snorkeling beaches near hotels kohala coast

[yellowfish]

OK, headed to Kona area of Big Island. Yes, of course going to do Manta Dive. But for times not diving, and family members who only snorkel, here's the question. Which hotel in Kohala area has GREAT snorkeling out in front or a quick walk away? Some people have said Kona Village (very expensive) or Mauna Lani. Any feedback? Thank you.

 

[S0ckm0nk3y]

OK, headed to Kona area of Big Island. Yes, of course going to do Manta Dive. But for times not diving, and family members who only snorkel, here's the question. Which hotel in Kohala area has GREAT snorkeling out in front or a quick walk away? Some people have said Kona Village (very expensive) or Mauna Lani. Any feedback? Thank you.

Only two hotels, Hapuna Prince and Mauna Kea, up here are on sandy beaches. The Hilton and Marriot in Waikoloa are more affordable and family friendly but really aren't beach hotels. If you want to stay on the Kohala coast and not spend a ton I suggest checking out vrbo.com and getting a condo in Waikoloa. Stop off at costco in Kona and load up on groceries. There is a beach you can drive to within Waikoloa called Anaeho'omalu Bay. The snorkeling isn't bad there. It's a nice beach.

The nice thing about any hotel is that you can access their beaches without having to stay there. I suggest two places... for snorkeling... but they're both expensive to stay at.

First is Holoholokai Beach Park at the Mauna Lani for snorkeling. Not much a sandy beach but a nice place to hang out. If it is calm (like in the AM) the snorkeling is pretty good.

The other is my favorite beach on the island at the Mauna Kea hotel. If you get there early enough drive up to the gate and ask for a beach pass. The beach is sandy and usually very calm. On the left (south) side of the little bay is excellent snorkeling. Continue south around the point along the coast for as long as you can stand to swim for interesting lava structure and lots of fishies.

If you're down in Kona you can check out Kahalu'u Park (known as the snorkel park) for easy family snorkeling.

Hope this helps.

-Eric

 

[vanisleboy]

Makaiwa Bay, just south of the Mauna Lani Resort has some of the best snorkeling in the area. The resort has a beach club just above the sand where you can have lunch and refreshments. It is a short walk past the fish ponds. The beach is gated, so public access is a bit of a walk if you are not staying at the resort, or in one of the condos in the area which has access to the beach. The hotel's restaurant, The Canoe Club, is excellent! Make sure you make reservations for sunset at a view table, still scoring point with the wife on that one..... VRBO.com is a good place to look for other accommodations in the area. We stayed at a condo in the Villages at Mauna Lani and would not hesitate to stay there again. Cheers!

 

[yellowfish]

Thanks for the info. Are the condos part of the Mauna Lani resort too? And if you are staying at the resort, how long a walk is it to snorkel at Makaiwa Bay? Lots of fish? Turtles?

 

[vanisleboy]

The beach is about .5km from the resort as the the crow flys. Check it out in google earth. I believe that beach access is via the Mauna Lani Resort Association, seperate entity from the hotel. So check with the condo owner before booking. If staying in one of the condos you'll probably want to drive to the beach so make sure you get a gate pass. The big Island is well.... Big. you'll want a car anyway. There's lots to see on the reef. There is a turtle cleaning station there and lots of fish. My 9 year old saw an eagle ray last time we were there, and the whales are just off shore. Cheers!