If you are looking for a nice sandy beach, emerald green water and a great place to enjoy some snorkeling and body boarding, then Maniniowali beach, known localy as Kua Bay is a “must see” beach in Kona, Hawaii.

This beach has some of the whitest sand of all the beaches on the Big Island and is a great spot for swimming since there are very few sharp rocks or coral patches near the shoreline. Like Magic Sands Beach, located in the heart of Kailua-Kona, large winter swells wash all the white sand into the ocean, transforming Kua Bay into a very rocky coastline. Don’t worry, all of the sand returns in the summer months. The bay offers some very nice waves close to the shore which are perfect for boogie boarding and body surfing.

In the winter time, large waves wash all the sand at Kua Bay into the ocean.

Access is quite easy since the road is paved all the way from the highway to the beach. This place can be really crowded in the summer months and while parking is free to the public, space is limited causing visitors arriving later in the day to park further away and hike to the beach. There are public restrooms and showers located at the entrance to the beach.

Kua Bay is located of Highway 11, north of the airport. There are no signs for the turn off to this beach so look for the Veterans Memorial Cemetery sign on the right hand side of the Highway and take the first left hand turn immediately after. The beach is closed to the public on Wednesdays.

We love to hear about our readers experience and tips about Kua Bay on the Big Island of Hawaii. Please feel free to share your feedback below. Mahalo!