Anaehoomalu Beach(Anaeho'omalu Beach)

Located on the western side of the Big Island on the Kohala Coast, Anaehoomalu Beach - also known as Anaehoomalu Bay Beach, Anaehoomalu Beach Park, and A-Bay - is a long and wide crescent-shaped beach with white sand.  This beach is positioned near the western edge of an upscale hotel named the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa along the shores of Anaehoomalu Bay.  It has a beautiful backdrop of a large grove of coconut palm trees and many oceanfront buildings, including opulent hotels, restaurants, and motels along the shores of Anaehoomalu Bay, which together provide Instagram-worthy views, especially during sunset.  In addition, the beach is home to two ancient Hawaiian fishponds, Ku’uali’i and Kahapapa, which are located right behind the beach, where swimming and fishing are restricted.  There are many informational plaques present near the beach that offer interesting insights into Hawaiian history.

Anaehoomalu Beach does not have lifeguards but offers many other amenities, including restrooms, showers, changing rooms, picnic areas, water fountains, a beach equipment rental facility, and a nearby restaurant.

Anaehoomalu Beach is a family-friendly beach that offers many fun activities, including sunbathing, swimming, stand-up paddleboarding, hydrocycling, snorkeling, kayaking, boating, canoeing, windsurfing, kite surfing, scuba diving, hiking, and tide pooling.  If you are planning to go into the water, it is a naturally sheltered bay, making it a perfect spot for swimming.  It is crucial to note that the water near the southern part of the beach is often murky, which makes the underwater visibility poor, so we recommend being cautious.  Anaehoomalu Beach snorkeling and scuba diving is one of the most popular activities among visitors, where you can explore coral reefs and a variety of colorful fish, including triggerfish, yellow tang, needlefish, pufferfish, blue parrotfish, yellow trumpet, and sea turtles, especially near the northern edge of the beach. 

For Anaehoomalu Beach rentals, there is a kiosk present right on the beach, where you can find a great variety of beach toys and larger equipment like paddle boards, kayaks, canoes, and hydro bikes.  In addition, visitors can also book daily catamaran cruises, outrigger canoe rides, and guided tours here.  Hikers can explore the nearby hiking trail, which leads to a historical park featuring rock shelters, petroglyphs (rock carvings), and other ancient artifacts.  If you like tide-pooling, tide pools are present near the beach and can be explored during low tide.   Anaehoomalu Beach welcomes dogs on a leash, and the beach is open from sunrise until sunset.

Anaehoomalu Beach does not offer an access path for people with disabilities.

Getting to Anaehoomalu Beach is easy - the beach has a free parking lot located at 69-275 Waikoloa Drive that provides easy access to the beach.  It is worth noting that Anaehoomalu Beach Parking is just south of the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort.

The name of the beach, "Anaehoomalu," means "restricted mullet" in the Hawaiian language.  It is a reference to two ancient Hawaiian fishponds, Ku’uali’i and Kahapapa, that are situated directly behind the beach.  Originally, local fishermen maintained these ponds where they used to raise mullets and other small fish, which the Hawaiian royalty exclusively used.  Unfortunately, in March 2011, a tsunami wave devastated Anaehoomalu Beach and the surrounding area, slicing Anaeho'omalu Bay in two pieces and destroying the wall of the ancient Ku'uali'i Fishpond.

There are many attractions near Anaehoomalu Beach.  Puakō Petroglyph Park is an archaeological preserve with over 3000 ancient petroglyphs (carvings in lava rocks), dating back to 1200 A.D.  It features carvings of humans, canoes, and turtles, which are thought to be records of births and other significant events in the lives of the people who once lived on the island of Hawaii.   Dolphin Quest Hawaii has a 4-acre saltwater lagoon filled with filtered seawater that offers amazing interactive encounters and experiences with dolphins.  In addition, it also has a learning center that hosts many educational programs, camps, and classes on marine animals for kids of all ages throughout the year.  Pololu Valley Lookout has an observation area that offers Instagram-worthy views of Pololu Valley and sea cliffs that crumble into the Pacific Ocean.  The lookout offers several fun activities including hiking trails (Pololu Trail and Awini Trail) and a black sand beach.   Kuemanu Heiau is a popular Hawaiian temple located on the shores of Kahaluu Bay, where Hawaiians go to pray for good surf conditions and to observe surfers offshore.  This popular surfing spot was reserved for the Ali'i, or Hawaiian royalty, and also had a freshwater pond where it is believed that the Ali’i would bathe or wash off after surfing.  If you are looking for another nearby attraction, Hulihee Palace was a former summer house for Hawaiian royalty built with lava rocks.  This 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.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants on Anaehoomalu Beach. Lava Lava Beach Club is positioned right on the beach, with outdoor seating and live music performances during the evenings.  It serves delicious soups, salads, shrimp, nachos, tacos, burgers, steaks, and Hawaiian-inspired seafood.  Roy’s Waikoloa Bar & Grill is an upscale restaurant that offers amazing Hawaiian-inspired dishes, including salads, steaks, chops, and seafood.  A-Bay’s Island Grill is a beachfront restaurant that offers amazing salads, tortillas, sandwiches, steaks, loco moco, burgers, and seafood.  Waikoloa Shrimp Co. serves delicious shrimp, steaks, seafood, meat, poultry dishes, and desserts.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby restaurant, Foster’s Kitchen Waikoloa serves shrimp, bruschetta, salads, burgers, sandwiches, pasta, flatbread pizzas, poultry dishes, steaks, chops, tacos, and desserts.

If you are looking for a hotel near Anaehoomalu Beach, there are many great nearby options.  If you are looking for an upscale hotel, the 5-Star Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection is ten 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.  In addition, it also offers complimentary cultural activities, including hula dancing and lei-making classes.   A more affordable hotel is the 4-Star Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, which is present right on the beach and offers many amenities including an outdoor pool, hot tubs, a spa, a fitness center, a golf course, and several restaurants.  Another moderately priced option is the 4-Star Marriott’s Waikoloa Ocean Club, which has many amenities, including an outdoor pool, a hot tub, a spa, a fitness center, and a restaurant.  A more reasonably priced option is the 3-Star The Bay Club, a Hilton Grand Vacation Club, which offers many amenities including a fitness center, tennis courts, two outdoor pools, hot tubs, a golf course, and picnic areas with a barbecue grill facility.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby hotel, the 3-Star Hilton Grand Vacations Club Kings’ Land Waikoloa offers many amenities including an outdoor pool, a fitness room, table tennis and arcade games, a gift shop, a convenience store, and a restaurant.