Makalawena/Pu'u Ali'i Beach

I have a 4 and 5 yeaqr old. How is the hike to this beach. I read the reviews of it, but not sure if it%26#39;s something we can do. Would a jogging stroller make it?

Thanks!

Makalawena/Pu'u Ali'i Beach

its long and hot...no water at the end and no facilities....about 1.5 miles of nasty loose jagged lava....Not a wise idea, and the beach is very overused...

Go rather to Kua bay...paved road 50 yard walk, new restrooms, showers, beach is stuning closed on wed.

Or

Kaloko national historical park just north of the Marina....fee to enter, but turtles, sand beach shelters, historic fish ponds. wind sheltered,Rangers there to answer questions...and for some reason...hardly anybody there.... not a snorkel place neither is Kua. $5 per car

Makalawena/Pu'u Ali'i Beach

Aloha, Oh my goodness I tried this long ago when my son was 5 or 6.... It was hot and not at all level,we were lucky and someone came along and gave us a ride the last part down and we meet someone else who gave us a ride back up. Bottom line not worth it, there are so many other great places to experience that are not as stressful, Dan gave some great options.

Thank you. There are so many beaches, it%26#39;s hard to know which ones to hit. Last time we were there we hit beaches as we headed up to the hilton to check the dolphins out. However, I can%26#39;t remember any of their names.

I%26#39;ll look up the one you mentioned Dan.

Thanks again!

I found the websites and directions for the two beaches you recommended. I%26#39;ll list them below in case others need ideas as well.

www.letsgo-hawaii.com/beaches/kuabay.html

http://www.nps.gov/kaho/

Makalawena is pretty tough to reach. Even to get to the parking lot you have to drive over a broken `a`a road which is usually poorly maintained. Then you have to hike through a `a`a lava field for a half-mile or so to get to the beach.

It%26#39;s sparsely used out there, and for good reason. That%26#39;s why it%26#39;s also popular with topless sunbathers, so not exactly a child-friendly beach at times.

It%26#39;s really not worth the trouble IMHO.

Kua Bay is great - if you can find parking. It%26#39;s usually packed.

I would second Kua Bay--it%26#39;s all sand and perfect for kids and playing in the waves.

If I remember correctly it%26#39;s not really marked, but you want to take the turn right across from the Veteran%26#39;s Cemetery. We didn%26#39;t have a real parking spot, just parked at the edge of the road, but that%26#39;s kind of good, because even though the parking was crowded, there was still plenty of room to spread out on the beach. It%26#39;s kind of like the limited parking helps to minimize the crowding on the beach.

My daughter and I spent about 4 hours there one afternoon on our trip in January 2008, boogie-boarding, and it was one of the best parts of our trip.

Hapuna Beach is a bit farther north, but also great for kids. There seems to be a lot more parking available there, they also have restrooms and showers, it%26#39;s sandy and shallow for a nice distance, and there%26#39;s a lifeguard. There were bigger waves there than at Kua Bay, the days we were there.

Not to put too fine a point on it...

While they reluctantly (after much pressure) contributed the coastal strip towards the State park effort, the Makalawena holding continues to be owned by Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate (TMK 3-7-2-4-1 for anyone who cares).

In theory, and per agreement with the State, access to the Makalawena beachfront for park goers is to be accomplished only by using the Ala Kahakai, a coastal trail, from either the designated Kua or Mahaiula access roads and parking lots.

While the mauka-makai trail from the Highway has been used by local residents for decades and in more recent years by increasing numbers of tourists, generally without much objection by KS, it is crossing private property and the estate would rather one uses the designated route.

While beautiful, it is an atypically fragile biosystem even for Kona, so please be clean and careful.

';In theory, and per agreement with the State, access to the Makalawena beachfront for park goers is to be accomplished only by using the Ala Kahakai, a coastal trail, from either the designated Kua or Mahaiula access roads and parking lots.';

To use the designated Kua-side path, once one parks at Kua (in the designated area) how do you find the Ala Kahakai trail?

Thanks.

That looks like about a mile and a half one-way walk from Kua Bay (Maniniowali Beach). The trail starts makai and northeast of Pu`u Kuili, moves in towards Kuili (to that old 4x4 route - if you%26#39;d call it that) and then continue back along the shore to the gate before Makalawena. I%26#39;ve seen Jeep%26#39;s parked there. They must take the horrid road down from MM 88.5, which I dislike walking, much less driving down.

I assume that%26#39;s the same trail. I have never noticed a ';trail'; leading away from Kua, so it must start somewhere near the shore over the lava at the far northwest portion of the beach.

amber, am I also right to assume the road heading down just west of Mahai`ula is permitted? I thought that was a county graded road? Are you referring to the road I just noted, the really bad 4x4 road between 89 and 88 (the one just before the new paved road heading to Kua)?

Honu, if the road to Kekaha Kai and Mahai`ula is still permitted, it%26#39;s certainly still going to be quicker to take that route, if you have the proper vehicle.

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