp, bruschettas, salads, burgers, sandwiches, pasta, flatbread pizzas, poultry dishes, steaks, chops, tacos, and desserts.  Honokohau L & L Hawaiian Barbecue serves amazing shrimp, seafood, loco moco, saimin, musubi, burgers, barbecued pork, and barbecued poultry dishes.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Wawaloli Beach, the modestly priced Killer Tacos serves incredible salads, tortillas, fajitas, burritos, tacos, nachos, salads, enchiladas, quesadillas, and seafood.

If you are looking for a hotel near Wawaloli Beach, there are many great nearby options.  If you are looking for an upscale hotel, the 5-Star Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection is 15 minutes away by car and has many amenities including three outdoor pools, hot tubs, a lap pool, tennis courts, two golf courses, a spa, a fitness center, and an oceanfront restaurant.   Another upscale option is the 4-Star Hilton Waikoloa Village which offers many amenities including three outdoor pools, hot tubs, a spa, a fitness center, two golf courses, tennis courts, and several restaurants.  In addition, it also has other amenities including a black sand beach, a swimming lagoon with green sea turtles, kayaking, paddle boating, and a dolphin encounter experience.   A more affordable hotel is the 3.5-Star Hilton Grand Vacations Club Kings’ Land Waikoloa which offers many amenities including a fitness center, tennis courts, five outdoor pools, hot tubs, a gift shop, a convenience store, and a restaurant.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Wawaloli Beach, the modestly priced 2-Star Kona Seaside Hotel offers many amenities including an outdoor pool, a sundeck, a hot tub, tropical gardens, and a barbecue facility.