Kua Bay / Manini'owali Beach, Big Island Hawai'i

On the first day of our Kailua-Kona Christmas Vacation, my family and I found our favorite spot on Hawai’i, the magical Kua Bay. 

My dad even said could be his favorite beach to which he’s ever been! We just loved this tiny little volcanic beach, and we went back several times!

Our first time, we had planned to visit Manini'owali Beach instead, but Kua Bay came highly recommended by our Airbnb hosts. When we googled it, we found that they were effectively the same place! It felt great to be reassured by a local that the place we wanted to visit would be worth it. 

Check out the separate blog post about the “Ohana in the Back” that we stayed at and the help they provided to us, here!

This small beach was the perfect spot for our family to relax, explore, and soak it all in.

​Every time we visited, we were able to find a private spot in the sand to set up our chairs. Not to mention that the views were remarkable!

The entrance down to the beach.

We loved how the black, volcanic rocks broke up the shoreline and made a very unique ocean view. Plus, those rocks created small outcoves which made entering the water easier and created tide pools full of fish. The water was unbelievably crystal clear and bright blue! We spent hours floating, swimming, and snorkeling in it.

You can see exactly how strong the waves are at Kua Bay in my YouTube video here!

We loved this place for so many reasons. Beside its sheer beauty, it was convenient to get to! It was only about 15 minutes from downtown Kilauea, and the parking lot was just steps from the beach. There is also plenty of space! In the three times we visited in December, we never had an issue finding a place for our chairs and towels!
 
Kua Bay and Manini'owali Beach was our very favorite spot of the entire week in Hawai’i. We were so glad we found it early in our trip so that we could visit as many times as we did.

 Read a little more about Kua Bay and the other places we snorkeled in the blog post titled, “Where We Found Snorkeling on The Big Island” here!