Kaunaoa Beach
Waimea, HI
Kaunaoa Beach curls in a perfect white sand crescent below the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, calm enough on most days that the water reads turquoise straight out to the reef line. Locals still call it Mauna Kea Beach after the hotel, and getting there means driving right through the resort's front gate to a small public lot the hotel is required to keep open.
One of the most beautiful beaches on the island by any measure, but the handful of public stalls means locals plan their whole morning around beating the gate crowd.
How we score beachesSign in with the guard at the gate as a beach goer, not a hotel guest, and be patient. Public stalls are limited and go on a first come basis, so a 9am arrival beats an 11am one every time.
A small public lot inside the resort grounds holds a limited number of cars, free but first come, first served, and typically full by mid morning.
A paved walkway leads from the lot through the hotel grounds to the sand, flat and easy, though it's a longer walk than at a standalone beach park.
Summer brings the calmest water for swimming and the best snorkeling visibility, while winter's bigger north swells can bring rougher surf and a stronger shorebreak.
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