49 Black Sand Beach — Attraction in Hawaii

Ended up being our favorite beach in the area! We were able to walk here from the Hilton Waikoloa Village - around 20 mins over lava rock - which was well worth it for the black sands, warm waters, and great swimming.

The beach has a pretty intense drop off right at the waveline so it can be kinda tricky to actually get in or out of the water. It’s small lava rocks, they all seemed smooth but I wore water shoes to prevent cuts. Gets deep really quick, which is why I loved it for swimming.

Snorkeling was the best part of this beach! The first time we went, the surf was high and we literally couldn’t see our feet below us. 2nd time we went it was so much better- it was crazy how good snorkeling was. It’s mainly off to the left side of the beach, where there’s rocks jutting out of the water. Tons of fish, big corals, and not crowded so it was perfect. Visibility still could have been better BUT for there being a large swell this week, we were super happy to see the visibility improvised.

Yes the sand is hot but some of these reviews are super dramatic. I walked on the sand barefoot just fine in...

Public beach in a gated community with limited parking. Gate opens at 7:00am, we arrived at 8:35 and all the spots were filled. Luckily most people only spend 45 min-1 hr here so we drove over to the Foodland shopping center to have breakfast and were able to get in just before 10am. The cove was beautiful with the clearest water. Snorkelling was fantastic, we saw reef sharks, eels, tons of beautiful fish and I've heard sometimes there are turtles. Warning: the sand is SO HOT and you really need closed toed shoes to get to the shoreline comfortably and an umbrella to spend more than a short time. With umbrellas, chairs, towels, and lots of sunscreen you could easily spend a full day. Otherwise just plan on one snorkel. Another warning: rocky shoreline with lots of urchins just off the shore so good water shoes also...

Had fun at this beach. It's in a gated community: we drove up to the guard house, and someone inside opened the gate and gave us a card to put on our dashboard, which entitled us to free parking in a small lot. There was a basic public bathroom that we used to change into our bathing suits, and an outdoor shower. Nothing to buy here. The beach is hot coarse black sand and lacks significant shade, so a mat and an umbrella would be useful if you are staying a while. As a tender-footed visitor from the Eastern USA, I will say you also need water shoes (sand is hot, many shells and rocks), and the currents are way stronger than what I am used to (even in this seemingly sheltered cove on the leeward side of the island). Hold your children close, no lifeguards here. The water was wonderfully warm and clean and the...