Kona beach

[marnie2005]

Does the beach near the cruise port  in Kona rent chairs and umbrellas, is it a nice beach?? Thank you

[CRUZBUDS]

Aloha - not sure on umbrellas, but it is a nice beach.  Here is a link for an earlier thread about it

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2905611-kona-beaches/?do=getNewComment

 

We'll be there in a couple of weeks  

 

Aloha!  

[princeton123211]

On 1/25/2023 at 7:27 AM, marnie2005 said:

Does the beach near the cruise port  in Kona rent chairs and umbrellas, is it a nice beach??

I think reading between the lines here part of the answer to your question is that its not a super "resorty" beach like you'll find on Maui, Oahu, etc. You're sort of wedged between a jetty and a boat ramp with no surf etc. 

 

If you are looking for a beach day, and your cruise is visiting other islands, there are better places to do it than Kona. 

[marnie2005]

Thank you! I’ll look further 😎

[KeepCalmBearOn]

13 hours ago, princeton123211 said:

I think reading between the lines here part of the answer to your question is that its not a super "resorty" beach like you'll find on Maui, Oahu, etc. You're sort of wedged between a jetty and a boat ramp with no surf etc. 

 

If you are looking for a beach day, and your cruise is visiting other islands, there are better places to do it than Kona. 

 

To expand on princeton123211 comments, which I agree with, Kamakahonu Beach is a nice beach for what it is. If you want a nice little place to dip in the ocean, it is great, but it is small and doesn't have a lot of services.

 

Kauai, Oahu and Maui all have better beaches for the "beach day" experience.

[Travelexpert35]

I would rent a car for the day and drive to Hapuna Beach which is gorgeous. We rented a car at the King Kamehameha Hotel right by the dock where the tenders drop you off. Very easy to do. 

 

 

[BermudaBound2014]

I’m on the Big Island right now. The beach near the tender area is not what I would consider a “nice” beach. As mentioned, it’s a small and there are no chair rentals, etc…  Also, if you are from a part of the country where you are unaccustomed to sharing space with those living on the beach, it may be a bit eye opening. I’ll snap a couple of photos next time we are in town. 
 

Not sure when you are going, but the Surf has been high for over a week here, making that beach quite dangerous for swimming. The Pride of America wasn’t able to tender on Wednesday. It is fun to watch the surfers though. 
 

As mentioned, the big island isn’t the best place for a beach day. 

[marnie2005]

Thanks for the update! We are sailing in April, perhaps we will have a “ beach day” on Maui. Will look for so etching else to do in Kona😎

[BermudaBound2014]

Here are the photos I promised of the beaches near the tender in kona. I highly recommend choosing another island for a beach day. 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 8, 2023 by BermudaBound2014

[BermudaBound2014]

On 1/25/2023 at 2:27 AM, marnie2005 said:

Does the beach near the cruise port  in Kona rent chairs and umbrellas, is it a nice beach?? Thank you

 

On 1/26/2023 at 9:02 AM, CRUZBUDS said:

Aloha - not sure on umbrellas, but it is a nice beach.  Here is a link for an earlier thread about it

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2905611-kona-beaches/?do=getNewComment

 

We'll be there in a couple of weeks  

 

Aloha!  

The red arrow is the beach you are referring to. It’s very small and the water isn’t the clearest here from Kona city runoff. This is not how I would spend the day in kona. 
 

 

[mcmarya]

Here's a photo of the beach at the King K Courtyard--open to the public.  If it's not windy, the water is actually clear and you can even snorkel.  The big island is not known for sandy beaches since it is a volcanic island. 

Edited February 8, 2023 by mcmarya

[CRUZBUDS]

On 2/8/2023 at 3:05 PM, mcmarya said:

Here's a photo of the beach at the King K Courtyard--open to the public.  If it's not windy, the water is actually clear and you can even snorkel.  The big island is not known for sandy beaches since it is a volcanic island. 

This it the beach we've been referring to -- We were there a couple of days ago, we're currently on on the Koningsdam.  There are restrooms and showers as well as rentals for umbrellas and chairs.  There are restaurants in the hotel as well as in the immediate area.  Ullani's Shave Ice has a service window to the beach.  They have some of the best shave ice in the islands.  

 

The hotel has been renovated and there was a nice art gallery as well as some Hawaiian artifacts.  It's worth a walk through. 

 

We didn't snorkel this time, but in the past we were surprised to find the snorkeling better than we expected.  The conditions depend on the tides and weather.  It was a little windy for us this week.

 

Yes, the other side of the tender pier is not very nice for swimming.  

 

Aloha!

[BermudaBound2014]

I watched the Koningsdam sail in from my sisters condo. You were fortunate, as last week no cruise lines were able to tender into Kona due to wave action. I watched the poor POA sail into port only to turn around and sail back out again :(. I'm not surprised you didn't snorkel due to the windy conditions, but know that you had it significantly better than those just a few days prior to your arrival.

[mcmarya]

We were there in December 2021 right after a Kona Low.  The first couple of days the waves were crashing over the bay wall.  By the last couple of days you could snorkel right in the bay as well as off the hotel beach.  It is not the most wonderful place to spend time at a beach, but it is very convenient.  We look forward to returning there in December.

[KeepCalmBearOn]

1 hour ago, mcmarya said:

It is not the most wonderful place to spend time at a beach, but it is very convenient.

 

That is it in a nutshell.