Hookena Beach Park
Honaunau, HI
Hookena Beach Park stretches along a gray sand shoreline in South Kona, quiet enough most weekdays that it feels like a much smaller island than the Big Island actually is. Spinner dolphins show up in the bay often enough that regulars barely mention it anymore, and a small snack shack sometimes sets up near the pavilion on weekends.
A genuinely relaxed local beach with regular dolphin visits, though the drive down the narrow access road and limited facilities keep it from feeling like a big, developed park.
How we score beachesCamp overnight if you can swing the permit. Waking up to the bay before the day visitors arrive is worth the paperwork.
A gravel and paved lot serves the park at the end of Hookena Beach Road and generally has room outside of weekends and holidays.
A short, flat walk from the lot leads straight to the sand, an easy trip for most visitors, with restrooms and pavilions on site.
Hookena Beach Park allows leashed dogs, the same as most Hawaii County beach parks.
Calmer summer water is best for swimming and snorkeling, while winter can bring a stronger shorebreak and occasional heavier rain to this side of Kona.
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