25 minutes from Kona Airport, Hawaii’s Kohala Coast packs in lava, history and perfect water

Waikoloa’s dark lava meets turquoise water

Black lava stretches for miles along Hawaii’s Big Island before it hits the sea.

Waikoloa sits right on that edge, about 25 minutes north of Kona International Airport on the Kohala Coast, the driest and sunniest strip of shoreline in the state. Warm weather holds here almost every day of the year.

The contrast hits you the moment you arrive, dark volcanic rock running straight into bright turquoise water. Don’t confuse Waikoloa with Waikoloa Village, a residential community seven miles inland.

The coast is where you want to be.

Walk the same trail Hawaiian chiefs used for centuries

Ancient Hawaiians settled this coastline for good reason. Sheltered bays and rich fishing grounds kept communities fed for generations.

The trails they built still cut through the landscape today.

One of them, the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail, runs 175 miles along the coast and was established in 2000 to preserve the route.

A stretch called the King’s Trail passes through Waikoloa, where travelers once needed permission to cross the boundary between the Kohala and Kona kingdoms.

You can walk the same path that those chiefs and commoners walked.

Green sea turtles sun themselves at A-Bay

Anaeho’omalu Bay, or A-Bay to locals, curves in a crescent of white sand with calm water almost every day of the year.

The name translates roughly to “protected mullet,” a nod to the centuries-old fish farming that happened here. A natural reef breaks the wave energy before it reaches shore, so the swimming stays gentle.

Green sea turtles show up regularly, sunning on the sand or gliding through the shallows.

A walking trail follows the coastline from the beach toward the resorts, passing tide pools and shaded rest spots along the way.

Runners once carried fresh fish to King Kamehameha

Two ancient fishponds sit directly behind A-Bay’s beach, lined with coconut palms. Ku’uali’i and Kahapapa date back centuries.

Ancient Hawaiians built small channels between the ocean and the ponds, using slatted gates to let small fish in while keeping larger ones trapped inside.

The ponds supplied fish to royalty, and swift runners carried the catch along the coastal trail to King Kamehameha in Kailua-Kona. Fish still swim in the brackish water today.

Interpretive signs along the walking path explain how the whole system worked.

Thousands of rock carvings date back to 1000 AD

The Waikoloa Petroglyph Preserve holds thousands of carvings cut into lava rock, called ki’i pohaku in Hawaiian, meaning “images in stone.”

They date from about 1000 to 1800 AD and show people, animals, canoes and symbols that scholars still can’t fully decode. A 0.9-mile out-and-back trail takes about 20 minutes to walk through the field.

The preserve sits near a resort golf course, but it remains one of the best-preserved petroglyph sites in Hawaii. Stay on marked trails, skip touching the carvings and wear sturdy shoes on the rough lava.

Over 3,000 carvings fill Puako’s 223-acre preserve

A short drive north brings you to the Puako Petroglyph Archaeological Preserve, 223 acres on the National Register of Historic Places.

More than 3,000 ancient carvings make it one of the largest petroglyph fields in the Pacific.

The 1.5-mile round-trip Malama Trail winds through a kiawe forest to a fenced viewing area where the originals are protected. Replica petroglyphs near the trailhead let you touch and examine the designs up close.

The carvings show humans, canoe paddlers, turtles, dogs and spiritual symbols dating to around 1200 AD.

Landlocked lava pools rise and fall with the tides

The Waikoloa Anchialine Pond Preservation Area protects a series of brackish-water pools sitting in solid lava with no visible connection to the ocean.

Yet the water rises and falls with the tides, fed by underground channels running through porous rock. Tiny red ‘opae’ula shrimp live here, a species found only in Hawaii, along with small fish and mollusks.

The University of Hawaii maintains the ponds for research.

You can walk a short, free trail to see them, and keep your eyes open for the endangered nene, Hawaii’s state bird, feeding nearby.

Hapuna Beach runs half a mile of white sand

Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area sits a short drive north of Waikoloa and holds the largest white sand beach on the Big Island.

The half-mile stretch of sand has landed on the “Dr. Beach” rankings as one of America’s best beaches multiple times. Lifeguards are on duty, and the conditions are right for swimming, bodyboarding and sunbathing.

From December through April, you can sometimes spot humpback whales from shore.

Picnic areas and shaded pavilions are available, but the potable water system is currently shut down, so bring your own.

A 19th-century lava flow created the only black sand beach

49 Black Sand Beach at Honuka’ope Bay is the lone black sand beach on the Kohala Coast.

A 19th-century lava flow from Mauna Loa ground down into dark sand over time, and the contrast against the coast’s white beaches hits hard.

The small, sheltered cove stays calm enough for snorkeling most days, with clear views of coral and tropical fish below the surface. Green sea turtles sometimes rest on the warm, dark sand.

Access runs through a gated community with limited parking passes, so get there early.

Seven ancient fishponds still raise milkfish today

Kalahuipua’a Historic Park, inside the Mauna Lani resort grounds, preserves seven ancient fishponds that still work.

They’re among the few functioning fishponds left in Hawaii, and they still hold awa, or Hawaiian milkfish, just like they did centuries ago.

A 1.7-mile loop trail takes you past lava tube shelters used by Hawaiians from roughly 1200 to 1700 AD, petroglyphs and the ponds themselves.

The trail ends at Makaiwa Bay, a small protected beach. The park is free and open 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

A critically endangered forest grows back on 275 acres

The Waikoloa Dry Forest Preserve covers 275 acres of remnant lowland dry forest, one of Hawaii’s most threatened ecosystems. Ancient wiliwili trees and the critically endangered uhiuhi grow here.

The Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative, a nonprofit formed in 2011 after community stewardship started in 2003, leads the restoration work and has planted about 35 different native species.

Free guided hikes run on occasion, and volunteer days happen on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. All ages and skill levels are welcome.

Spot humpback whales from a temple built by Kamehameha I

Dry skies and low light pollution make the Kohala Coast one of the best spots on the Big Island for stargazing. Clear nights give you sharp views of planets and stars.

During winter and spring, roughly December through April, humpback whales migrate through these waters.

Hapuna Beach and Pu’ukohola Heiau National Historic Site, about 12 miles north of Waikoloa, give you prime vantage points from shore. Pu’ukohola Heiau means “Temple on the Hill of the Whale.”

Kamehameha I built it between 1790 and 1791, and the National Park Service manages it today.

Explore Waikoloa’s Kohala Coast in Hawaii

You can reach Waikoloa by driving about 25 minutes north of Kona International Airport on Highway 19. A rental car is essential since attractions are spread across several miles of coastline.

A-Bay has free parking off Waikoloa Beach Drive with restrooms and showers. The Waikoloa Petroglyph Preserve is free from the King’s Shops parking area.

Hapuna Beach charges $5 per person and $10 for vehicle parking for non-residents, while Hawaii residents enter free with a valid ID.

The anchialine ponds sit along Waikoloa Beach Drive between the resorts on a free self-guided trail.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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