La'aloa Beach Park (aka Magic Sands)

Great beach, some rocks and quite a bit of nice sand. My daughter and I were chased out of the water by a large shark. They closed swimming for a couple hours. We ended up staying for a while but didn't go back in. I hear that sharks are common at this beach so be aware and ready for that possibly if you're planning on going.

This beach is absolutely amazing and still a hidden gem that not many people know about. Parking is easy and located right across the street, though it can get busy. The atmosphere is calm, romantic, and perfect for watching the sunset. The waves are gentle and safe for swimming. It’s an ideal place to relax, take photos, and enjoy the view. I watched the sunset here and honestly think it’s one of the best spots on the Big Island. Highly recommended for a peaceful evening by the ocean.

An absolutely beautiful beach with soft, fine sand and tall waves. On our stay in Kona we came by this beach three separate times, once in the afternoon to swim in the waves and relax at the beach and twice to watch the sunset. The scenery is beautiful and, luckily, parking is easy enough in the free lot across the street. Please be mindful that the waves here are no joke-- the lifeguard made multiple announcements asking people to be careful due to the high number of spinal injuries that take place. Also, because of the strong waves, I wasn't a huge fan of the snorkeling here (if you want to snorkel I suggest driving another few minutes up the road). If you are a strong swimmer or if you are just looking to relax at the beach, this is a solid spot to visit!

What a huge difference a few days makes here...2 photos only taken a week apart! IE the name: Magic Sands that come go. I read they can return in only a few days to weeks, but either way we had fun. There are bathrooms, showers, and lifeguards, we easily found parking 3 times, even on the weekend. Swimming, boogie boarding, body surfing, and checking out the tide pools...all available at one stop close to parking...make it a good choice for a wide age group...including little ones.

The only beach park in Kona that has a decent sandy beach. Most beaches consist of lava rock. Not very large and crowded especially on weekends. The volleyball court takes up some of the space. There’s parking along the road, a small lot on the beach side and a larger lot across the street. Waves could get large at times for boogie boards and bodysurfing. Be careful of rocks near the shoreline.

Beautiful beach with interesting tide pools. A lot of the magical sand has been washed away to expose the rocks beneath and the waves are very big! My son (10) and husband has lots of fun playing in the waves but I wouldn’t let a smaller child into the water unless they are a very confident swimmer. Nice tide pools for little to splash in though.

The sand was here! Last time we visited the sand was gone. Such a nice experience to see and feel the sand. Without it this beach is rocky. Popular with boogie boarders. Waves can be a bit much for small kiddos, but the soft sand is nice. Head further down the road for a more kid friendly place with snorkeling. If you like this beach there are condos you can rent across the street.

We swam here as a family, and it was so much fun! The water was beautiful and warm. My only complaint was that a group of people were getting high by our rental car.

Come back after a month. Still beautiful but no luck with the sunset. Free parking across the street, velvety white sands, amenity and lifeguards, restaurants and quick food next door. Always has music( you might not want though plenty of rock to sit on to watch the beautiful sunset.

Right off Ali HWy with marking along the street. There are waves which makes this beach perfect for boogie boards or just riding the waves. There's a lifeguard that goes on the megaphone to warn people to stay away from the rocks, watch your kids, and go under the bigger waves because those waves hit! It was so fun. It's fun watching people ride the waves too. It's not the biggest area but so beautiful. There are a lot of people so it can get crowded. I had so much fun!

Beautiful white sand and pretty blue water! Great for boogie boarding and relaxing on the beach. Downside is all the people, it's super crowded.

Small beach about ten minutes south of downtown Kona. We stopped by for some sand and water play on our last evening in Hawai'i. Parking was easy to find on Ali'i drive around 5:30 pm, and we threw our towels on the sand and settled in to watch the sun set. It wasn't too crowded given it's the day before thanksgiving. The girls ran into the water and enjoyed frolicking on the crashing waves, dodging amateur body boarders and excited kids who were being tossed around by the powerful ocean. There were a couple of scary moments but they kept each other accountable and safe, and I was just a few yards away FWIW. Around 6:30, it got too dark to play safely anymore, and we headed back to our hotel. Thank you Magic Sands Beach, Kona, and Hawai'i - for a memorable trip!

Very nice public beach in Kona. Free parking and another free lot across the street. There is a bathroom and shower. Hotel/Condo with a restaurant next door. Can get a bit crowded as not a large srea. Beautiful clear water.

Wonderful beach. Great waves. Low waves. Sand out. Rocks in. Showers. Restrooms. Sand volleyball court. Lifeguards on duty. Sometimes sparse. Other times dense. Nice water. Smells like sea. Sand in feet. Sand everywhere you couldn't believe. Sunny. Hot. Sometimes cloudy. Overcast. Sunrise early behind the mountain.

It is a beautiful beach no need for water-shoes here! Parking across the street for free notice the restrooms and showers on the opposite side of the beach to the restaurant!!!

Very small beach with lots of sea turtles to swim with . Be careful at one end there are many rocks and when waves break hard you can be tossed into those very sharp lava rocks. Out of all the beaches we went to , this was probably one of the most hazardous beaches as you definitely need reef shoes, there are giant sea turtles that frequent this tiny beach and the surf can wash them right into you . That's how I met mine, fortunately he was as shocked and kept swimming but it was a super cool experience . last year we never got to go to this because it was closed almost every day due to shark activity . Just be aware.

My favorite part of my entire Hawai'i trip was this beach. So much so that I came back the next day for another full beach day. The water is very clear and warm and there are a lot of areas with shade because of the trees near by. It's so clean and ample parking across the street. Also a cute little cafe next to it if you're craving a drink.

Beautiful beach with white sand. The waters looked pretty calm, but the waves were wild! It was very hard to snorkel here because of the waves, but my toddlers enjoyed making sand castles. I saw a lot of people bring boogie boards here too. We actually passed by this beach several times, and it was always very crowded. We found free parking pretty quickly though!

This "beach" was alright, if you like getting knocked down by waves. Also, it's not as big as it looks and it's superrrr crowded (which makes sense because it's really not a big "beach").

This is a beautiful beach but very rough waves for young ones. My kids were getting pummeled by the waves. At some point an adult (woman) got a bad injury and they had to call paramedics, looks like cervical spine as they had her in a collar and bag masking her. After that I got my kids out of the water. There were big rocks so boogie boarding is a bit treacherous. There is some shade near the trees but beware there are coconuts falling. There is a taco and açaí bowl next door to get snacks. I would only come to this beach to lay out.

This is a great place to observe INSANE, BIG waves in the winter. I'm not sure it's a destination in and of itself, but if you're in the area, it's definitely worth checking out. As a beach to hang out on, it's not that great. Reminds me of a small Waikiki "landing strip of sand"-style beach. It's the perfect place to enjoy world-class poke you can buy just down the road.

Very small beach and limited parking. It was super busy when we visited. With it if you're staying near by and can walk to the beach. If you have a car there are better options and I suggest going elsewhere.

Great beach, but certainly gets crowded. One of the few in the area with sand, so worth the crowd.

Great beach and they have lifeguards. Get there early as parking is limited and this beach gets very crowded! If you don't mind crowds and lots of kids this is a great beach.

Had fun in here as the waves are pretty monstrous. That means great for body boarding. My friends and I had a great time on its clear wavy ocean. This is the only beach I swam on big island coz at that time the water ain't warm anywhere coz winter is real In the island. Magic Sands Beach has all the benefits of a picturesque Hawaiian beach experience. The conveniency of a neighborhood park makes every kids happy as well while adults are enjoying surfing. There are food trucks across the street and free parking as well. This beach is famous that on prime times and weekends it gets crowded. Public restroom and outdoor shower is available. There's not much shade in here though so if your worried about the scorching heat of the sand, bring beach umbrellas and make sure you pat sunscreen from time to time. Mahalo for reading and happy juandering fellow yeeps.

such beautiful silky sand. however very very crowded with little room to boogie board

it was wonderful! nice staff, food, valet parking. beach was spacious and sea was clean and comfortable.

A great beach. Perfect for snorkeling. Many varieties of fish in very shallow water. Look out for rocks getting in and out, but once you're past the rocks, very soft sandy ocean bottom. Look for the rocks about 20 feet out, and you'll find many fish swimming around the rocks.

Stopped by the beach after lunch and wow this is such a small beach. There were a lot of people here. The sand is a mix of white and black sand. Waves are pretty big here and there are tons of body surfers. Be careful as there are giant rocks and some are hidden under the sand on the beach. Parking is along the side of the beach and wasn't too hard to find a parking spot on a Monday afternoon.

Nice sandy beach when we visited May 21, 2023. Waves look small but very strong. Partly cloudy skies kept us cool. We arrived early on a Sunday about 7:30am. Parked across the street from the beach. FYI - Magic Slams beach is what it's called at Kona Community Hospital. Visitors be warned. My husband dislocated his shoulder body surfing.

It's very pretty here. It's a smaller one so definitely come early and bring some lunch. We ended up leaving early because it was already crowded. There's alot of food around which is nice. But definitely come early

This beach was great to sit and relax but we couldn't swim due to so many rocks. It's hard to get into the water, definitely being water shoes, and the waves are rough. There's free parking across the street and can get packed.

Super lovely beach, but the waves were ROUGH. This is nothing I'm faulting the beach for, but thought it was worth mentioning. It's very sandy compared to a lot of other beaches on the island, and it was also fairly busy every time we went. Super fun for people who get bored by calmer waters, but a little rough for those who like a calm swim. I would not bring small children here. I watched several children getting a little beat up by the strong waves, and disappearing under them for a while and it made me very anxious. There are also some rocks that are hidden by the water part of the time that I was worried someone would get slammed into when a wave came in. If you have experience with rough waters and are an adult, I'm sure you'd have tons of fun here.

No much parking and high volume of visitors each day. Other than these two items, the beach is beautiful when there is sand. Early January there was sand along with waves crashing in. You can certainly get in the water and lifeguards are on duty. Showers and bathrooms are fine, nothing fancy but available and work. Don't expect soap or paper towels, but they flushed and there was TP. No water fountain, but water from the spigot by outdoor showers did me no harm. If you are at the snorkeling beach, Magic Sands is an easy .5 mile walk past some beautiful real estate.

View is great. Service is friendly. Food is overpriced garbage. Could not eat the pork belly (all fat) or broccolini (tough as a tree) Sweet potato soup was room temp and gluey. Bathroom is pretty filthy. Come for drinks and maybe fries. Don't expect good seafood or entrees. It's not a place for people who like good food. But the view from the patio is gorgeous.

Parked across the street. Strong waves when we went and no one really in the water. Limited shade.

Definitely not a good beach for tourists. It's a locals surf spot. No parking, not much beach space

My family and I were on vacation in the Waikoloa Beach Resort area in July and we went to Magic Sands Beach. It was a little bit of a drive for us. We had to park on the side of the road and walk to the beach. The sand was soft and the water was clear and warm. The beach was relatively small but was not overly crowded the day we were there. The waves were pretty strong and it was great for boogie boarding. Our girls (6 & 8) enjoyed playing in the water but our 6 year old wanted to play closer to the beach after one of the waves took her out. So I recommend that you keep an eye on little ones. We did enjoy ourselves but we prefer bigger beaches.

This is the best beach in Kona. The waves are great for surfing, boogie boarding, and body surfing. Beware the sometimes rough surf, as if you are not a good swimmer you can get knocked on your butt. We went here 4 times in one week, and did not get sick of it. There is a side parking lot, if you can't find parking on the street. There are also what looks like tide pools. We did not walk out on them as we wanted to be respectful. There is also a life guard which is helpful for those of you who can't read the waves.

I wish I lived on this beach. I come to Hawaii as often as possible and I always like to stay across the street from Magic Sands Beach also known as White Sands Beach. It's one of the few white sandy beaches that I like on Kona.

Would not recommend if looking for a nice beach day with family. Limited space, crowded, and a bit of a rough crowd.

Small, family friendly and right next to condos. Street parking is right across from the beach.

It was an experience of a lifetime watching the the sunset while riding the waves. Beautiful.

As of late January 2023 Magic Sands beach is closed for what appears to be major construction. There appears to be two areas of beachfront and both are fenced off, covered with heavy equipment and construction workers. It appears to be a major project. I'm sure the improvements are needed and will enhance a nice beach. We obviously didn't visit and I'm only giving 1 star to alert people this beach is currently closed.

It's an ok, small size beach but not meant for kids and toddlers. Due to it's small size, it gets full quickly. Waves are too strong to enjoy unless you are there to surf a boogie board. Watch out for the adults and teens boogie boarding, who can unexpectedly run into you. Rocks all around make it tricky for kids to enter the beach. Plenty of free parking across the street. No need to street park. As of Feb, 2023 bathrooms are only porta potty. But there are showers and lifeguard on duty. Drive down a mile south to Kahalu'u Beach Park for a much better beach.

It was a blast. Lots of families hanging out. Gnarley shore break, know your limitations. Listen to the lifeguards on duty. Parking across the street is free.

Magic sands beach GREAT!!! Magic sands grill HORRIBLE!!!! Onion rings no bread on them, greasy. Three staff members standing by tables, when we walked in, stated, And they just keep coming." Not happy to see guests. Caesar salad with shrimp, came out with seaweed all over it, when ordered no seaweed on it. Closed bill out, waitress attitude was like she was bothered by having customers. Live her, been there several times, always good. Today , worse waitress, food, no manager I guess in house. Save your money, eat at Kai or Hugo's on beach! You will be much happier. This place doesn't deserve your time. You want to see Magic Sands beach, enjoy walk by it. Kona resident

Such a fun beach, close in town for body surfing. Lifeguards are on duty and there are showers and bathrooms. We came here multiple times while on our trip. Loved it!

Aka white sands beach This beach can be great when the conditions are good. Right Now (November) the sand is there and soft. But a storm can wash away the soft white sand and expose lots of lava rocks and gravel. Then it can take weeks/months to build back up. The surf can be harsh here so be careful especially when rocks are exposed. Great sunsets. Good parking. Restrooms. These are our favorites!!! Our Top 10 not to be missed beach picks #1 Mauna Kea beach (Kauna'oa) -prettiest beach on the island. Blue Ocean, Soft Sand, but beware limited parking spots so better be there before 9:30am 60 minutes from Kona. #2 Hapuna - just perfect. A great place to relax and body surf in the waves. Big beach with Lots of parking, facilities and some shade. 60 minutes from Kona. #3 Kahalu'u (Just south of Downtown) Decent Snorkeling & turtles too. Crowded after 11am #4 Kekaha Kai Beach Park has three beaches. This is the best of the three shirt walk, port-a-potty. Ahhh this is the perfect Hawaiian Beach #5 Manini owali/ Kua bay has the most amazing azure blue blue water, enjoy playing in the waves #6 Honanaunau also known as 2 Step. (No beach here, just good snorkeling) #7 Makalawena is a short hike across lava path (30 min total) worth the effort Swim, snorkel, Sun bathe #8 Beach 69 (Waialea Bay)60 minutes from Kona. - soft golden sand, shade, nice waves and some snorkeling. #9 Kikuau point (Four Seasons) My new favorite. Gentle swimming area for kiddos. Beautiful palm trees good facilities. 30 Parking my spots so be there by 11 or after 1pm to get a spot. 45 minutes from Kona. #10 Black sands beaches. On kona side there are a few. Beach 49, Ke awa iki, is Okay but the most famous is Punalu'u on the south end of island. We here there are some new blacksands beaches with the last eruption, time to explore more.

My husband and I came to Magic Sands for the day to do a little snorkeling and swimming. The beach is small and looks like it can get pretty crowded, but it wasn't too bad when we were there. The waves are manageable and the water is clear. There are some tide pools where you can look for pretty little critters. The water itself was great for snorkeling and you only have to go a few feet out to start seeing all of the fish! We saw at least 10 varieties of reef fish and a moray eel!

Fun, little, local beach that has some good boogie/body boarding with the right conditions.

Cute but very small beach. The tide was too high to actually go out today. There's a ton of rocks so it's very limited spaces to sit on actual sand.

Nice little beach friendly surfers...3 foot waves what else you need well sand for beginners...lol Abracadabra.... we need more sand .....meaby neaxth .weeeeeeek

Soft beautiful sand .. waves are strong but fun boogie board.. snorkeled a little and saw a few beautiful fish .. there is a little shack next door with snacks or magic sands bar and grill is great too..

Check the tides and know your swim ability! This beach can be flat or fierce. Mostly good fun. Lifeguard will correct your newbee ideas if they see you on the rocks with your back to the waves. Hilarious to eat at the grill and watch peeps get rolled in the water.

The beach was so much fun. Love the body surfing. We came here several times a week. It's crowded with happy tourists laughing away when the waves hit them . I will miss this beach when I go home to the mainland .

Small, crowded beach. But the waves were fun! Rough, but fun. Parking is pretty good on the road. You might have to walk a little, but overall, not bad. COULD be a little aggressive for small children and you'll definitely have to keep a close eye on them. Great sand!