Some friends have said that the beaches on the BI, especial the ones in Kailua-Kona are not the best in hawaii..and that we'd have to drive quite a bit to reach some of the more scenic beaches...is that the case? We really want to see some beautiful beaches and even take some surf lessons. After talking with so many people with differing opinions, I do not know what to think. Any thoughts?

I've only been on Hilo side, so can't help you. But here are some links you can look through:

http://www.alternative-hawaii.com/activity/bibeach.htm

http://www.hawaiiweb.com/hawaii/beaches/default.htm

http://www.letsgo-hawaii.com/beaches/

http://www.konaweb.com/beaches/index.shtml

The beach in Kailua-Kona where the surf heiau is has wonderful snorkeling. I was really surprised.

My absolute favorite beach on the big island (and one of my world-wide favorites) is Hapuna Beach, about 40 minutes north.

Aloha, beatofhawaii.com

Another great beach is A-Bay, up in Waikoloa (near the Marriott).

Hapuna and the beach at the Mauna Kea are my favorites.

Kekaha Kai (Kona Coast State Park) just north of the airport is a lovely beach. It requires a drive over a rough lava road from the highway--but it is quite doable in a regular rental car--just go slow. We were there two weeks ago on a Tuesday and the only people there besides us were a photographer, his helper and a model- they were doing shots of her in bikinis. (DH really enjoyed that!) The road to the beach is closed on Wednesdays. You can walk 20 minutes north of there to Makalawena Beach which is a beautiful white sand beach and is often deserted.

There are basically NO sand beaches in Kailua Kona town. Mostly Lava rocks. The beaches are located on the Kohala coast. Hapuna beach is a really nice beach and one of the best in Hawaii. The big island is a very young volcanic island, so there are not a lot of sand beaches. But there are a few very exceptional beaches!

A-Bay and Hapuna are both excellent, and both are on the Kohala Coast (about 30-40 min. from Kona).

We stayed in Kona last year and had an oceanfront condo for a fraction of the price it would cost in Waikoloa for an ocean view. The beaches are not as nice as those to the north but there was consistently good surfing right outside the reef by our complex. You probably need to be already proficient however. I did not see anyone giving lessons.

We were told that there is some excellent surfing on the Big Island but that the locals keep the best spots a secret. There seems to be a backlash against a certain guidebook there. So, I am sure if you tried, you could find someone to hire for lessons who could take you to the good spots.

We usually drove north to one of the many great beaches between Kona and Waikoloa. These are in the guidebooks. But, we enjoyed staying in Kona and enjoying the great sunsets from our lanai.

If you want to stay in a beach hotel, both the Hapuna Prince and the Mauna Kea are excellent and on great beaches. There are also a number of others in Waikoloa but many are located on lesser beaches often man made.

Supercilious--where did you stay in Kona?

Sue

The best snorkeling beach on the Big Island is Kapalu'u near the Keahou Beach Resort. Though the beach itself is nothing to talk about, once in the water it's second only to the tidepools in Kapoho. If you want a white sand beach then A-Bay or Hapuna would be the best bet.