Ho‘okena Beach Park

Hidden gem, lovely salt and pepper colored sand beach. Super soft and a nice bay with a lot of shade and sun. A cliff backdrop. A place you can snorkel and swim. Seems to be good for spear fishing as well. We saw whales but we are told the dolphins are more frequent then whales. Kid friendly nice showers bathroom close by. Parking can be limiting and a challenge if u had a bigger vehicle. Its a long windy road to the bottom

Amazing black sand beach but the 2 mile drive down and up is a bit scary. The lane is big enough to fit 1 car but allows 2. The parking is free but extremely limited. I can’t imagine how people park there in the busy summer. You would have to wait for someone to leave to park there, I guess. The water was clear and calm with visible fish.

The kumu (teacher) here is the dolphin. Swim out, open your heart and let them come to you. Wear a mask so when they do you can look an equal intelligence in the eye. The water is clear, lots of reefs and fish and ocean lovers. Absolutely one of my favorite places ever and there are some of the finest ocean campspots on the planet. Come and spend an eternity in three days and nights .

We were told by a local this is one of the less crowded beaches to snorkel at, and that proved to be true on our visit. While the drive down (and back up) was nerve-wracking even as a passenger, if you’ve driven to Haleakala on Maui or Waimea on Kauai, this isn’t worse than those drives. I was surprised to see some homes at the bottom, that’s a tough commute on a daily basis. But the view and access to the bay can’t be beat - and did I mention you might see dolphins? We didn’t on our visit, but there were a couple of signs instructing visitors on what to do if they were present in the bay. I am an OK swimmer, but I was a little worried about the currents and how strong they seem to be, so I stuck mainly close to shore. I did see some of the biggest convict tangs I’ve ever seen snorkeling, and we did catch a glimpse of the Hawaiian reef trigger fish with the long name: Humuhumunukunukuapuaʻa. I appreciated the availability of warm water at the outdoor shower and the cleanliness of the restroom - not always the case at public beaches. Would love to come back on a sunnier day when the water is calmer.

This is a 5-star beach but giving it 4 just because the drive to get there is nerve-wracking — very narrow and winding road, but once you are there oh my goodness it is beautiful, the waves were not too overwhelming, lots of black soft sand, great cliffs in the background for stunning photos. No lifeguard though and the current can be a bit strong but you can easily stay close to shore and wade in the water. Good sandcastle sand and lots of space for sunbathing.