Hike to Stunning Makalawena Beach

If You’re Looking for a Quiet Beach Day, Hike out to Makalawena Beach Imagine a Big Island beach day without any crowds during your Hawaiian vacation, with a classic white sand beach, serene and private, the Shangri-La you are imagining is Makalawena Beach. This sandy utopia is literally off-the-beaten-path with access to it primarily by foot unless you have an off-road vehicle able to navigate jagged black lava rock. Most vehicles can only reach the small parking areas at a neighboring beach or along Highway 19, so beachgoers hike one to two miles each way to get to this beach. This logistical challenge, therefore, excludes a high percentage of average beachgoers. Kekaha Kai State Park – Three Great Beaches Makalawena beach is part of the Kekaha Kai State Park and if you like to explore, this is the park for you. This Kona coast state park also includes the beaches of Mahaiula Beach to the south and Maniniowali Beach to the north. The park is a trifecta of three idyllic beaches, the Pu’u Ku’ili cinder cone, abundant bird habitat, and a scenic hiking trail along a 4.5 mile stretch of the Ala Kahakai National Historical Trail. Ala kaha kai means “shoreline trail”. This 175-mile trail network runs along the western coast of the Big Island and traverses across hundreds of ancient Hawaiian settlement sites and over 200 ahupua’a traditional land divisions.