Hilo Beaches - Beach Vacations in Hilo HI

Hilo, on the Big Island of Hawaii, is blessed with a unique landscape with beaches of black, gray, brown and white sand giving way to mountains and dramatic waterfalls. Hilo's Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo is the only tropical rainforest zoo in U.S. The snow-capped Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, with observatories at 11,000 feet on both mountains, and the active volcano of Kilauea Caldera, are only a day trip away.

Hilo is a very popular tourist destination for its stunning beaches. The Onekahakaha Beach Park near the Hilo airport features a white sand pool. It is a large family friendly beach park with facilities like swimming areas, life guards, picnic tables, pavilions and restrooms. At the beautiful Magic Sands Beach Park, the sands disappear during the rough winter seas and reappear when the waves calm down.

Nature lovers flock to the Kehena beach. Popularly known as the Dolphin Beach, this picturesque black sand beach is protected by tall trees and steep cliffs.  Other attractions at Kehena Beach include Kumakahi light house, Lava Tree State Park and the buried village of Kapoho. The Hilo Bay Beach Front Park is just right for adventure lovers. This black sand beach is very popular for its canoeing and surfing. Swimming is however full of challenges at the Reeds Bay Beach Park.

The premier Hapuna Beach is almost half a mile long and very popular with students. The white coral sand beach offers paved parking and walkways, restrooms, showers besides life guards and food vendors. There are plenty of opportunities for swimming, snorkeling and body surfing.