Easy Hawaii activity: Hiking to Makalawena Beach at Kekaha Kai
Last year, Andrew and I spent a week on the big island of Hawaii. We had started planning our trip to the big island at the beginning of the year, trying to find all the best places to visit and eat at. One of the things I vividly remember searching was the best beaches on the big island and during my search, Makalawena beach was always on every list that I would find. Everyone who talked about this beach described how gorgeous the beach was, how clear and vivid the water is, and how quiet and peaceful it is. So of course, on our list, it went!
The day after we arrived in Hawaii, we had a chill day with nothing to do so we decided to take a visit to the beach! Getting to the beach takes a little bit of work, once you get to the Kekaha Kai Beach Park, you have to walk through Mahai’ula Beach and then hike a half a mile over lava rocks to get to Makalawena.
But even though it takes a bit of time and effort to get to the beach, once you do, it is totally and completely worth it. Because you have to hike to get to the beach, most people don’t go there which naturally makes the beach absolutely gorgeous and quiet.
Once Andrew and I arrived on the beach, we immediately saw a ton of wild goats and roosters hanging out in the forest that resides behind the beach. We took shade near a huge pine tree, tossed off our clothes and ran into the beautiful and warm ocean water.
We loved being at the beach so much that we dedicated another whole day to hike back and snorkel. When I think of our time in Hawaii, our time on “our” beach is the one thing I think of. The warm breeze when hiking, our beautiful views of the mountains and palm trees, our run-in of our turtle friend that we named Sam Jr. and our time snorkeling in the water and swimming with the sea turtles.
When we were leaving Makalawena for the final time, I looked at Andrew and made him promise me that he would bring me back to that beach one day. If you ever get a chance to visit the big island, please take the hike to Makalawena and enjoy a gorgeous and quiet day at the beach!
Have you ever visited Hawaii before? Share about your experiences in the comments!
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