For classic white sand, Hapuna Beach. For something no other Hawaiian island has, Punalu’u’s black sand and the turtles that come with it. For the easiest good snorkeling, Kahalu’u Beach Park. They’re on three different coasts, so pick based on where you’re actually staying rather than chasing all three in one day.
The Big Island is the one Hawaiian island where “which beach” genuinely depends on “which side” — it’s larger than the other main islands combined, and its beaches split across four distinct coastlines that don’t feel like the same state, let alone the same island. This is the deep-dive on the beaches, plus the stays and the handful of things worth booking beyond the sand, for whoever’s landing here after already deciding the Big Island is the right pick.
The beaches, by coast
Kohala Coast (west, dry side) — the resort beaches
This is the stretch most people picture when they picture a Big Island beach vacation, and it earns it.
- Hapuna Beach — half a mile of wide white sand, consistently ranked among the best beaches in the US. Full facilities (restrooms, showers, picnic pavilions), a state park entrance fee applies, and it gets genuinely busy by mid-morning.
- Kaunaʻoa Beach (Mauna Kea Beach) — the beach in front of the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, calmer and more sheltered than Hapuna, with good snorkeling along the rocks at either end.
- Anaehoʻomalu Bay (“A-Bay”) — a long, easy beach backed by fishponds and palms, good swimming and paddleboarding, and one of the more photogenic sunsets on this coast.
Hapuna and Kaunaʻoa both charge for parking and can fill their lots by mid-morning on weekends and holidays — go early, or plan to walk in from a nearby hotel if you’re staying on this coast.
Kona side (west, near town) — easiest access, best snorkeling
- Kahalu’u Beach Park — shallow, protected by a breakwater, and one of the most reliable places in the state to snorkel with sea turtles close to shore. No hike, no boat, just walk in — which is exactly why it’s the easiest good snorkeling on the island.
- Magic Sands (La’aloa Beach) — small, right in town, popular with bodyboarders when the surf’s up.
- Makalawena — the trade-off pick: pristine white sand and turquoise water, genuinely uncrowded, but it takes a walk of roughly 20 minutes across a lava field to reach, with no facilities once you’re there.
Don’t attempt Makalawena in flip-flops or without water — the lava-field approach is real, shade is minimal, and there’s nothing to buy once you arrive. It rewards the effort, but it is effort.
South Kona / Kaʻū (south) — the one beach that’s genuinely different
- Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach — jet-black sand from lava, and one of the most reliable places on the island to see green sea turtles hauled out on the beach. Currents can be strong, so this is a look-and-photograph beach for most visitors more than a long-swim one.
- Papakōlea (Green Sand Beach) — genuinely one of only a few green sand beaches on Earth, colored by olivine crystals. Getting there means a few miles of exposed, rough coastal walking (or a rough truck ride locals sometimes offer for a fee) from the nearest parking — a real undertaking, not a quick stop.
Hilo / Puna side (east, wet side) — least beach-focused, most scenery
The wet side isn’t really a beach-first coast — expect black sand and tide pools more than swimming beaches — but Richardson Ocean Park is a solid exception, with tide pools, decent snorkeling, and a black sand shoreline right in Hilo.
Where to stay
- Kohala Coast — the splurge choice, and where the classic Big Island resort experience actually lives. The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and Mauna Lani are the two names that keep coming up for good reason: beachfront, full resort amenities, and the Kohala Coast’s best beaches on the doorstep.
- Kona town — the more affordable, more walkable base. Fewer beachfront resorts, but real restaurants, shops, and the airport within easy reach, at a fraction of Kohala’s rates.
- Hilo side — worth it only if the volcano and the wetter, greener landscape matter more to your trip than beach time; it’s a genuinely different, quieter base than either west-side option.
Luau worth going to
- Island Breeze Luau — oceanfront at the Courtyard King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel, right in Kona town, which makes it the easiest one to get to if you’re not staying on the Kohala Coast.
- Mauna Kea Resort Luau — a more traditional, less pan-Polynesian-showcase version, held at the resort of the same name.
A luau is a genuinely fun night, but it’s not a must-do the way Volcanoes National Park is — treat it as an optional splurge evening rather than something to build the whole trip’s schedule around.
Beyond the beach
- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park — the one inland day that’s genuinely unmissable, regardless of which coast you’re staying on. Budget the better part of a day, more if you want to hike into the caldera area.
- Mauna Kea stargazing — the altitude and distance from light pollution make this some of the best stargazing accessible in the US. The visitor center partway up the mountain runs evening stargazing programs; summit access has its own rules and isn’t for everyone.
- Kona coffee farm tours — a good half-day if you’re already based on the west side; several working farms around Holualoa and South Kona run tastings and tours.
Heads up: some links below are affiliate links. If you book through one, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only link to places and tours I'd actually send my own family to — if something's not worth it, I'll tell you.
Compare Big Island hotel rates →Placeholder link — swap for a real, approved affiliate program before this page goes live.This is one piece of a bigger Best Hawaiian Island to Visit guide, if you're still deciding where to go.
Questions people ask
What are the best beaches on the Big Island?
Hapuna Beach for the classic wide white-sand pick, Spencer Beach Park if you want the same coast with a calmer, more protected cove for kids, and Punalu'u if you want the one beach that's genuinely unlike anywhere else in the state — black sand and resident green sea turtles. All three are on different coasts, so which one's 'best' really depends on where you're already staying.
What is the best hotel on the Big Island?
For a splurge stay, the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and Mauna Lani both sit on the Kohala Coast in front of genuinely excellent beaches — this is the classic Big Island resort experience. For a more affordable base, Kona town has far more mid-range options within walking distance of restaurants, at a fraction of the Kohala resort rates.
Is there a good luau on the Big Island?
Yes — the Island Breeze Luau at the Courtyard King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel is an oceanfront option in Kona town itself, and the Mauna Kea Resort's luau leans more traditional. Both are worth it if a luau is on your list at all; neither is a must-do if it isn't.
What are the best things to do on the Big Island beyond the beach?
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is the one genuinely unmissable inland day, and stargazing near the Mauna Kea summit is one of the best in the world for it — the altitude and lack of light pollution are hard to match anywhere else in the US. A Kona coffee farm tour is a good half-day if you're on the west side already.
Where is the best snorkeling on the Big Island?
Kahalu'u Beach Park, on the Kona side, is the easiest good snorkeling on the island — shallow, protected, and famous for turtle sightings close to shore. It's also one of the few spots where you don't need a boat or a long drive to get real snorkeling.
Where should I stay on the Big Island?
Kohala Coast if the resort-and-beach experience is the point and budget allows; Kona town for a cheaper, more walkable base with easy access to restaurants and the airport; Hilo side only if volcano access and a rainier, greener landscape matter more to you than beach time.
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