Waiahukini Beach

Located on the southernmost tip of the Big Island on Ka Lae Point, Wai Ahukini Beach - also known as Wai Ahukini Beach, Waiahukini Beach, Wai’Ahukini Beach or Wai’ahukini Beach - is a long and wide white sand beach with many rock formations.  Wai Ahukini Beach is situated at the foot of the enormous Pali-o-Mamalu cliff (Cliff-of-Protection), and the beach has an elevation of 6 meters.  The trade winds sweep over it at a height of 1,000 feet or more, giving it a hot desert temperature during the day.  However, as the sun sets, it gradually cools, and the nights are cool.  Wai Ahukini Beach is adjacent to Mokuhonu Island and offers Instagram-worthy views of the summits of Pu'uoha'upu and Pu'ulohena on its east, especially during sunset.  In the past, people traveling by canoe from the west side of Hawaii to the windward side had to land at Wai'ahukini, which was the last convenient location. 

Wai Ahukini Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities, so plan your trip accordingly.  Wai Ahukini Beach welcomes dogs on a leash, and the beach is open from sunrise until sunset. 

Wai Ahukini Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, canoeing, surfing, swimming, snorkeling, and fishing.  If you are planning to go in the water near the beach, Wai Ahukini Beach is an ideal location for swimming and snorkeling, but we recommend being careful as the water here is known to have unpredictable rip currents.  Snorkelers can explore coral reefs and see a large variety of colorful tropical fish, as well as Hawaiian marine life.  If you enjoy surfing, this beach is popular for surfing due to its frequently windy weather.  If you are planning to fish in the waters near Wai Ahukini Beach, please make sure that you are in compliance with the local fishing regulations.  In addition, Wai Ahukini Beach is ideal for visitors looking for a serene beach experience, as this beach sees fewer visitors than other nearby beaches.

Getting to Wai Ahukini Beach is difficult - the beach is located at the end of South Point Road and between Ka‘Iliki‘I Beach and Mokuhonu Island, which is accessible by Mamalahoa Highway 11.

There are many attractions near Wai Ahukini Beach.  Papakolea Beach - also known as Green Sand Beach or Mahana Beach -  is a small green sand beach carved into a 49,000-year-old cinder cone from the Mauna Loa volcano, which is home to the green crystals (olivines) that make up a significant portion of the sand here.  The beach is situated on the southernmost tip of the Big Island and offers Instagram-worthy views of the Pacific Ocean and overlooking cliffs. Papakolea Beach offers many fun activities including swimming, hiking, surfing, beachcombing, and sunbathing.  It is important to note that the beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities, so plan your trip accordingly. 

South Point Park is located on the southernmost tip of the Big Island on Ka Lae Point. It is believed that Ka Lae was the first place where Polynesians first set foot when they reached the Hawaiian Islands as early as 750 A.D.  It is an ideal fishing spot.  Swimming is not recommended here due to the steep, rocky cliffs (approximately 40 feet high), deep waters, and dangerous currents.  Despite this, it is an excellent place to relax and unwind oneself, as South Point Park offers breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean.  The entire southern point is listed as a National Historic Landmark because it is littered with the remains of fishing shrines, heiau (temples), and other historical sites.  If you are looking for another attraction near Wai Ahukini Beach, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a crescent-shaped, partially submerged volcanic crater that forms a small, uninhabited islet, and it is home to two active volcanoes: Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, and Mauna Loa, the world's most massive shield volcano.  The park features magnificent volcanic landscapes, including the Thurston Lava Tube, which is easily accessible by a one-and-a-half-mile hike through a rainforest, and a 500-year-old lava tube that was carved out by lava exceeding temperatures of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.  In addition, there are many other amazing spots within the park, including the Halemaumau Crater, the Crater Rim Drive, the Kilauea Visitor Center, and 150 miles of hiking trails throughout this gigantic park.  Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has also been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an International Biosphere Reserve.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Wai Ahukini Beach.  Hana Hou Restaurant offers Hawaiian-inspired dishes including loco moco, salads, steaks, burgers, submarine sandwiches, wraps, pizzas, and desserts.  Ka Lae Garden Thai Food is an oceanfront Thai restaurant that serves amazing noodles, Thai curries, soups, salads, rolls, fried rice, pork, beef, and poultry dishes.  South Side Shaka Restaurant & Bar is an American restaurant that serves delicious pancakes, eggs, steaks, burgers, sandwiches, loco moco, laulau, katsu, seafood, pork, and poultry dishes.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Wai Ahukini Beach, the modestly priced Taco Tita is a Mexican restaurant that serves incredible tacos, nachos, taco salads, burritos, pork dishes, and poultry dishes.

If you are looking for a hotel near Wai Ahukini Beach, there are many great nearby options.  If you are looking for an upscale hotel, the 4-Star Colony I at Sea Mountain in Pahala is nine minutes away by car and offers several amenities including an outdoor pool, hot tubs, and a golf course.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-star Sea Mountain which offers many amenities including an outdoor pool, hot tubs, a golf course, tennis courts, and barbecue grill facilities.  Another moderately priced option is the 2-Star Hawaii Island Resort which is situated on an 8-acre macadamia nut orchard and offers many amenities including an outdoor pool with a sun terrace, a meditation pad, a fitness center, a games room, a theatre room, tennis courts, and complimentary tours of the orchard.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Wai Ahukini Beach the modestly priced Kalaekilohana Inn & Retreat offers a few amenities including complimentary breakfast.