Kailua-Kona Travel Forum

A naturist couple who are friends of mine and his wife recommended I try the Kona side of Big Island to escape the winter clouds and rain of Kauai. They said the following beaches were still clothing-optional (naturist) after the sad closure of Honokohau to naturism by the NPS:

1. Makalawena 2. Kua #. Murphy's a.k.a. Anaeho omalu 4. 67 Beach near Hapuna 5. Mauumae

Which of the following are your favorites and is there ANY type of bus transport, however infrequent, up north from Kailua past the turnoffs to these beaches? Are they listed in correct order going north away from Kona? Thanks.

Talk about hanging loose in Hawai`i... :)

Yes, you have them listed in the correct order going away from Kona. Those beaches are spread along 22 miles of the Queen Ka`ahumanu Highway.

One thing you should note about clothing-optional beaches in Hawai`i. There are no private beaches in the State. By law, all beaches are considered public property. Decency laws apply at all times while on public property which prohibit public display of certain body parts. :) With that said, it becomes an enforcement issue. It is less likely to be enforced on a remote beach with few people as opposed to a busy beach with plenty of people.

With that in mind, of all the beaches you've listed, Makalawena Beach and Manini`owali Beach (at Kua Bay) are the most remote and the toughest to get to. Therefore, you are much less likely to encounter enforcement issues.

As for bus service to these areas: forget it! Makalawena Beach sits almost a mile off the highway and has nothing but an unpaved roadway (if you want to call it that, 4WD reccommended) over the lava fields leading almost to it. Then it's a good hike via foot. Manini`owali is approachable by 4WD a little easier, however you may encounter more people.

The reason I reccommend the 4WD is that these "roadways" to get to these beaches are nothing more than well-traversed paths over the barren lava. There is no grading or smoothing of the pathway and some parts require the high ground clearance of a 4WD vehicle.

If you try it in a compact rental and hang the bottom of your car, don't even think about calling the rental car company for help. Just try to find a local with a 4WD and tow strap to yank you off. Then just worry about paying for the damage to the car. :)

Have a great trip.

Thanks for your reply. I'm not concerned about any bus going into the beaches themselves-anyway that would not be in my best interest-easy access for many people. I like to walk and usually do 4 or 5 miles each day anyway. I certainly do on Kauai and here we have OK bus service. I just want to know if any bus goes up the highway itself, that's all. I know one goes between Hilo and Kona. What about around the island?

Which of the two beaches-Makalawena or Kua is the better quality and or more used by naturists?

There is limited mass transit bus service on the Big Island. Some of the routes go near some of the beaches you mention. However, the bus route between Kona and Waimea may use the more inland Mamalahoa Highway instead of the coastal Queen Ka`ahumanu Highway (which is what you want). Check this link since this is as good (close) as it gets for your request:

http://www.co.hawaii.hi.us/mass_transit/heleonbus.html

Whoops! I forgot to mention that the routes that you need more info about on that link are the NORTH KOHALA / WAIKOLOA RESORTS and HILO / WAIKOLOA RESORTS routes. Those are the two that go nearest your interest.

Thanks. I will check them out now.

I checked. It seems that nothing goes along the K Highway north from Kona. true, two routes pass through Waikaloa but one is from North Kohala, in the opposite direction I need, and the other crosses the island to Hilo. I bet the taxi industry had some pressure on the county to NOT have buses out of Kona up that coast.

How is hitchhiking on that route? Did you get any impressions? Did you see a lot of younger people standing on the roadside?