Hawaii has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.  Everyone that comes to Hawaii wants to get some “beach time” to read a favorite book, walk along the shore, or work on a tan…  Below are some things to consider to find that perfect beach while on your Hawaii vacation.

Waves influence how much fun a beach is. The most fun and accessible ocean sport is boogie boarding, and as such we judge a beach that normally has active surf by its ability to produce the ideal boogie boarding wave.  In contrast, the most fun and accessible ocean activity is snorkeling. A location that aims to please as a snorkeling spot must have little surf, clear water, and plenty of fish.  The ideal wave is about 3 ft high, breaking perhaps 20-30 yards from the beach in waist high water. This size is challenging and exciting for those who are comfortable in the water, but not overwhelming. After the wave breaks, less experienced swimmers can still catch the white water without fear of being tumbled.
With Hawaii’s reputation as a surfing destination, some may be disappointed by what the ocean offers for non surfers, with waves often being too big or too small for boogie boarding. At many locations, the beach slopes into the ocean rather quickly, resulting in a wave that breaks on top of the beach instead of in the water. Reefs or neighboring islands also deflate wave energy, with trade winds further deforming the waves.

The typical Hawaiian beach has semi-coarse golden brown sand and is flanked by large lava rock formations where colorful tropical fish congregate. The water transitions from a dark blue to a ‘greenish blue’ near the shore. The water is rarely crystal clear as kicked up sand, ocean debris (plankton, coral bits etc.) and sediments from streams reduce visibility. The beach and sand are clean and well maintained, and free of sand flees (no-see-ums) and other annoying critters. A light fragrant breeze blows over calm ocean waters in the morning. In the afternoon the trade winds pick up, turning the ocean choppy with small waves. If it’s a weekday the beach comfortably accommodates all its patrons with ample amounts of play room.

Fine, soft sand is nicer to walk and play on than coarse sand, and also better for construction projects like sand castles. Rocks or other debris greatly reduce the quality as running and playing are not possible. Light colored sand is visually more appealing in our opinion, although it produces more blinding glare than dark sand.  White, black, and even green sand beaches abound along the Big Island’s 266-mile coastline.

Check out some of the most popular spots below:

Kauna‘oa Beach at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel
Hapuna Beach (popular for walking and body boarding)
Anaeho‘omalu Beach (known as “A-Bay,” great for windsurfing and kitesurfing)
Ka‘upulehu Beach at the Four Seasons Resort
White Sands Beach Park, near the Keauhou Resort (also known as “Magic Sands” because the beach can quickly disappear during high-surf months only to return in the spring)
Kahalu‘u Beach Park (Kona’s most popular snorkeling beach)
Punalu‘u Beach Park (a well-known black sand beach)
Mackenzie State Park in Pahoa (nearby, there’s a lava-lined pool heated to 95 degrees by a volcanic stream)
Coconut Island Park, near the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel (a local favorite for fishing and swimming)
Laupahoehoe Point Park (created by a lava flow from Mauna Kea,its large grassy area is a good place to camp)
Waipi‘o Valley’s Black Sand Beach (accessible only with four-wheel drive or on foot from the overlook

Some people enjoy visiting the beach to people watch, sun tan, and check out the latest beach fashions. Indeed, you’ll see people sporting everything from Brazillian bikinis to snazzy one piece swimsuits.   However, a major consideration is how much room there is to walk and play. Can you fly a kite, play Frisbee, build forts, put up a volleyball net, or go for a long walk or jog? Bigger beaches offer more possibilities and as such are more desirable.  Most of Hawaii’s beaches are not crowded during week days and offer plenty of room to play, both on the sand and in the water. Only a handful of beaches and snorkel locations are consistently crowded and we tend to avoid those beaches.

Looking for a great vacation rental while in Hawaii?  Call us to find out our available dates for your vacation in paradise.  Call or email Su on our contact us page.

Here is the latest sightseeing information from hawaiigolfcondorental

If you want to see the beautiful view from underwater and aren’t into snorkeling, check out Atlantis Submarines … the most technologically advanced passenger submarines in the world and the only true submarine operating in these waters. Treat yourself to Kona’s most beautiful and captivating scenery, habitats, and isolated treasures. You’ll descend 100 feet into another version of paradise — one hidden even from the people of Hawaii for centuries. Atlantis Kona offers a journey aboard a 48-passenger submarine. Guests will discover an 18,000-year-old, 25-acre fringing coral reef, which boasts a vibrant ecosystem. With a spacious air-conditioned interior, large view-ports and comfortable seating, this submarine allows you access to Hawaii’s sea life. The knowledgeable and friendly crew will share their love of the ocean on this excursion and provide information ranging from fish identification to scientific data. To observe the magnificent aqua-blue ocean abundant with marine life of Hawaii from a submarine is a “must do” and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

Check-in at the Atlantis Submarine ticket office on Alii Drive located across from the Kailua-Kona Pier. Check-in required 30 minutes before the scheduled submarine tour time. Actual underwater tour time is 35 minutes. Shuttle boat ride from the pier to the submarine site plus transfer is 10 minutes each way. Children must be 36 inches or taller to ride the submarine. Passengers must be physically capable of ascending and descending a near vertical ladder in order to ride the submarine.

All tours are in English. Headsets providing narrations in Japanese are available upon request.

Here is the latest information from hawaiigolfcondorental.

Wikipedia.com states, “Kona coffee is the market name for a variety of coffee (Coffea arabica) cultivated on the slopes of Hualalai Mountain and Mauna Loa in the North and South Kona Districts of the Big Island of Hawaii. The Kona weather pattern of bright sunny mornings, humid rainy afternoons and mild nights creates favorable coffee growing conditions. The combination of this relatively low yield crop and intensive hand labor that has allowed this liquid delicacy to develop a reputation that has made it one of the most expensive and sought-after coffees in the world. Only coffee from the Kona Districts can be legally described as “Kona.”

To further clarify, I will describe Kona for you and you will see why we have the best coffee. If you are hung up on “Coffea arabica”, hold your horses, and we’ll get there. First, we are going to start with the Districts of North and South Kona. North Kona is located on the side of Hualalai Mountain. South Kona stretches from Southern slopes of Hualalai down onto massive Mauna Loa Mountain. Both mountains are active volcanoes on the island of Hawaii, also known as the Big Island. Hualalai, is an 8,000 foot shield volcano, that last erupted only 200 years ago! And this volcano is tiny compared to Mauna Loa, the biggest volcano on the entire planet! That is right. Mauna Loa stands on its own, all the way from the bottom of the ocean floor to 13,679 feet above sea level! It is the single biggest land mass on earth! Mauna Loa’s most recent eruption was in 1984; more recent than you would’ve guessed, huh?

So, only the coffee grown in North and South Kona can be called “Kona Coffee.” Within both North and South Kona, the prime coffee growing area is only 3 miles wide and 20 miles long. Only here, the elements of extremely fertile soil and perfect weather conditions combine to create the ideal coffee growing climate. Many soil nutrients come directly from the Earth’s Core. The rich volcanic soil gives the coffee trees food and strength to produce flavorful coffee beans. Climate and elevation also play a critical role in growing coffee and bean size. Coffee trees like mid-to high elevations and thrive in areas where the mornings are sunny and the evenings are mild. In areas like this, coffee beans are able to grow bigger allowing them to marinate in more sugary juice. Only here in Kona, on a volcano, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean; location, climate, elevation and soil quality all come together, in a small area known as Kona, to make ideal coffee growing conditions. And you know what that means…Ideal coffee growing conditions = Happy Trees! Happy Trees = Great Coffee!

We do everything we can to make sure our coffee trees are happy and healthy but we cannot stress enough the importance of where our trees are planted. The Downes Grounds farm is located in Holualoa, the heart of the famous Kona Coffee Belt on the Big Island of Hawaii. All coffee that bears the name “Kona Coffee” must be grown in an area that is only three miles wide and twenty miles long. It is here, in this very specific location – in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and on the side of an active volcano – that the perfect coffee-growing conditions are found. The soil in Holualoa is rich and dark, packed with nutrients and microorganisms that have only risen from the Earth’s core to the Earth’s surface within the last few centuries. The relative youth of the Big Island on the Geologic Timescale has created the conditions for the extremely nutritious soil found in Kona as those nutrients have not broken down or been used yet.

Climate is another vital contributing factor to Holualoa’s amazing coffee: warm, sunny mornings with afternoon rain showers and cool crisp nights. Kona experiences all year round provides an environment that is ideal for coffee trees to grow and flourish. While we have a distinct wet and dry season here in Kona, we do not experience much temperature variation throughout the year; temperatures in the day average in the low 80s to high 70s and average in the mid to low 60s at night.

The early spring hand-pruning of each tree ensures that the new growth energy is captured for the total health of the trees and beans. We keep a watchful eye on the growing stages, from the flowering to the bean. In the late spring and summer months our Kona Coffee begins to ripen on the tree to become a rich full bean.

When blushing red, our Kona Coffee is hand-picked, pulped, fermented, and put on drying deck within 16 hours, where they are sun dried in the beautiful Kona sunshine for 7-14 days. The beans are then stored in a humidity controlled environment for aging. Dry milled and graded, we roast weekly and bag the warm beans to ensure ultimate freshness!

We are sure that you will enjoy your Downes Grounds 100% Pure Kona Coffee as we put our hearts into growing the best.  When you arrive at our Hawaii Golf Condo, every guest will be treated to a ½ pound sample of Downes Grounds world famous Kona Coffee! Check out their website

Humpback whales are a common sighting along the Kona and Kohala coast from December to April.

While you can see whales along the shoreline all along the coast there is nothing like experiencing this phenomenon up close on whale watching cruises.  Prices vary from about $60 to $120 depending on the type of vessel.  Larger boats are less expensive than catamarans for smaller groups.  One of the best viewing areas for whale watching is right along the Kohala Coast near Waikoloa.  By law, you must stop 100 yards from a sighted whale.  However they are very curious animals.  There is nothing like the sound of a spouting whale or the image of such a massive presence.

The condo is already booked solid for this whale season so plan early for next year.  If you make your reservation in the next 60 days for 2013, we will offer you a 20% discount for booking early.  Give Su a call today for more details!

One of the best ways to see the true beauty of the Hawaii Islands is from the air. The best way to accomplish this is to tour the islands by helicopter.  Here is some information on a helicopter company we recommend – Blue Hawaiian Helicopter Company….Blue Hawaiian has been Hawaii’s air-tour leader for over 25 years, and is now the only helicopter tour company serving all four major Hawaiian Islands. We want you to know what our quarter-century of experience and dedication really means to you. Because choosing your helicopter tour company isn’t like choosing any other activity on your vacation…

The Blue Hawaiian Difference

We’ve completely re-engineered your air-tour experience, as outlined in the diagram below.

1 – 60 sq. feet of panoramic glass for maximum visibility
2 – 4-camera digital DVD system—cockpit camera puts you in the in-flight video
3 – Two-way communication between you and your pilot, plus Bose® aviation-grade noise-canceling headsets
4 – First-class seats, 23% more cabin area—you’ll love the extra personal space and shoulder room
5 – The most advanced 21^st century helicopter technology—ultra quiet, smooth, and fuel efficient
6 – Your safety is Blue Hawaiian’s top priority. Our more powerful aircraft enable us to carry all the latest equipment, including emergency pop-out floats. Every helicopter in Hawaii should have them; make sure yours does.

A must see when you travel to the Big Island of Hawaii is the Thurston Lava Tube in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.  Lava tubes are natural tunnels where lava flows underneath the ground, sometimes for many kilometers. After the eruption is over, you can be left with a long empty tunnel that seems almost man made.  It is truly one of nature’s most amazing formations.

A lava tube happens when low viscosity lava forms a continuous hard crust that gets thicker and thicker, while lava is flowing inside it. Eventually the lava forms a thick hard crust above, but low viscosity lava continues to flow inside. In fact, the thick sides act like insulation to keep the inner lava hot and molten. When the eruption finally ends, the lava flows out of the tube, emptying it out.

Lava tubes can be many meters wide, and typically run several meters below the surface. One tube on Mauna Loa starts at the eruption point and then flows about 50 km to the ocean. Inside the tube there can be various formations, like lava stalactites known as lavacicles (named after icicles). You can also get pillars that stretch from the top to the bottom of the lava tube.

Nahuku (Thurston Lava Tube) is open every day to the public. Pua Po’o, another lava tube cave, is open to the public only through pre-arranged Ranger led tours every Wednesday. Please call the Visitors Center for reservations at (808) 985-6000. Due to the sensitive and fragile nature of cave resources all other caves within the Park are closed to the general public as well as Park staff not involved in the direct management of the caves.

On the Kona coast of the Big Island of Hawaii, we are graced with the presence of over 800 Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins, smaller pods of Spotted Dolphins, and Bottlenose, in addition to all-year round Pilot Whales, seasonal Humpback Whales, Manta Rays, Turtles and others.

The Hawaiian Spinners Dolphins are the most regular visitors to the shores along the Kona coast. Almost daily, they come into shore to rest, play and interact with their human friends. Nearly everyone, of all ages and snork-ability, can swim with the dolphins.

A phenomenal experience, as the OneLoveOneSpirit Team takes you on a customized half-day morning tour in the waters where the dolphins rest and play. They will share their experiences of swimming with the dolphins, and discuss techniques of surface diving and snorkeling to experience close and respectful contact with our finned friends.

The time in the water with the dolphins varies from a few minutes to 3+ hours. Remember it can take a one second of looking into the eye of a dolphin to have your life forever changed!

Certainly if time and financial resources are not issues for you, and dolphins / marine mammals are your priority, we highly recommend doing more than one trip. Although our boat trips are averaging 95% success with the dolphins, this will increase your chances of having a phenomenal time!  Check it out for a “Spiritual Experience.”