Honokohau Beach
Kailua-Kona, HI
Honokohau Beach sits inside Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park just north of the harbor, a stretch of sand and tide pools built around ancient Hawaiian fishponds and the remains of the Aiopio fishtrap. Green sea turtles bask on the sand here regularly, and the calm, shallow water inside the fishtrap makes for one of the gentler swims on this coast.
The turtles and the historic fishponds make it a genuinely rich stop, though the lack of shade and the midday heat keep it from being an all day beach hang.
How we score beachesWalk south past the fishtrap toward the anchialine pools known as the Queen's Bath. It's a quieter, freshwater detour most visitors to the main beach skip entirely.
A free National Park Service lot serves the beach off the harbor road and generally has room outside of peak midday hours.
A flat, sandy trail connects the lot to the beach, an easy walk, though it isn't paved the whole way and can be soft underfoot.
Pets are not permitted on the trails or beach within the National Historical Park.
Calm most of the year on this leeward coast, with the clearest water for viewing turtles and fish in summer.
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