The Hilton Waikoloa Village is an amazing property with multiple pools, but it does not have direct beach access and sometimes, you just need a little salt water. Luckily, just down the road is Hapuna Beach. Hapuna Beach boasts turquoise waters and sparkling white sand. It’s paradise.
We were advised to arrive early, especially since we visited on a Saturday. The parking lot still had plenty of spaces at 9am and we only had to pay a five dollar state park entrance fee. A bargain.
Growing up in California, I’m used to packing coolers and bringing a lot of gear for a beach day. We went basic, just borrowing towels from our hotel and bringing a tote bag with a few snacks/sodas. We were worried about too much sun exposure, when in reality we could have spent the entire day at Hapuna Beach.
I read that Hapuna Beach can get quite rough, but we only experienced gentle waves and warm waters. Hapuna Beach was one of the loveliest beaches that I have ever experienced and it is a must-do, if you are visiting the Kona Coast.
The beach is very clean, including the bathrooms, which of course is the most important thing to note! A beach with clean bathrooms is a unicorn!
We did discover a rather alarming notice as we left the beach. Luckily we saw it after our visit, otherwise we might have been scared off from enjoying the beach.
We went to the nearby snack shack so that the kids could try their very first shave ice. For the uninitiated, shave ice ( not shaved, grammarians need to let this one slide) is an enormous pile of finely shaved ice that is covered with the liquid flavorings of your choosing. I always pick watermelon, guava, and pineapple for a perfect tropical blend. It’s the ideal treat on a baking hot day and we all got to admire our colorful tongues.
After Hapuna Beach, we ate lunch at the nearby Seafood bar.
Unlike the beautiful views that we experienced at Hapuna Beach, the Seafood Bar was a bit of a dive, located in an industrial area. We ate on the open air deck and here was our view.
That said, the food and service were great. The kids ordered grilled cheese sandwiches, Dan had a seafood stew, and I ate fried rice.
i’m not sure if these tiki guys were decorations or the cups for some tropical cocktails, I’m guessing the latter. When visiting the islands, never turn down the opportunity for an umbrella drink!
