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Aloha! Are we ready for a beach blanket bingo adventure… hippie style? That’s right guys, grab your tie-dye shirt, your Birkenstocks and head on out to Hawaii. There are so many fantastic beaches on the Big Island to enjoy and one of our favorites is the most remote and picturesque Kehena Black Sands Beach. This is a delightful beach and because it’s off the tourist routes and on the beautiful Red Road you’ll share the beach with some very colorful visitors. Kehena Black Sands Beach is down in hippie hallow, or the Puna District of the Big Island. That’s right, this lovely district has never transcended past 1972. You might say it’s stuck in a time warp. Therefore you will see all kinds of folks to local natives, to Rastafarian beachcombers and this is where the flower children of the new Millennium come to sun worship.
Well now, here’s a word of warning for anybody thinking that this is going to be a beach like the one in front of your hotel. No, no, no! This is a very remote, gorgeous tropical beach, with black sand, coconut tress, exotic birds, tropical fish, dolphins, sand crabs and some sun worshippers. It is so remote and you have to climb down a 50ft lava rock cliff, that many locals and visitors feel that there is no need for a tan line here. This is a gorgeous beach and in many ways it is the quintessential tropical beach.
Okay, even though there may be some bare bottoms on the beach, this is a family beach and it is reflective of the lifestyle in the Puna District. It’s just like the ol’ swimming hole. Skinny-dippin' good fun. So just “Hang Loose”…and well they literally mean this when I come here. You will see families with young children, mixed in with old timers, or kamainas in Hawaiian, gay couples, a sprinkle of tourists and college aged flower children here on any day.
 Now this is not a “nudie” beach, and what we mean by that is if you are a Peeping Tom, or an aspiring one, you will be run off this beach faster that you can say “a hui ho”! People here are nice, normal folks who have come to paradise and don’t want to be disturbed by gawkers. And believe-you-me, the rule here is No Gawkers! If you don’t undress, then don’t sit and stare. And for heavens sakes, if you are going to take a picture, and there is plenty of reasons too, just for the sheer beauty of the beach, don’t take unsolicited pictures of naked people. Ask first. The beach folks don’t not want to be seen buck naked in your family photo album or worse yet, posted naked on the web. The locals have a way of handling unwanted photographers; they’ll just confront you and throw your camera in the surf if you are taking inappropriate or unsolicited pictures.
The surf here can be mild to moderate in summer and offers excellent swimming for strong swimmers. Winter surf is not suitable for swimming so just stay on shore and watch the huge waves. Always be careful of rogue waves and never stand at the surf with your back to the waves. People have lost their lives at this beach and many Big Island beaches by not paying attention to the surf. That’s not the way to end your vacation.
Almost everyday there is a resident pod of dolphins that plays just 75-100 yards off shore. It’s like Sea World without the admission charge. People like to swim out to swim with the dolphins. They look much closer that they actually are. Be warned there are strong rip currents, there’s no lifeguard and male dolphins can be very aggressive and amorous to both men and women. “Well who would have thought Flipper would be a dirty old man”? So if you swim out to the dolphins do not swim alone, always use a boogie board for floating on if you tire and be mindful of the currents. Under the right conditions the swim can be worthwhile, but only if the surf is mild. Ask a local for current surf conditions if you are not comfortable gauging the water. You will also see sea turtles swimming off shore as well as plenty of pretty fish. Many people snorkel here but the water is deep. So be careful and put on your SPF30… and don’t forget your butt! Enjoy the surf but be very careful.
The beach is composed of black sand so the areas that receive full sun are hotter than August in Kona. So wear your flip-flops or reef walkers and mind your toes. The area towards the back of the sand and against the cliff is where most people congregate. But be careful of falling coconuts! When they fall they can hurt and even kill people under them. A friend of ours had her arm broken by a falling coconut while walking in a park and her cast gave her weird tan lines that were not very attractive.
There can also be bees buzzing up against the cliffs so if you are allergic to bee stings be careful and bring your medication. Many people bring their dogs here and though they are normally an attraction for the beach, but they can sometimes be a nuisance when they are not watched. Some dogs get dominant with other dogs over (like our friend Parker when other guys cruise his boyfriend Tom). So just watch out for roaming dogs, they may be cute and just steal your Frisbee but remember they can also bite.
 Now where should we lay our towels? Well, families mainly layout at the West end of the beach right at the trailhead. Gay couples, and there is a large population of gays and lesbians on the Big Island and they are very accepted, tend to congregate at the East end, and well the middle section is an area of active Frisbee playing and Sand surfing. A group of flower children usually lay claim to the area just a few yards to the left of the trailhead. Though they can look a little intimidating, these locals are friendly and social. They also are usually stoned off their butts so if sharing a beach with some pokalolo smoking, drum beating, and naked flower children is not your thing avoid Kehena Beach on Sundays when this area is a zoo.
On Sundays this place is as crowded as a Baptist Church on Sunday. Parking is at a premium and it can back up almost a mile east to Puna Palisades. Many flower children come down with their drums and groups of 5-20 drummers provide a rhythmic drumming beat to a very buzzing (or is it buzzed?) crowd. So how does one talk to the flower children? Well I just hang loose and talk about metaphysics, organic farming, yoga and world politics. There’s a certain freeing feeling one gets at Kehena Beach and everyone gets along.
Many visitors from Kalani EcoResort, just up the road and the other Yoga retreats that dot the famous Red Road frequent Kehena Beach. Many are European and South American and very interesting. And their accents are to die for. It’s not unusual to hear British, German, Brazilian and Australian accents amid the friendly Pidgin talk of the locals. And it’s not uncommon to see people practicing yoga or giving massages on the beach or on the lava outcroppings, clothed or sometimes suit less.
So if you want to enjoy a very beautiful black sands beach, Kehena Beach will provide you a beautiful place to lie out and enjoy a safe afternoon of sunning suited or suit less. A hui ho boys!
Simple Driving Directions to Kehena Beach from Hilo (about a 45 minute picturesque drive) - Head West on Hwy 11 towards the Volcano National Park
- Turn left onto Keeau-Pahoa Road, Hwy 130 just before the town of Keaau
- Follow Hwy 130 to almost the end of the road (Pele has closed the road due to a lava flow) and veer left onto Ahia Road until it dead-ends, about ¼ mile.
- Turn left onto the Red Road, Kapoho-Kalapana Beach Road, Hwy 137 and follow it for about 3 miles until you enter the unmarked subdivision of Kehena, Go through the subdivision passing million dollar homes and you will find the beach just after the last home.
- There is a parking pull out on the ocean side, or makai side in Hawaiian. The trail down to the beach is just a few steps east of the pull out.
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