www.Kona123.com The 123 list for a Big Island visit Your Visitor Friendly People & Places
Waialea Bay (aka Beach 69)
Page [1] [2]
Waialea Bay, aka Beach 69 (see the next page for the source of the nickname), is a great beach to go to if you like shade and a snorkel. The water is generally calm and clear, and in many spots the bottom is sandy off the shore. This beach is very popular curso de SQL para iniciantes with residents, so aim to visit "69's" during the less-crowded weekdays.
This beach is only a little off the "beaten path," but overall it is pretty accessible. You can get there via one of two ways:
#1 - Turn onto Puako Beach Dr. from the Highway, and Right onto Old Puako Rd. After a short drive, the parking lot for Waialea Bay will be on your Left.
#2 - Turn off the highway onto the road to Hapuna Beach State Park. Keep going straight, past the Hapuna parking lot, on the access road (see the red arrow below). You will pass a couple gravel / dirt turn-offs before seeing the paved turn-off to the parking lot for Waialea Bay on your Right.
The access road (shown here coming from Hapuna) takes a couple of minutes to drive. This is a narrow, winding road with limited visibility around curves and over hill tops. Be sure to travel at a safe, moderate speed. Also watch out for pedestrians and bikers who occasionally use the road, especially from the Puako side.
The paved turnoff to the lot from the access road
There are a limited number of "pavement" parking stalls, but parking on the dirt / gravel is common
A path leads from the parking lot down past the restroom / shower area and to the beach
There are some picnic tables and a concrete area by the bathroom to park your stuff while you shower, use the bathrooms, put sunblock on the kids, etc.
Last part of path to beach
As you come out of the path...
As you come out of the path, you can go right or left. The path comes out closer to the right / North end of the beach, so you will generally find more space if you head left. The best part of the beach for swimming is to the right, but both ends are great points to enter the water. The bottom is generally sandy or pebbly, making access easy. There is some good snorkeling and the bay is more sheltered than the waters off of nearby Hapuna.
***** The North Part of Waialea Bay / Beach 69 *****
The area of the beach to the right / North: This is probably the best all around swimming area.
This end of the beach is the first to get crowded, especially on weekends.
***** The "Middle" Part of Waialea Bay / Beach 69 *****
Heading left from the entry, the middle of the beach has the most shade. There are one or two trees with picnic tables under them, but most people bring along beach chairs and sit closer to the water.
At low tide, many spots right by the water have shade.
***** The South Part of Waialea Bay / Beach 69 *****
After passing several shady areas along the middle, the beach opens up to the sun at the South end, and there is also some decent swimming.
Click Here for More Pictures & Info on Waialea Bay / Beach 69
Directions: Take highway 19 north out of Kona, past Waikaloa Resort Area. There are Two ways to get to Beach 69: (1) Turn left onto Puako Road; then turn right on Old Puako Road. After a short drive, the parking lot will be on your left. (2 - Alternate Route) Turn left at Hapuna Beach State Park. Follow the access road past the park; after a short drive you will see the parking lot entrance on your right.