The beach is located between Captain Cook and Volcano, not towards the Hilo side of the island and there are ample signs from the highway, pointing toward the road that will take you to it.

There are restrooms here, grills and covered picnic tables. Further down on the beach, there is a small snack bar. This beach has a lot of private residences on it, so obey the signs and don’t trespass. I probably sound like a broken record, but please do not bother the sea turtles that come to rest on this beach. They are not sick, nor do they need to helped back into the water… they just want to hang out. There are signs all over that say you need to stay 15 feet away from them. Please allow these cute creatures to rest in peace, and not surround them or try to touch them.

We had some sandwiches that we made, while watching a cat lurk nearby. This is a great beach, just for sunning, or snorkeling. We only had lunch, then moved on to the volcano. If you’re driving toward volcano from the Kona/Kohala area, make a stop here. It’s different than all the other beaches you see.

HAPUNA BEACH
Seven miles northeast of "A Bay" (Kohala Coast). 30 miles north of Kona on HWY 19 see sign Hapuna Beach State Park. Step through the bushes and palms to a mile long white sand beach. On a clear day you can catch a view of Maui in the distance. Restrooms. Gets crowded on weekends, parking is hard to find. This is one of the top 10 beaches in US!

KAUNA'OA BEACH
"Mauna Kea Beach" (Kohala Coast). Near Mauna Kea Beach hotel, 31 miles north of Kona. Hotel limits access to 30 passes at a time. Arrive before 9:30am to be sure to get a beach pass. Free at the security gate. Otherwise, wait in line or come back later. Hapuna Beach is just south of Mauna Kea if you don’t want to wait. This beach is one of the top 10 beaches in world!

PUNALU'U BLACK SAND BEACH
South of Kona Hwy 11 at 63 mile marker. Go thru the town of Na'alehu, continue about 20 minute to a four-way junction until you see a sign on the right "Sea Mountain Resort". Turn right, past the golf course and restrooms, park by the hut that sells t-shirts. Walk to the end of the beach. Easily accessible, decent snorkeling. Green sea turtles live and nest here. Don't touch them as this can cause ulcers on their shells.

KAHALU'U BEACH
Four miles south on Alii drive. Snorkeling here is the "best" in all of the state of Hawaii. Green turtles! Gear available at beach, or Snorkel Bob on Alii Dr.