7 White Sand Beaches on the Big Island That Will Remind You of Maui
If you’re asking yourself: “Does the Big Island have any white sand beaches”, the answer is YES!
There are several white sand beaches, mostly along the Kona and Kohala coastlines, ranging from expansive stretches to tiny, tucked-away pockets in front of resorts.
I’m listing the 7 white sand beaches that I believe to be the best on the island and will satisfy those looking for Maui-like beaches.
7 Best Big Island White Sand Beaches & Map
1. Hapuna Beach
📍 How to Get Here: There’s a large paid parking lot down off Old Puako Rd.
If you’re staying at the Westin Hapuna Beach Resort you’ll have easy access to this beach by walking a short trail over to the beach parking lot.
Hapuna Beach, the longest white sand beach on the Big Island at 0.5 miles long, is one of the island’s most postcard-worthy spots with its soft, sugar-like sand.
This beach gets busy! Thankfully it’s huge so there’s still plenty of space for everyone.
Hapuna Beach is great for swimming and bodyboarding. Snorkeling is good around the rocky outcrops but only on really calm days.
This is where I saw my first rip current but thankfully I wasn’t in the water when I saw it. 😛
There are covered picnic tables dotting the hillside so you can have lunch off the hot beach.
The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort is next door and there is a short trail from the parking lot if you want to visit the resort. (I don’t recommend clambering through the trees from the beach to get to the trail; speaking from personal experience lol!).
Beach amenities:
- Lifeguards on duty
- Restrooms
- Picnic tables
- Outdoor showers
- Paid parking lot
💁♀️ Tab’s Trip Tip: Before arriving at the beach, grab some hot and fresh malasadas from Manuela’s blue food truck to have as a beach snack!
2. ʻAnaehoʻomalu Beach
📍 How to Get Here: There’s a large free parking lot down Ku’uali’i Pl.
If you’re staying at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort you have direct access to the beach.
ʻAnaehoʻomalu Beach, or A-Bay as the locals call it, stretches approximately 0.25 miles. This wide, white-sand beach—also known as Waikoloa Beach—is famous for its classic palm-lined shore.
It’s a popular spot for both sunbathers and water activities like snorkeling, paddleboarding, and swimming as the bay is pretty protected. Ocean Sports has a hut directly on the beach for all your beach rental needs.
It’s also a prime beach to watch the sunset.
I enjoy taking the scenic path around the adjacent historical fishponds, Kuʻualiʻi and Kahapapa, remnants of ancient Hawaiian aquaculture. Keep an eye out for structural ruins and petroglyphs.
The beach is part of the Waikoloa Beach Resort area, so it’s conveniently close to shopping at Queens Marketplace and King Shops, Waikoloa Petroglyph Field, hotels and condos, and tons of restaurants.
Beach amenities:
- No lifeguards on duty
- Restrooms
- Picnic tables
- Outdoor showers
- Free parking lot
💁♀️ Tab’s Trip Tip: Lava Lava Beach Club is next door for literal toes-in-the-sand dining, however, contrary to most opinions, I was disappointed with the quality of the food and drinks. You’re def just paying for the location imo.
🛥️ Boat Tours That Depart Directly from ʻAnaehoʻomalu Beach
- Catamaran Morning Snorkel w/Lunch – spacious catamaran cruise with snorkeling, dolphin and turtle sightings, seasonal whale watching, and complimentary food and drinks. ✅ Book it here!
- Glass Bottom Boat Cruise – Glass-bottom boat ride with shaded seating, where expert guides share insights into Hawaiian marine life as you view tropical fish, sea turtles, and coral. ✅ Book it here!
- Sunset Catamaran Sail – Watch a magical Hawaiian sunset on an evening catamaran cruise along the scenic Waikoloa and Kohala-Kona coastline, complete with two drink coupons to a fully stocked bar and live onboard commentary. ✅ Book it here!
3. Makalawena Beach
📍 How to Get Here: First you have to get to Kekaha Kai State Park. You’ll need a car rental with high clearance OR you can walk about 1.5 miles from the yellow gate by Hwy 19.
From the free parking lot at Kekaha Kai State Park you’ll hike about a mile over a lava field until you reach Makalawena Beach.
Alternatively, if you’ve rented a Jeep or 4×4 you can drive to Makalawena Beach from the Makalawena Trailhead up the highway a bit more.
Makalawena Beach is a secluded, picturesque beach with amazing soft white sand and turquoise waters and is what I consider to be one of the most tranquil beaches on the island.
However, you have to earn this beach by traversing the rough roads and hiking to the beach!
I love how the isolation of this beach keeps the crowds away (I have only seen one or two other groups there at a time) and really makes you appreciate the beach more.
Makalawena’s clear, shallow waters make it great for swimming and snorkeling on calm days.
Beach Amenities:
- None
💁♀️ Tab’s Trip Tip: Be sure to bring water and food with you because you’ll be out in the elements and nowhere near help.
🛥️ Boat Tour to Makalawena Beach
- Morning Snorkel with Ocean Encounters – See Makalawena Beach without hiking it by taking a 4-hour snorkeling tour, enjoying the sealif along the lava rock outcroppings. ✅ Book it Here!
4. Magic Sands Beach
📍 How to Get Here: There’s a free parking lot directly across the street on Ali’i Dr. Or, alternatively, there is some free street parking.
Magic Sands Beach, also known as White Sands Beach or La’aloa Beach, is a popular destination in Kona located on Ali’i Drive just south of the main shopping strip.
It’s famous for its soft white sand and the fact that the beach’s sands can “magically disappear” overnight during rough surf usually in the winter, giving it the nickname “Magic Sands.”
Strong waves wash the sand away, leaving behind a very rocky shoreline, only to return when the ocean calms down a few months later. The timing can vary depending on the specific weather patterns and ocean conditions each year.
It’s a great spot for swimming, bodyboarding, and snorkeling when the waters are calm, but the waves can get surprisingly huge and powerful, making it a bit hazardous during high surf.
This beach isn’t very big, and it’s convenient for those staying in Kona, so it can get pretty crowded here.
Beach amenities:
- Lifeguards on duty
- Restrooms
- Picnic tables
- Outdoor showers
- Free parking lot across the street
💁♀️ Tab’s Trip Tip: I like to get some poke a couple blocks up the street at Da Poke Shack and bring it here to eat with a beach view!
5. Kua Bay Beach
📍 How to Get Here: There’s a free parking lot with direct beach access down Kua Bay Access Rd off of Hwy 19.
Kua Bay Beach, also known as Manini’owali Beach, is another beach part of the Kekaha Kai State Park. It’s not a huge beach but it has the crystal-clearest water I’ve seen on the island.
The beach offers excellent swimming and bodyboarding, but the waves can get aggressive here so be careful.
The character of the beach can change where some pockets fluctuate on how sandy they are. And like Magic Sands Beach, Kua Bay Beach has been known to lose most of its sand after a stormy surf, though it doesn’t happen as often.
This is also a great beach to keep an eye out for humpback whales during the winter months. I’ve seen them breach pretty close to shore.
Beach amenities:
- Lifeguards on duty
- Restrooms
- Picnic tables
- Outdoor showers
- Free parking lot
💁♀️ Tab’s Trip Tip: Take a quick hike up Pu’u Kuili, a 342ft cinder cone, for a 360 degree view. The trailhead is located just before the sharp right turn on Kua Bay Access Road, heading toward the beach.
6. Mauna Kea Beach
📍 How to Get Here: There’s a gate agent on Mauna Kea Beach Dr off of Hwy 19. If there’s is paid public parking space available, they will let you through or turn you away if it’s full.
If you are staying at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, you will have direct access to the beach.
Mauna Kea Beach, officially known as Kaunaʻoa Beach, is about 0.25 miles long and one of the most “exclusive” white sand beaches on the Big Island.
Located in front of the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, this crescent-shaped beach has nice calm waters due to the protection of the bay.
Public parking is first-come, first-served with a limited number of paid public spaces (about 40), so it’s best to arrive early, like before 8am. The gate attendant will turn you away if it’s full but you can continue to try throughout the day, after other people have left.
💁♀️ Tab’s Trip Tip: If the parking lot is full, you can trek across the Ala Kahakai Trail from the Hapuna Beach parking lot, but it’s about a mile long on a rocky lava trail in the hot sun so prepare appropriately.
Once you’ve paid for parking, the walk to the beach is about 5 minutes along a paved path.
But all the hassle is worth it once your feet first touch the powdery soft sand.
While the hotel has a lot of reserved chairs on the beach, there is still plenty of space for non-hotel guests.
The southern and northern ends of the beach have good snorkeling along the rocky crags.
A beach rental hut, run by the resort, is open for all to rent boogie boards, snorkel gear, paddleboards, and such.
For some beachside dining, enjoy lunch and cocktails at Hau Tree at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel with shaded tables practically on the beach.
In the evenings, you can go to the Manta Ray Point observation deck near the Manta Restaurant at the hotel and watch manta rays swimming near shore.
OR, go snorkel with the manta rays. Manta Ray Advocates will walk you out directly from the beach to swim with the manta rays.
Beach amenities:
- No lifeguards on duty
- Restrooms
- Outdoor showers
- Paid parking lot
📍 Feeling overwhelmed planning your Big Island trip?
Let’s work on it together! ➡️
7. Spencer Beach
📍 How to Get Here: There’s free parking down Spencer Beach Park Rd off of Hwy 270.
Spencer Beach is at the base of the Kohala Peninsula, right next door to Pu’ukohola Heiau National Historic Site.
It’s def a local’s beach, uncrowded during the weekdays.
The water stays shallow pretty far out and the waves are calm, making it great for kids to swim without getting knocked around.
There are a lot of shade trees on the beach, but with that comes a lot of debris in the sand that can hurt your feet (at least it did for me).
Snorkeling quality varies as this water tends to get murky, but you’ll have better luck if you go further out along the rocky points.
There is camping available if you wish to spend the night at the beach. Reservations are required as well as a nominal permit fee.
Beach amenities:
- Lifeguards on duty
- Restrooms
- Picnic tables
- Outdoor showers
- Free parking lot
- BBQ grills
- Camping
- Tennis/Basketball court
💁♀️ Tab’s Trip Tip: If you take the dirt trail south from the parking lot, about 10-15 minutes down is Mau’umae Beach, another white sand beach that’s small and secluded.
More White Sand Beaches on the Big Island
Like I said, there are plenty more white sand beaches on the Big Island not listed here. Some are not as “beachy as Maui”, some are just too small, or in front of resorts that I don’t find worth going out of the way to visit just for the sand.
Then there are also other beaches that border salt and pepper sands (white and black mixed) so it’s just not sugary soft white sand.
Honorable Mentions:
- Waialea Beach (Beach 69)
- Beach at Fairmont Orchid
- Mauna Lani Beach Club
- Kumukea Beach
- Kukio Beach
- Mahai’ula Beach
- Honokohau Beach
- Old Kona Airport Beach
- Kamakahonu Beach
- Honl’s Beach
Of course, you might have a different opinion about which beaches are better. I encourage you to explore and find your favorite and then start exploring the black sand beaches on the island.
Join thousands of other visitors and locals to discover the best things to do on the Big Island!
🌺 New activities posted daily
🌺 Upcoming events not to miss
🌺 Ask questions about your trip
