Papakōlea Beach runs about 241m (0.2km) along the Hawaii (Big Island) coast — a short stretch by Hawaiian standards. There are 1 mapped parking area nearby, the closest about 19m from the sand. No toilets, showers or drinking water are mapped at this beach — bring what you need.
Getting there & parking
Closest mapped parking is about 19m from the sand, with 1 parking area within 600m.
Distances are to the nearest point of the beach. Only formal, mapped parking areas are counted — informal roadside and verge parking is common in Hawaii and is not recorded in OpenStreetMap, so there may be closer options than shown.
What's there
| Toilets | not mapped |
| Showers | not mapped |
| Drinking water | not mapped |
| Changing rooms | not mapped |
| BBQ | not mapped |
"Not mapped" means OpenStreetMap has no record — it may still exist on the ground.
Where it is
Who it suits
- Coming prepared — nothing is mapped here — no facilities, no food
Derived from mapped features, not opinion.
When to go
Driest months are June, April, July. Warmest are August, October, September.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Rain in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 75.0 | 54.2 | 2.7 |
| Feb | 74.7 | 54.4 | 1.8 |
| Mar | 75.2 | 55.0 | 2.5 |
| Apr | 75.9 | 56.3 | 1.3 |
| May | 76.3 | 57.5 | 1.4 |
| Jun | 77.2 | 58.5 | 0.9 |
| Jul | 78.1 | 59.6 | 1.3 |
| Aug | 79.1 | 60.0 | 1.6 |
| Sep | 78.5 | 59.8 | 2.2 |
| Oct | 78.9 | 59.4 | 1.9 |
| Nov | 78.1 | 58.1 | 1.6 |
| Dec | 76.7 | 55.8 | 2.1 |
Nearest reporting station is 20km away — Hawaii's microclimates vary sharply over short distances, so treat these as indicative for the area.
30-year normals (1991–2020) from NOAA NCEI station S KONA 2 2.32, 19.8km away.
Sunrise & sunset at Papakōlea Beach
In June the sun is up at 5:45am and down at 7:01pm — 13h 16m of daylight, the longest days of the year here. By December that shrinks to 6:48am–5:48pm, 11h 00m.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Sun sets toward |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6:59am | 6:06pm | 11h 07m | WSW 248° |
| Feb | 6:50am | 6:23pm | 11h 33m | WSW 257° |
| Mar | 6:30am | 6:32pm | 12h 02m | W 268° |
| Apr | 6:05am | 6:40pm | 12h 35m | W 281° |
| May | 5:48am | 6:50pm | 13h 02m | WNW 290° |
| Jun | 5:45am | 7:01pm | 13h 16m | WNW 295° |
| Jul | 5:54am | 7:03pm | 13h 09m | WNW 293° |
| Aug | 6:04am | 6:50pm | 12h 46m | WNW 285° |
| Sep | 6:10am | 6:25pm | 12h 15m | W 273° |
| Oct | 6:17am | 6:00pm | 11h 43m | W 261° |
| Nov | 6:30am | 5:44pm | 11h 14m | WSW 250° |
| Dec | 6:48am | 5:48pm | 11h 00m | WSW 246° |
Times are for the 15th of each month in Hawaii Standard Time. Hawaii does not observe daylight saving, so these hold all year.
Calculated from this beach's coordinates using the NOAA solar position algorithm and checked against US Naval Observatory tables (agreement within a minute). Which direction the sun sets is worked out from the shoreline's orientation, not from the skyline — a headland, an offshore island or high ground behind the beach can hide the last few degrees.
Photos
Where to stay
No lodging is mapped within 1.5km of this beach.
Find places to stay near Papakōlea Beach →Booking link is an affiliate link — it costs you nothing extra.
Things to do nearby
Attractions & galleries2 within 1.5km
- Green Sand Beach · 17m
- sea arch · 1422m
OpenStreetMap rarely records gear rental, so bookable activities are searched via GetYourGuide (affiliate link).
Where Papakōlea Beach ranks
- Hawaii (Big Island) beaches you can park at — ranked #1
- Hawaii beaches you can park at — ranked #9
Positions come from mapped facilities and shoreline orientation, and each list explains exactly how it is ordered.
Other beaches on Hawaii (Big Island)
- Punalu'u Black Sand Beach · 26.7km · 275m long · faces south-east
- Halapē Beach · 55.5km · 176m long · faces south
- Kapahukapu (Manini Beach) · 66.1km · 48m long · faces south-west
- Magic Sands Beach · 80.8km · 96m long · faces west
- Honl's Beach · 84.9km · 135m long · faces west
Safety
We don't have confirmed lifeguard information for this beach. Never assume a beach is patrolled. Check locally before entering the water.
Rip currents cause around 100 drownings a year at US beaches and account for over 80% of beach rescues, yet only 44% of beachgoers know it. If caught in one, the National Weather Service advises: flip, float and follow.
Safety guidance from the National Weather Service. Beach Beast is not a safety or rescue service. Conditions change rapidly — always check on arrival, obey posted signs and flags, and follow lifeguard instructions. The absence of a warning here does not mean a beach is safe or patrolled.