Keawaiki Bay is a lovely place on the Kohala coast who worth the visit if you are ready to walk through a huge lava field dating from an eruption of Mona Loa in 1859.
You will arrive on a magnificent black sand beach.
From here, you have two options:
– Going North ( on your right ) you will head toward the famous lone palm tree, making the site very photogenic even if he had been in a better shape few years ago. A little further, you will discover an oasis with incredible colors !
–Going South ( on your left ) the beach, huge and deserted most of the time. It offers good swimming conditions because it is more sheltered. At its end and at low tide, you can explore the tide pools of Kaiwi Point. Beautiful !
⚠️ February 2026 update
Here is how the palm tree looks likes over the years…
Unfortunately, the inevitable happened. 🥹
Lone Palm Tree
The path itself is not very long: it takes about a 15-20 minutes walk to access the beach. But hiking on this type of terrain ( A’a lava type ) is not very pleasant. My advice: don’t wear flip flops. 😉
Ditto on the beach, it is not really sand but rather small gravels making it hard to walk. Fortunately there is only a hundred meters to go. Then you can enjoy the site and relax under the shade of this lone palm tree !
For swimming, even if this beach looks great, you’ll find much better conditions ( especially for snorkling ) in the small bay located just after: Pueo Bay.
I spent a long time here flying the drone because all the lights were green: almost no wind, no tourist and above all a scenic area. It was awesome !
Pueo Bay
Pueo Bay is the small bay located just north of Keawaiki Bay.
Surprising by its salt and pepper color, mixture of lava rocks and coral fragments, this beach is atypical.
Another particularity is to find many “tags” made with the white corals who contrast with the black lava !
Golden Pools
It’s a golden alga growing on the lava that gives these pools of fresh water this particular color.
It is actually an anchialin pool: it’s a water point connected to the ocean by an underground connection. The surface water is soft while at a certain depth it becomes salty.
I’m sure you already think you can have a swim there, it is so tempting especially with this heat. Because yes, it is hot on a lava field even if it is more than 100 years old! Indeed even if we stay close to the ocean, the small breeze we could feel on the beach disappears here completely or almost. It can be very hot, especially in the middle of the day.
But this ecosystem is fragile so swimming is not recommended. 😉
Black Sand Beach
A huge property faces the ocean but further away the postcard decor appears.
This is the perfect spot to lay down and enjoy the place.
From here you can venture south and explore the tide pools of Kaiwi point.
Informations
3 Km roundtrip
2h
On Highway 19 near marker 79 you’ll find a huge dust parking.
Take the path that leads to the ocean. Cross the King’s Highway trail then walk along the fence of the private property to the right where the path narrows.
Just before arriving on the beach, a trail going on your right will take you to the golden pools.
But the best choice is to do a loop of 3 km who combines the two spots.
Keep walking north after the palm tree towards Pueo Bay, a salt and pepper beach, mixture of lava and coral fragments. Then take the path on your right at the end of the beach to access the golden pools.
There is no shade on this hike so remember to bring enough water and don’t forget the sunscreen !
