Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area
Kailua-Kona, HI
Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area repurposed the decommissioned runway into a long grassy park fronting Pawai Bay, where the shoreline is all lava rock and tide pools rather than sand. Confident snorkelers and divers head for Garden Eel Cove at the north end, a marine conservation district with some of the healthiest reef near Kona town.
The snorkeling at Garden Eel Cove is genuinely excellent, but the rocky shoreline and lack of real sand keep it from being a casual beach day.
How we score beachesSkip the middle of the park and walk to the north end for Garden Eel Cove. That's where the real snorkeling is, not the tide pools closer to the entrance.
A large free lot serves the park off Kuakini Highway and rarely fills, given the size of the old runway grounds.
A flat, paved path runs the length of the old runway to the shoreline, easy walking, though entry into the water itself is over rock, not sand.
Summer's calmer water gives the clearest visibility for snorkeling Garden Eel Cove, while winter surf can make the rocky entry more hazardous.
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