Insider tips for great beachfront lodging in/near Kona?

[frontiernurse]

Aloha Hawaii!

I am hoping to come dive in Kona (I think with Wanna Dive) in early September, solo trip. I've spent hours scouring your board (yes justleesa... I read all your posts! Thanks! And nice profile pic!), tripadvisor, VRBO (or whatever that acronym is) but still not finding my ideal place to stay.

My ideal lodging would be on the ocean, with access to a swimmable/snorkelable beach, that is not too too far from Honokohau Harbor as I plan to dive from there at least 5-6 days and 1 night or more. Not crazy about a long drive to the dock. Don't care that much about nightlife or restaurants or fancy. Would rather something beautiful/natural/quiet. But am willing to compromise.

Maybe its just the photos... but most of the condos/vacation rentals I've seen look, well, like the retiree complex my parents stay at in Florida. Please don't take offense! I really like my parents' little retirement condo place! Just not what I'm looking for.

Any super secret insider hushhush tips? Thanks!!

 

[spoolin01]

Honokohau is off by itself - the closest you can stay on the shore is about 5 miles away to the south, and there are lots of places 5-10 miles away. Not many of them will have true sand beaches, but there are lots of rental places near at least a couple, Kahaluu Beach Park, and Magic Sands Beach, which are the best ones I can think of. There are also some tiny ones here and there. With the bare exception of Kahaluu, it's somewhat generous to call them beaches even- it's sand with enough lava rock that you have to step gingerly. If instead you go 25-35 miles north of Honokohau, you can stay at the resort complexes that were created out on the lava wasteland. It's windier up there, but there are some well known nice beaches. It's pretty much resorts or nothing in that area.

From downtown Kailua going south along Alii Blvd (Kahaluu is 5 miles south), there are dozens of condo developments and a stretch of beachfront houses as you approach Kahaluu - with lots of rentals. Most of them are on the lava shoreline, but the snorkeling and diving is decent nonetheless. Prices range from budget to rock star. Kahaluu is the best beach, with a cove half protected by a man-made breakwater, and lots of tame fish in the 'lagoon', and turtles. It's also a popular beach, with bathroom, showers, and lifeguard. Friends stayed at a nice spot across the street (I think this one, hard to tell from the pics, looks like it's expanded Beach Villas at Kahaluu - Beach Villas Photos, Images & Videos | Aloha Condos). The top floor suite right on Alii drive was pretty nice inside and with great view. The Keauhou Outrigger is also right next door to the Beach Park, and I've heard it's decent.

I stay at a nice condo place closer to town, on the water - the more you pay the closer to the water - and almost all the units have some ocean view. It's known affectionately as the Wrinkle Ranch - not completely unfairly. It's not super kid-friendly, but that appeals to some. Good snorkeling and diving right out front, semi-protected entry that works when the seas are calm. 1 and 2 bedroom units mostly, 3 floors. PM me if you'd like the info.

 

[diversteve]

We're staying in the Magic Sands Beach area this July. The reason they call it "Magic" is because it washes out during the winter. But during the summer it's supposed to be a nice sandy beach - our rental house owner assures us it's there all summer - IDK if that includes September. It may be a little rougher as there's different levels of boogie boarding done there but we thought the rocks to the north looked interesting enough to possibly snorkel. As witnessed by these photos - the overhead shot is in the summer. White Sands Beach Park, Big Island

Originally our plan was to stay in condos, we've since rented a house. Since I bookmarked the links - hth:

In the overhead shot:

The building immediately to the north of Magic Sands Beach is Kona Magic Sands condos - oceanfront, studos/1BR. In addition to MS Beach, Pahoehoe Beach park is just north of the complex - it's all rocks though. VRBO® is Vacation Rentals By Owner

The two (there's 3) buildings across the street from the beach are White Sands Village condos. They may all be 2BR. It's also a bigger complex. VRBO® is Vacation Rentals By Owner

Just north of it is a small 8 unit older complex - Kona White Sands. Only two units appear to be rentals. It's the small white building just north of White Sands Village.
Kona White Sands Condos Vacation Rental - VRBO 208399 - 0 BR Kailua-Kona Condo in HI, Beach Condo at Kona White Sands
Kona White Sands Condos Vacation Rental - VRBO 93895 - 1 BR Kailua-Kona Condo in HI, Steps Away from Famous Magic Sands Beach!

If you move the panorama in the WSB park link above all the way to the right you can see both Kona White Sands and White Sands Village in the shot.

If you solo dive the Mile Marker 4 dive site is 50 yds. south of Magic Sands Beach. Our house owner said there's a tiny spot of sand there that she likes because it's usuallly uninhabited. I think it's same place as the entry shot in the MM4 dive siite listing. Scuba Shore Diving Site Page for: Mile Marker 4 of The Big Island, Hawaiian Islands

Here's a link to Kahuluu Beach Park. My niece and friend are planning to snorkel with the turtles there. Kahaluu Beach Park, Big Island

For planning exposure protection - this measuring site is somewhere near Waikoloa north of Kona.
Kawaihae Hawaii Island Sea Temperature

[user]friscuba[/user] here is Wanna Dive's owner. They're our backup diveop, we liked Kona Diving Co. better after talking to them.

 

[frontiernurse]

These are great tips... Thank you!!

 

[Maine Diver]

Diversteve,

You will LOVE Kona Diving. I did 16 dives with them at Christmas last year. Their love of the ocean and service is the best I have experienced. I was allowed the freedon to dive my own profile. Kerry and her team are great. Don't miss the manta dive if you haven't done it. If you have a chance, do the long range day. I just can't say enough good things about them.

We were able to enjoy Magic Sands in December.

 

[farrahfig]

Hello. I'm going to be in Kona 9/2-9/9. Its a solo dive adventure. I'm a 34 yr old professional gal. I'll probably burn SPG points at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay. Jack's Dive Locker has been pretty well recommended but looks like one of those Aqua Safari cattle boats, so I'm going to look into these dive op suggestions. Thanks everyone. Frontier Nurse, if you are interested in trying to get on the same boat or make some shore dives together, let's see if it can be arranged.

 

[Tunaman68]

Wanna Dive will take very good care of you!

Compared to the other islands, it was our experience that true sand beaches are a little scarce on Kona - the best one we found is about 40 minutes north of Kona up at Hapuna Bay. Also there is some great shore diving up north at Puako.

Magic Sands is a very small beach with some nice sand (if it is there), but was very crowded in the water as it was the only place you could play in the waves without getting ground on the lava.

Have Fun!

 

[frontiernurse]

Quick follow up here... stayed at Kona Tiki Hotel and dove with Kona Dive Company. Hotel was great! Amazing location, very unpretentious, practically IN the water, lovely proprietors, and a great deal. I did 15 dives with Kona Dive company in 6 days and did my Advanced open water cert... and I never wanted to surface. They were fabulous, boat was comfy, averaged ~7-11 divers with 2 divemasters/guides per outing. Very knowledgable staff and captains, knocked themselves out finding great experiences for us, saw pelagic mantas (not just on night dive), dolphins (baby ones too!!), menacing tiger shark, white tip sharks in caves, lovely swim-through caves and lava tubes, spanish dancers, nudibranches (sp?), eagle rays, turtles, moray eels, every kind of fish you can spell with the same 13 letters in different orders (it's a Hawaii thing), surreal field of garden eels, arches, schooling barracuda... on our deep dive we played vollyball with an egg yolk at 110 feet (surprisingly fun)... and more. I learned a lot from them while having the time of my life.

Oh yeah, and just down the road was "snorkel beach" (next beach after magic sands)... you stick your face in 12 inches of water and there are 5 turtles right there. You actually need to make an effort not to touch them or bump them.

Now, lets never speak of this again. Seriously. Shhhhh!