Manini'owali Beach
Manini'owali Beach
4.5
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- Anna N5 contributionsPicture perfect beachThis beach was what I always dreamed Hawaii beaches would be like. Stunningly beautiful water and large stretches of soft sand. The waves were perfect for boogie boarding and there was great snorkeling along the sides. The only cons are you need to get there early to guarantee a parking spot and there is no shade available so you will need to bring an umbrella.Visited November 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten November 6, 2023
- toriLos Angeles, California52 contributionsBeautifulBeautiful clear water, soft sand. Lifeguards on duty. Some days there are big waves here, some are more chill. Not a ton of space. Parking lot & bathrooms on site. Saw some goats here once. We had to get out of the water one day we went because there was a shark! Rare occasion but you have to stay out of the water for 2 hours until the lifeguards can confirm there are no sharks around. Cool to experience that!Visited October 2023Traveled with friendsWritten November 7, 2023
- SpuranamSan Mateo, California43 contributionsBeautiful beachLovely beach. Has a decent sized sandy portion. Parking is by the sides of the road. Come early or later in the day for closer parking. Good sized waves for boogie boarding and surfing.Visited December 2023Traveled with familyWritten December 30, 2023
- Face_The_ElementsEdmonton, Canada344 contributionsBeautiful waters, very popular!We visited on a Sunday late morning and it was fairly busy. There was not much space for sitting or shade but it was a beautiful beach, with nice sand and swimming area. There was a lifeguard on duty but only on half of beach. Great place to enjoy the beautiful views and soaking up the sun. There was a water fountain, toilets, and showers to rinse off.Visited April 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten April 16, 2024
- KW ConchKearney, Missouri131 contributionsNice beachReally nice beach that has been improved over the past few years. Access and shower area are fairly new. There was a lifeguard on site as the waves were pretty high. If you go early in the morning its not crowded but by 11am or so quite a few people are there and parking is at a premium. Saw some dolphins and a turtle.Visited May 2024Traveled with familyWritten May 17, 2024
- charlottepowell14Corvallis, Montana88 contributionsA Big Island Favorite!Kua bay is incredible!! The water is SO blue and the waves are just perfect. The beach is a bit smaller and the walk from where you park your car can get a bit long but it is worth it! There is really no shade so bring your sunscreen!Visited May 2024Traveled with friendsWritten June 1, 2024
- CADallas, Texas786 contributionsBeautiful viewsIt’s pretty. It was crowded when we were there, so prepare to search for a place to sit. There is sand right up by the water, but most of the area is surrounded by lava rock so you will need to find little areas of sand within the rocks that haven’t already been taken. Traversing up and down the rocks, you will need to step aside to let others pass if going the opposite direction. Wear good shoes. Once we found a spot and got settled, it was relaxing. The water was too chilly for us, so we hung out a few hours then went on our way. The water is clear blue and the view is beautiful.Visited March 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten June 24, 2024
- AngelKailua-Kona, Hawaii38 contributionsKua Bay from a local.l live in Hawaii and Kua Bay is one of my favorite beaches. There are some snorkeling spots where you can see lots of fish and sometimes turtles. the waves are very good for boogy boarding especially in the winter. there are basically no rocks in the water too, so it is a very good beach to swim at. the path down to the beach is rocky so I would not recommend to elderly people.Visited July 2024Traveled with familyWritten July 26, 2024
- Naomi PBroken Arrow, Oklahoma19 contributionsKua turquoise adventureMy husband and I went two times on our recent trip and stayed for morning hours. We parked along the road that leads to the upper area. Go early to get a place to park- any place. The afternoon sees the tide rise and part of the available beach disappears due to that rise. We happen to see the naturalist out watching a mother Hawaiian seal. It was magical and part of beach roped off to protect the 400 pound animal. Water is turquoise and clear. Be careful of landing on rocks in the water. I was stung once by sea urchin. Always bring a safety kit- and a way to dig out urchin spines from your foot. Other than that enjoy—— bring food or a snack, water, beach towel - and an umbrella. If you have them- beach chairs are handy.Visited August 2024Traveled with familyWritten September 1, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,439 reviews
Excellent
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Very good
294
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40
Poor
9
Terrible
2
Zionlyon
Silverthorne, CO37 contributions
Mar 2020
We were there in March which is apparently not a good time due to the rough surf and powerful waves. We staked out a small space on the limited sand and had people practically stepping on our toes to pass as it was so crowded. Body surfing & boogie boarding tough due to watching out for the all the people, then I sustained an injury when I got thrown on my shoulder and will likely need surgery. This was our first trip to the Big Island, guess we are just accustomed to the uncrowded beachs of South Maui, good thing we went there on the first leg of our trip.
Written April 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris W
Budapest, Hungary539 contributions
Apr 2022 • Family
Great beach, white sand, good facilities. Hot tip, go as early in the day as possible to avoid the crowds and get a park close to the beach. We got there around 930am and by the time we left at midday, the beach was absolutely packed (too full). @cwenzel_
Written April 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
hhclemrn
Navarre, FL300 contributions
Apr 2022 • Family
This is a beautiful, clean beach with clear water, great waves for body surfing and boogie boarding, and plenty of sand for sunning. Bathrooms are clean. The park now has a shower area for rinsing off salt water. Snorkeling is ok here off to the protected edges. Waves can get crazy, so know your limits. Visibility not the greatest. Occasionally see a sea turtle and a few fish. This is the only beach we visit every single time we go to the Big Island. We went 3 times this visit if that gives readers an idea of how much we love it and recommend it.
Written April 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
pfefmeister
San Francisco, CA4,373 contributions
Feb 2021 • Couples
Dropping down into this bay from the Highway presents you with a picture perfect turquoise cove. Nice parking lot, restrooms and remarkable sand. Exposed to the surf, not the best for snorkeling, better for boogie boarding and a quick dip. Windy the day we visited, will definitely go back and spend another day
Written February 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fred L
San Jose, CA1,425 contributions
Jul 2021
My family and I were on vacation in the Waikoloa Beach Resort area in July and we went to Kua Bay Beach which was a short drive away. We arrived ~2pm and got there just as someone was leaving a spot close to the bathrooms. We were relieved because there were cars parked what seemed to be half a mile away along the road to the beach. There are some stairs and some rocks you need to navigate to get to the beach. The sand was soft and white. The water was unbelievably warm and clear . It was almost like being in a heated pool. The beach was not overly crowded as it seemed like there was a constant stream of people coming and going. The waves oscillated between gentle and strong and it was great for boogie boarding. Our girls (6 & 8) enjoyed playing in the water and looking out for schools of small silver fish that would swim by from time to time near the shoreline. There were some strong winds that hit the beach from time to time that would send people scrambling for their umbrellas. There were a good number of showers and a bathroom. This is one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen and one of our family’s favorites during our Kona stay.
Written August 17, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
subzi
12 contributions
Jul 2021 • Couples
I loved this beach so much that I made my husband come back here before our trip was over. Soft, white sand, crystal clear water, beautiful blue hues, in contrast with the black lava rocks make this the most beautiful beach Ive ever been to in my life (so far!). Parking could be better, but we came during weekdays at around 8:30 AM and both times could park fairly easily. There were already some people, but we easily found a secluded area to just relax. There is no shade like others have mentioned, so bring a beach umbrella if you can, or if you come on a oartly cloudy day that helps too. I know Hapuna Beach is top rated, but in my eyes Kua Bay should be up there!
Written July 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chandra S
Texas356 contributions
Mar 2023 • Family
Our family of five from Texas and Oklahoma visited Oahu and the Big Island for Spring Break! After a day of touring the island and visiting one of the National Park sites we took our grandsons to Manini’owali Beach to play for a little while. The beach has a lot of lava rock and some sand (not a sand beach). The waves were very big coming in so we did not let the boys get in the water much, but they loved playing in a little cove between lava rocks! They met several new friends while there! We were treated with the most spectacular sunset, the Best one of our entire trip!! Absolutely gorgeous!! We did see a couple whale while we were at the beach!! There were working bathrooms at this beach! Would definitely recommend this beach for the views and scenery, not so much as a beach if you have little ones with you!!
Written March 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dave D
Anchorage, AK11 contributions
Jan 2023 • Couples
Easy to get to, parking is limited, but people are always leaving so it’s not terrible if you arrive a little late. The right side of the bay fills up fast and generally gets pretty crowded. The left side is awesome, better views and piece and quiet. We went six times out of twenty-one days and it was always the same, no one on the left side. Some of the best coral and shelling on the island as well. Very defined finger corals, no lava rock attached so you don’t have to worry for Pele’s curse. Walk a little bit further to the left on the lava field and there are many small tide pools to explore.
Written January 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tori
Los Angeles, CA52 contributions
Oct 2023 • Friends
Beautiful clear water, soft sand. Lifeguards on duty. Some days there are big waves here, some are more chill. Not a ton of space. Parking lot & bathrooms on site. Saw some goats here once. We had to get out of the water one day we went because there was a shark! Rare occasion but you have to stay out of the water for 2 hours until the lifeguards can confirm there are no sharks around. Cool to experience that!
Written November 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PattyL
hTown, United States4 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
Great time when you can find a nice crevice corner to hang in. Excellent waves and great vibes from visitors here everyone has a whale of a time, there are showers at the entrance, its a few minutes trek through rocky terrace to get to seashore and have to navigate carefully, maybe buy beach footies if you have leg issues which I did from a long flight.
Bring a paddle board for enhanced experience
Bring a paddle board for enhanced experience
Written March 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Do you have to walk across rocks to get to sand?
Canyon contact uber from there?
Written August 2, 2024
well in the beginning from there is a parking lot too a path by the showers then you can pick to ways, one way has a set of stairs but the beach is very rocky and smaller then the other side. the other side it starts out a little rocky then gets more rocky on that path there is a drop but you could go around that to some more rocks and get down that way. on that side at the beach it is not rocky in the water and on most of the dry land the waves are usually bigger over there, that part of the beach is bigger, there are some good spots for snorkeling too. when I go to Kua Bay I go on that side.
Written August 8, 2024
We are returning February 2020. Last February, form wiped out the second beach. Do you have any pictures that show how in looked this month? It is our favourite beach
Written January 5, 2020
Hi KenoraDiva,
We live on the Big Island and spend time at Kua Bay frequently throughout the year. I am sorry but I don't have pics from February specifically but I can tell you that although there is far less sand in February and March than in Summer and Fall, there is still plenty to make this place special.
Written January 6, 2020
Is this beach ok for small children ? Also are there any shops around or places to purchase food and bev?
Written January 30, 2019
There are no shops at the beach. There is toilets and showers but that is it. Not many beaches in Kona have vendors.
Written February 8, 2019
1)Is there any place to eat at this beach? Or somewhere close?
2)Are there taxis parked at this beach to return to my cruise ship in the afternoon? Or is Uber my only way?
Written November 21, 2018
How lomg does it take from the cruise port to this beach?
Written October 21, 2018
It's only about 13 miles north of the cruise port but the traffic is usually heavy - especially going back south towards the ships. Seems like there is always construction. Depending on the time of day I'd allow 25 minutes going north and if it's rush hour 45 minutes going south. Have fun! Mark
Written October 21, 2018
Yes- absolutely-beware of sea urchin clusters on nearby rock outcroppings- I would wear surf shoes. Enjoy!!
Written October 21, 2018
Caleb H
Atlanta, Georgia
The cruise we will be taking stops in Kona. What would be the most reliable source of transportation to this beach from the ship? Thanks!
Written October 17, 2018
Probably Uber. Don’t rent a scooter to go to Kua Bay. From a local.
Written October 18, 2018
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