Anaehoomalu Bay
Waikoloa, HI
Anaehoomalu Bay sits inside the Waikoloa Beach Resort on the Kohala Coast, a half mile of white sand backed by two ancient Hawaiian fishponds still stocked with mullet. The water stays calm most days, good for beginner swimmers and paddleboarders, and a beach shack rents snorkel gear and kayaks right at the sand.
The calm water and the fishponds make it a genuine local favorite for an easy swim day, though the resort setting and beach concession crowd it more than a true local's beach.
How we score beachesWalk the short path behind the beach to the fishponds before you leave. Locals call it A-Bay, and the ponds are as much a part of the place as the sand.
A free public lot off Waikoloa Beach Drive serves the bay and fills by mid morning on weekends and holidays.
A paved path leads from the lot straight to the sand, flat the whole way, with restrooms and showers at the beach.
The Kohala Coast stays dry and sunny most of the year, with the calmest water for swimming and paddling from late spring through summer. Winter can bring a bit more wind and occasional short showers, though nothing like the wet side of the island.
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