Waialea Beach (69)

Address: Old Puako Rd. Waimea, HI 96743

Hours: Monday - Sunday 7:00am to 8pm

Parking Fee: Yes - $5.00

Lifeguards: No

Directions: Take Highway 19 North from Kona approximately 23 miles away. Once you pass the resorts (Waikoloa and Mauna Lani) take Puako Beach Drive exit. If you see Hapuna Beach exit you have driven too far and will need to turn around. This beach is a hidden gem.

Additional resources for Waialea Beach (69) Information:

Waialea Bay DLNR Hawaii.gov Official Website

Waialea Beach (69) Tropical Snorkeling Website

Waialea Beach (69) Official Love Big Island Website

The most under the radar beach in all of the big island has become discovered. It used to be where you could only access 69 (Waialea Beach) a magical place, by four wheel drive. Now the state has offered it to visitors, tourists, and residents to enjoy with parking, showers, and restrooms. Located in a special spot in between Puako and Hapuna Beach, it is very easy to miss if you do not know your way around. The Big Island is wonderful like that. You just never know what to expect with all of it's secluded beach locations. It earned it's name because of the closest numbered utility pole by the parking area. What really adds to it's ambiance is the little private cove spots along it's shores. Trees elegantly hanging over the beach sand provid seclusion and space for everyone to feel the old Hawaii charm.

This is probably the best spot on the entire island for snorkeling. According to some residents this is the only place they go to do that. In 1985 Waialae Bay was designated as a Marine Life Conservation District. Just above Waialea Beach there is an ancient hiking trail that falls into the moderate/difficult classification. It meanders through Hawaiian Kingdom roads and old time fisherman's trails. Some of the best views are offered by this tropical place. The reefs and ocean sea-life are the best in the world. The schools of fish will only leave you wondering even more as to what else the private life has to offer. The fact that Beach 69 does not get all that crowded is why many local residents would have loved for it to never have been paved. However, like any place else, it's hard to control all of that.

Waialea Beach brings with it some of the finest old Hawaiian beach homes you could ever find. These rare properties do not come on the market often. Usually, they will exchange through private hands. Like Puako these properties offer the absolute best in the US for beachfront living without the HOA rules and regulations. To the left of the beach as you enter through the paved pathways you will see some 10 plus residences of the highest caliber available for oceanfront retreats. Over to the right of the bay is another private little location beach (beach 67) that you can swim over to as well. The many wonders of the location continue to leave everyone in awe. It is one of the last few remaining spots on the planet that has been left (almost) alone in most of it's original form.

Photos of Waialea Beach (69):