10 Best Beaches in Hawaii, Big Island! | Plus tips to get to the green sand beach

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Күн бұрын

After many trips to the Big Island, Hawaii from our home on Maui, we found our favorite 10 Big Island beaches. Here are the best beaches on the Big Island, Hawaii plus info on getting to the famous green sand beach.
Need to see how to fit these beaches into your Hawaii itinerary? Check out our 6-day Island of Hawaii (Big Island) itinerary that includes a video guide for the itinerary.
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Our favorite Big Island tour operators (some are partnerships, some are not, all of them we love):
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Snorkeling? Here are our 5 favorite Hawaii snorkel spots:
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10 Best Big Island Beaches (clockwise starting from Kona Airport):
00:00 Introduction
02:03 Manini’owali Beach at Kua Bay
02:41 Kikaua Point Park
03:16 Pau’oa Bay at the Fairmont Orchid
03:33 Hapuna Beach
04:36 Spencer Beach Park
05:40 Pololu Beach, black sand but dangerous for swimming
06:57 Richardson Ocean Park (Hilo)
07:35 Punalu’u black sand beach
08:12 Magic Sands Beach Park (Kailua-Kona)
08:39 Papakōlea green sand beach
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Пікірлер: 54

@smithaz1981 3 жыл бұрын

I left my mom's ashes at green sand beach just two days ago. We're on the big island currently. Love the channel.

@TheHawaiiVacationGuide 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing. Green Beach is a lovely place to spread her ashes. Have a good trip on Hawai'i!

@ChrisHollindale 3 жыл бұрын

So many good ones on the big island! Makalawena is super hard to get to, but is literally my favorite beach of all time - absolutely stunning place and super quiet as well

@ryanthompson4166 3 жыл бұрын

Makalawena is my favorite as well!

@TheHawaiiVacationGuide 3 жыл бұрын

It's a great beach but yes, didn't make the list due to the hot hike across the lava. But worth it for those who like the adventure. Also a quick drive from Kailua-Kona. Thanks for sharing the beach recommendation!!

@chrisaddison4691 3 жыл бұрын

No problem guy’s this kind of stuff always happens, another great job as alway 👍🇨🇦😎❤️. Keep up the good work

@ryanthompson4166 3 жыл бұрын

After living on Hawaii for 2 years and exploring so many beaches, Makalawena is by far me and my wife's favorite beach. A little bit of a trek in (and over old lava fields, so not the easiest terrain) but so worth it. We camped nearby once (in a legal area- no camping is allowed on the beach itself) and had the beach all to ourselves for a few hours the next morning before hikers started trickling in. It was magical. Check it out! Other favorites are Waialea beach (Beach 69)- love all the shade and little nooks- and Kaunaʻoa Beach (Mauna Kea Beach), though parking is very limited there.

@TheHawaiiVacationGuide 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing! We love those beaches too. Beach 69 made it into our favorite snorkeling spots video. It seems the Big Island has the most camping opportunities compared to the other islands.

@TheHawaiiVacationGuide 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! Have a great trip to the Big Island. See how to fit these beaches into your vacation with our Wayfinder Itinerary: thehawaiivacationguide.com/bigisland

@grottorabbit 3 жыл бұрын

What software are you using?

@TheHawaiiVacationGuide 3 жыл бұрын

I am now using Adobe Premiere Pro. Far better than iMovie that I used for over a year but iMovie makes wonderful videos.

@grottorabbit 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the Information!👍

@alexestes4587 3 жыл бұрын

Just got back from 2 weeks in Hawaii 5 days on the big island, your itineraries were wicked helpful I purchased all 3! The jet lag is killer right now though with the 6 hour difference!

@TheHawaiiVacationGuide 3 жыл бұрын

That is the best thing I heard all day! We added your comment to our testimonials page! So glad you had great vacation to Hawaii. Come back soon.

@MikeCanuck 3 жыл бұрын

Thank-you for yet another excellent video! I always thought the Big Island would be the last on my list of islands to travel to, but this video may have bumped it up. Those beaches looked amazing, and the lack of Oahu crowds is very appealing to me. I really thought that intro showing you running into the water at the different colour beaches was nicely done!

@TheHawaiiVacationGuide 3 жыл бұрын

Mahalo Mike! Yeah, the Big Island is a nice surprise for a lot of folks. It is a wonderful place to visit and very different than the other islands.

@vanessagarner1928 3 жыл бұрын

I love the magic sand beach I took my kids they're ready to love it but my all-time favorite would be the green Beach

@jeffreyjones1721 2 жыл бұрын

We've been to a few of these. Punalu'u and Hapuna were great. The ones you have here that we went to were all great. Another one we really enjoyed, but it takes a bit to get to is Honomolino Bay south of Miloli'i. Very private and beautiful black sand beach with great snorkeling.

@jessicasantellanes8287 3 жыл бұрын

Two of my favorites that should have made the list is Mauna Kea beach and Beach 69. Waikoloa beach is good too.

@TheHawaiiVacationGuide 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing! Those are great ones.

@cjcab3158 2 жыл бұрын

I made it to a couple of them but missed out on the green sand beach this time around. It's ok though more motivation to come back sooner!

@TheHawaiiVacationGuide 2 жыл бұрын

Exactly, always more to see! the earthquake today was offshore from the green sand beach. Must be the new volcano out there growing!

@evesc6923 3 жыл бұрын

Love your channel and all your videos. Can you tell me what’s your favorite reef safe sunscreen?

@TheHawaiiVacationGuide 3 жыл бұрын

thanks for watching! We like Blue Lizard, you can get a link to it here and see 21 other reef-safe sunscreens including Hawaii made sunscreens: thehawaiivacationguide.com/hawaii-reef-safe-sunscreens/

@sediehl 3 жыл бұрын

Hey! This is a great video sharing some really wonderful beaches and practical info about them. As a fellow traveler, I'd like to ask you to consider doing a little extra homework so you can ensure you are in fact saying the beach names properly instead of having to say "I hope I'm saying that right." It's a small way to pay respects to the native peoples of the land and their language. Appreciate your consideration as well as all the travel info.

@JoseRhodeIsland 3 жыл бұрын

love the videos you guys post! Cant thank you enough as I have used your vids to help plan my trip to Maui this August. question about the beaches on Maui: I plan on bringing a sun canopy on the beach, not sure if these are uncommon/common or even legal at the beaches there? any info would be greatly appreciated.

@TheHawaiiVacationGuide 3 жыл бұрын

They are common. A lot of locals use them.

@peterwest2078 2 жыл бұрын

I would consider adding you can take a truck ride at Green Sand beach that will literally take you on this safari-like ride, right up to the beach. They give you up to an hour to enjoy the beach before heading back in. Definitely worth the $20 a person and added to the adventure. Obviously, do this at your own risk, but we loved it and it beats hiking the 2.5 miles each way during the hot summer months.

@TheHawaiiVacationGuide 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing! We recommend walking the trail as they have made truck rides illegal due to erosion issues they are now experiencing. It isn't an easy hike so come prepared!

@aligalahan 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for another great video. I recommend however you should emphasize in winter most Kohala beaches or west coast of big island have big and dangerous surf and not possible to swim or snorkel. We were at hapuna yesterday and good luck to get into water if you can. We were spoiled in good sea conditions in Maui in winter. Big island disappointed really so far in winter.

@TheHawaiiVacationGuide 2 жыл бұрын

You are dead on with that recommendation. We do a better job in our newer video on discussing seasonality. Maui does spoil us with good conditions all year long, for the most part. Winter brings high surf to western Hawaii. Thanks for sharing your experience!

@KenCozine Жыл бұрын

I tell visitors to avoid the Green Sand Beach as it's a long hot hike. Mau'umae is a nice one that's a short hike from Spencer Beach. Mauna Kea is nice but has limited parking. There's a nice trail from Hapuna to Mauna Kea. I hang out at the Aiopio fish trap. It's a mix of sand and rocks but shallow and protected so good for small kids. Good snorkeling there if you go beyond the wall. Kua Bay is good in the summer, too rough in the winter. I go to Anae'ho'omalu once a week. It's nice but not great. Good for swimmers and paddlers though. Easy close parking there.

@TheHawaiiVacationGuide Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing all the tips Ken! Mauna Kea is hard to get in as they close the public parking. We got there at 8am and it was full. Reddit is full of comments calling BS. We also now don't recommend Green Sand Beach as the hike is the only legal and environmentally friendly way to visit.

@KenCozine Жыл бұрын

@@TheHawaiiVacationGuide The Mauna Kea beach parking lot is frequently full. Sometimes if you go in the late afternoon people are leaving and you may get in then.

@Tomsushi 3 жыл бұрын

Great video, i'm planning a trip to the big island, do y'all prefer staying north of Kona airport or south are there any particular benefits to either?

@Tomsushi 3 жыл бұрын

I forgot to add I love the 4k quality!

@TheHawaiiVacationGuide 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment! We are coming out with a where to stay video later this month. you can get info in our free Big Island guide here: thehawaiivacationguide.com/hawaii-big-island-travel-guide/ Kohala Coast is higher end hotels and more of a resort vacation. Stay in Kona for more night life, greener landscape, and more value hotels. You can get great hotels in both locations but a larger selection near Kailua-Kona.

@vanessagarner1928 3 жыл бұрын

You can also pay the locals to drive you down at the Green Sand Beach $20 per person cash only

@sssjjjttt 3 жыл бұрын

Surprised Mauna Kea Beach didn't make it onto the list! It's the less crowded Hapuna but with less parking to go along with that.

@TheHawaiiVacationGuide 3 жыл бұрын

it was a fight to decide on the top ten for us. Mauna Kea is a great one! thanks for sharing

@syrakazmi7374 3 жыл бұрын

We would like to visit Hawaii this year but are not so sure if we should go or wait until next year when things are little more calm. Please reply and share your opinion. Thank you so much🙏

@TheHawaiiVacationGuide 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment. Hard to know if 2022 will be calmer. If you’re worried about going then hold off till travel restrictions are lifted. You will probably have a better time going and easier planning.

@syrakazmi7374 3 жыл бұрын

@@TheHawaiiVacationGuide thank you so much for a fast reply!

@Vesparado 2 жыл бұрын

Is there another green sand beach in the USA? I thought there were 4 in the world. One here on the BI and the other 3 are in Guam, Galapagos, and Norway.

@yosemitelovestories580 Жыл бұрын

What month did you file Hapuna Beach??

@coreyadam6667 3 жыл бұрын

Looking into the 4 seasons at Wailea In October. Do you think a rental car is necessary? Or is there enough around the resort to stay busy for a 5 night trip? Thanks!

@kendraruiz2863 2 жыл бұрын

Makalawena hands down best beach on the Bi

@TheHawaiiVacationGuide 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing!

@Theman26642 Жыл бұрын

No mention of Kaunaʻoa beach?!

@TheHawaiiVacationGuide Жыл бұрын

It is a wonderful beach. Too bad it is hard to get access because the lot fills up, or at least that is what the resort says. I heard a good way to visit is to take an Uber, Lyft, or taxi as security can't stop you if you aren't parking at the public beach access lot.

@Michael-vg5tl 4 ай бұрын

Big Island is less crowded than Kaui’i?

@TheHawaiiVacationGuide 4 ай бұрын

It feels that way to us due to its size. It gets more visitors than Kaua’i.

@rebekahmidistar256 3 жыл бұрын

surprised you'll didn't go to Waipio or one of the newest black sand beaches.

@TheHawaiiVacationGuide 3 жыл бұрын

We went to Waipio Lookout on that trip but didn't make the hike down due to time. Same with the other black sand beaches, ran out of time on this last trip as harder to reach.