Skip to content
Primary Logo
Drive from hotel 11.5 mi
Beach Day
Access Hard
Kekaha State Park
Kona | Beach
Mahai'ula Beach

Scenic and secluded white sand beach

Time from Hotel 30 min. drive + 5 min. walk

Mahai’ula is a part of the Kekaha Kai State Park, which comes from the Hawaiian phrase ke kaha kai, or the shore line. These are arguably our favorite beaches due to their spectacular beauty, proximity to Kona, and rough drive in that keeps large crowds away. Mahai’ula Beach is a nice balance between the most accessible (Kua Bay) and the least (Makalawena Beach). You’ll have a rough drive in over a half finished road through a lava field that will leave you feeling like you’re adventuring through Mars. After reaching the small parking lot at the trail head, walk about 5 minutes through the lava field and reach Mahai’ula’s white sand bay backed by shady trees that make this feel like a movie-worthy remote island. In our experience, Mahui’ula is about enjoying a great beach day and taking swims in its amazing surroundings, but it’s not the best for snorkeling or surfing.

person carrying surfboard and backpack walking on dried lava

palm trees
dried lava

person carrying surfboard and backpack walking on dried lava

palm trees
dried lava

person carrying surfboard and backpack walking on dried lava

palm trees
dried lava

spinner