Jaunted

Kekaha Kai Beach Park
A posted sign warned of “Unimproved Road Ahead,” but we plowed our rental sedan over potholes and large rocks to reach the parking lot of this beach. Kekaha Kai sits only a few miles from the Kona Airport, so if you really need a beach fix on the way to your hotel, this is a great option.

The less than pleasant road plus a decent walk from the parking lot keeps the crowds small. If you get sick of the paradise that the main beach offers, Mahaiula Beach is just to the north, although we weren't too fond of the rocky bottom there.

Punalu'u Beach Park
Most of the best beaches are located on the Kona side of the island. After all, this is the side with the most sun and driest weather. However, the Punalu'u Black Sand Beach was one of our favorites. It's near Pahala, on the Big Island's southeastern shore, making it a great stop on the way to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Though it looked quite harsh, the black sand felt nice underfoot. The beach is also famous for being a local turtle hangout; unfortunately, we didn't see any critters while we were there. The water here is pretty chilly, as there's a spring just off shore; it's still well worth the stop.

Hapuna Beach State Park
This beach has to be at least half a mile long and was one of the largest that we saw while in Hawaii. The water was bright blue and the sand was golden: This was the beach we had pictured in our mind while "enjoying" an eight-hour flight from Houston. The waves were calm, and no matter how far out we went visibility was perfect.

There's a slight rock formation in the middle of the water, so just watch out for that. If you've brought your snorkel gear, you can swim right through it.

Related Stories:
· Kekaha Kai Beach Park [Official Site]
· Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area [Official Site]
· Punalu'u Beach Park [KonaWeb]
· Big Island Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of Hapuna Beach: kjb]