Kaimu Beach Park — Attraction in Hawaii

I had a few hours to kill before I was due to arrive at my assignment, so I looked for something interesting to see. I found Kaimu Beach Park, and I am happy that I did.

First, it feels like you're going into the middle of nowhere or a neighborhood. It kind of is a dead end road with a small neighborhood in it, so drive slowly. There is a sign asking for 5MPH, so please respect the locals.

Next, plan to arrive early before others so that there is ample parking. I arrived at about 7:30 AM and there was plenty of parking (I was the only one there). Stop at the store across the street from the trail to pick up water for your walk because it can get hot on the lava.

Finally, ENJOY the walk out to the beach. It's about a quarter-mile from the road to the beach and the trail is pretty well marked with red/brown dirt. I did not stroll outside of the designated path to be respectful. The lava beds are gorgeous. Miles of hardened molten rock surround the area and make for fantastic photo ops. Baby palms line the path and surrounding areas, and there are new ones being planted quite often it appears. The path continues and eventually turns into black sand before arriving at the water's edge.

Once you arrive at the beach, you'll be in further awe. It is more beautiful than a photo can capture. The water on the black sand is simply amazing. Keep in mind there a lot of little rocks leading to the sand, so watch your step.

You will need some decent shoes. Slippers will not cut it because the lava rock is hard on the feet/ankles, as are the rocks lining the beach. I wore dress shoes because that's what I had for work and it was fine for the most part. Just something with a decent sole and support will do.

This is definitely one of the most beautiful beaches I've observed in Hawaii, and I plan to return on...

We loved this hidden gem because it was cool to learn that this beach was born around the time that we were, in the early 90s. We arrived around 9am and it was pretty empty here, we only ran into a couple of other people during our 2 hours exploring the area. There is a parking lot where you can leave your car and take the short walk to the ocean. It's not a spot where you can lay out and relax like you would at a typical beach. We really enjoyed walking around seeing the breathtaking views and taking photos. Definitely cool walking on the black used to be lava.

After we were done, we headed over to the little market that was right by the parking lot and got a smoothie (super refreshing and worth it!)

Check out my IG @linhtvo for the pictures we...

We had time to spend and we decided to go to Kalapana to attempt to see the new lava coming out. This beach was a short drive from there. The waves were strong, you could hear it carry the pebbles back to the ocean. I wouldn't suggest to swim there unless you're a great swimmer. I like watching the waves crashing into the shore. Listening to the waves was hypnotic. Not a lot of people go there so you can have a thought to yourself if you want. You're walking on dried lava so you're seeing new earth. We also saw a whale in...