Most Kohala beaches are bright, open, and shadeless. Waialea, the beach people call Beach 69 after the number 69 utility pole at the lot, is the exception: trees grow right down to the white sand, and the whole bay is a protected Marine Life Conservation District. That mix of shade and protected reef is the draw.
Come for the snorkeling, with the best reefs on the southern side of the bay, and for a quieter, shadier stretch of sand than Hāpuna next door. Two things to know before you go: there is no lifeguard, and the white sand washes out in winter surf, so summer is when the beach is at its widest.
Waialea Beach sits off the main path, between the Waikoloa resorts and Hāpuna beach
Snorkeling and diving at Beach 69
Because Waialea Bay is a Marine Life Conservation District, taking fish or coral here is off limits, and the reef shows it. The bay was designated an MLCD in 1985 and holds a dense mix of marine life, which makes it one of the better snorkel and dive spots in South Kohala.
The best reefs are on the southern side of the bay, with more coral around the large rocks rising out of the water and near the rocky point on the north side of the beach. It is an easy spot for both snorkeling and SCUBA.
Humpback whales often pass outside the bay during winter.
Ala Kahakai Trail
The Ala Kahakai trail crosses Waialea beach, a moderate coastal route that follows old fishermen’s paths and Hawaiian Kingdom roads. The trail reaches long stretches of undeveloped shoreline and a string of anchialine ponds, the brackish tidal pools found along this coast.
The local South Kohala segment, from Kawaihae to ʻAnaehoʻomalu Bay, runs 15.4 miles point to point along the coast, and Waialea sits on this stretch. Find out more about the Ala Kahakai trail at the Hawaiʻi state park website.
Directions to Waialea Beach
The easiest way to reach Waialea beach from Kona is to take highway 19 north about 23 miles past the Waikoloa resorts. Turn left on the exit after you pass the resorts, onto Puakō Beach Drive. You have gone too far and need to turn around if you see the exit to Hāpuna Beach.
Once you are on Puakō Beach Drive, take the first right onto the Old Puakō Road. Read the numbers on the telephone poles and turn left between poles 69 and 70 (about half a mile).
Paid parking is available near the beach. The non-resident state-park fee is $10 per vehicle plus $5 per person. There are showers and restrooms by the lot, but no lifeguard on duty.
Turn onto Puakō Road from Hwy 19, then turn right onto the Old Puakō Road. After about half a mile you reach the parking lot on your left. Image credit: Bing maps
Waialea is one of several good Big Island beaches along this coast. Read more about beaches in South Kohala on our website.