Kamakahonu Beach
Kailua-Kona, HI
Kamakahonu Beach is a small crescent of sand right beside the Kailua Pier, where King Kamehameha kept his royal compound and the water stays about as calm as the ocean gets on this coast. Outrigger canoes launch from here most mornings, and it doubles as the swim start for the Ironman World Championship every October.
The calm water and the history are genuinely worth a visit, but downtown parking and the crowds off the cruise ships make it feel more like a tourist stop than a local hangout.
How we score beachesCome early on a weekday morning to watch the canoe clubs paddle out. It's one of the more authentic slices of local life left in a downtown that's otherwise built for tourists.
Metered street parking and a nearby public lot serve the pier area, tight and competitive in downtown Kailua-Kona at almost any hour.
A flat, paved walkway connects the pier area to the sand, an easy, short walk with no stairs.
The bay stays calm nearly year round thanks to the pier's shelter, making it one of the more consistently swimmable spots in downtown Kona regardless of season.
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