Keawaiki Beach
Waikoloa, HI
Keawaiki Beach lies about a mile and a quarter north of Kiholo Bay, a remote black sand cove marked by a single lone palm tree that's become something of a landmark for the handful of hikers who make it this far. Golden algae fills a series of anchialine pools just behind the sand, part of what locals treat as one of the more sacred stretches of this coast.
The solitude and the lone palm tree make it a genuine reward for the effort, but there's no shade, no water, and no easy way to cut the hike short if you change your mind.
How we score beachesBring more water than you think you need. The trail from Kiholo is rough, exposed lava the whole way, with no shade and no services once you leave the highway.
There's no direct lot. Park at the Kiholo Bay pull off along Highway 19 and hike roughly an hour each way along the rough coastal trail.
The trail is loose lava rock and sand the entire way, a genuine hike not suited to strollers, wheelchairs, or anyone without sturdy shoes.
Hot and exposed most of the year, with the walk noticeably more bearable in the cooler early morning hours regardless of season.
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