Kehena Black Sand Beach

The beach itself is beautiful. A few important things to note: 1. If you are staying on the Kona side, don't drive all the way here for this. Beautiful, but you have nice beaches there as well. 2. Clothing optional beach. You WILL see nudity. If this bothers you, don't go. 3. No facilities and minimal parking area. It is a small beach.

I visited this beach in the morning in August. The waves were very powerful and unpredictable. I got surprised by a big wave and Black sand in every crevice and had a great time. But be aware: it's had the feeling of a locals only beach. It is a pagan hippie vibe in the area and there's a clothing optional LGBT place in the area as well. It is a clothing optional beach but we didn't see any nakeds in the morning. Just keep that in mind. There's also a steep climb down lava rock and a ladder but I'm a fatty and I navigated it just fine. I don't have mobility issues but if you do this won't work. But by golly, we saw probably 20 spinner dolphins putting on a fun show and the black sand has a unique feeling underfoot. Happy I went but as others have said, not worth the long trip out there just for this.

Well, I can't exactly share a panoramic photo or video, because much to my surprise, the beach is VERY clothing optional. That being said, there were clothed families with children. Nobody cared what anyone else was doing. Family fun, friends sharing grass, nude sunbathing. It was a bit of a scramble down a hill (cliff?) to reach the beach. But the beach is INCREDIBLE. Cool vibes from all people. This is a definite stop if you are a local or a tourist.

Really cool black sand beach - good for swimming or lounging. BE WARNED: It is a steep path to get down from the parking area to the beach. This spot is not handicapped accessible at all. Additionally, there were a number of nude swimmers and a couple with an off-leash dog - depending on your viewpoint, those may be good or bad features. There are also no bathrooms or any other facilities on the site.

A beautiful black sand beach that’s clothing-optional and features a cool drum circle on Sunday afternoons. Very free and relaxed vibes here, with people dancing to the drum circle, hanging out and playing ukelele, swimming, doing yoga on the sand, or just relaxing. There was plenty of nude people but also lots of people in swimwear so you won’t stick out either way. There is a fairly steep hike down to the sand, about five minutes from the parking area, and given the adjacent cliff there’s limited sun. The waves were fairly powerful when we went, but not scary and it made for some fun swimming. There were a surprising number of kids around, some participating in the nudity, and lots of off-leash dogs so not the beach if you’re more uptight. If you fit in with the Puna vibes, though, this will be a great beach for you.

**Clothing Optional & Very Steep Hike** Beautiful views from the top and the bottom. Know that some tan nude on the beach. Very steep and rocky way down. WEAR TENNIS SHOES!

We have mixed reviews in this list. Let's be pragmatic about it. This is a score of a location, if you are OK with some simple criteria. 1. It's clothing optional. 2. It's a moderately difficult short hike down a cliff so watch your footing. 3. It's a liberated vibe down here - free to be, with dancing to live drums amidst the aromatic senser fragrance of earthy leaf. 4. It's a judgment-free zone. 5. Social canines run around having fun. So, if you're open minded and free-spirited, you'll enjoy this beach. If you're not, sorry, but it may not be for you. 😉

*** Clothing Optional Beach *** This beach is a little GEM hiding behind the Escarpment and jungle. The black sand is one of the finest you can get. The wave brake is powerful. No lifeguard on site. No washroom onsite. Bring your own water. You will need to do a little hike to access the beach. As mentioned at the beginning, there is no advertising or warning about the clothing option. You can be surprised. That's been said, people are respectful and friendly. Parking is limited and very popular from Local.

Beautiful beach. Ocean is rough, no lifeguards. The hike down to the beach is difficult. So be careful. There are 2 separate ways to get to the beach. It's very quiet, black sand beach. There was less than 25% of those in the nude during our few hours on the beach, no one seem to flaunt about. Just carefree individuals.

It seemed beautiful as we were half way down the steep cliff, until we started seeing indecent exposure and as we had kids with us, it was inappropriate.... This was a nudist beach and they said that Sundays are the worst

Despite some negatives which may persuade some from visiting, in my opinion the positives outweighed them and this was one of the more unique and cool beaches we visited. Pros: -a black sand beach, which are common in this area, but not all over the islands -really cool views from the roadside entrance, the hike down over the lava rock, and then the beach -with this beach being below a cliff edge, the beach backdrop is large palms, vines and other tropical foliage covering which you dont typically have at most other beaches on the islands -ability to swim, snorkel, boogie-board and spearfish all at one beach -a variety of people young and old; even a group that comes to hang out and beat their hand drums, adding to the location's exotic, "The Beach" movie vibe Cons: -nude beach, with 10-25% of the people there nude during our visit, so might not be the best beach for kids -limited roadside parking, so depending on how crowded it is, may have to park a bit away from the trail entrance -a steep and rocky hike down to the beach, but short (~ 5min), so may not be the best for toddlers/babies, elderly or those with any kind of issue with that type of terrain -people smoking weed, so the smell is in the air ( a positive or negative depending on your preference) Even if youre not going to stay for a swim or a drum, and you can make the hike down, the uniqueness of this beach makes it a good stop.

Great place don't go if your not in good physical shape. It's a hike in & out. Beautiful clothing optional black sand beach.

A Beautiful black sand beach that's remote enough for clothing optional swimming, snorkeling and sunbathing. The people at the beach were friendly and no one cared if you were clothed or not. Everyone was relaxed and having fun. It's a little bit of a steep hike from the road and not recommended for small children or physically challenged.

This black sand beach within walking distance to our vacation rental was a delight. Clothing optional made the experience exotic. We were a bit dismayed however that on our first visit nearly all attendees were nude, but on our second most remained clothed. Regardless, we always found the atmosphere entirely non-judgmental. Surf is strong with huge beach breakers, so exercise caution! You can still swim though by timing the swell with a quick entry and exit without getting slammed. Vendors selling fruit and hand-made baskets & hats hang out roadside above.

Beautiful black sand beach for a freeing experience. Watch out for the sunburn. Great way to spend a morning and early afternoon. Anything goes here...

Definitely a nude beach with a crazy drum circle on Sundays. It was quite and adventure with our 2 year old and all the gear as you hike down; luckily the drum beat led the way. Since it is taboo to take pics on a nude beach I hid the camera away and took in all the sights and sounds. It was one of those life experiences and chilling in the water with the music rocked, literally. Lots of lava rocks and fish to see on this black sand beach. Make sure to lock your cars as we saw a couple of odd folks, thinking they may have been drug dealers for the beach event.

This serene oasis will give you a new perspective on life and refresh your soul. The sand is black in the waves are giant. Be prepared for a little hike down a rocky cliff and don't worry if you forgot your swimsuit -- lots of folks go in bare naked.

Booties, boobies and hairy hippies!! We spent one week on the big island with the intention of going once, but had such a blast that we came here 3 times. We are not the hippie type but we met a lot of carefree, down to earth people. Not only that, but this beach is truly breathtaking. Hands down, the most beautiful beach we've been to and this is coming from two people that got married in Kauai. The hike down can be a challenge for a senior couple or Giant Jenny, but cake for the average cat. As always, watch your step, bring sunblock, beer and an open mind since not all people are like you. Clothing is optional and so are dogs. On Sundays they have the most amazing drum circle, there's kids, adults, and pups enjoying the carefree environment. Highly recommend!

A great place to visit. There's a steep walk down the ravene, but worth it. Great ago sand beach, pretty intense current though. And bare skin. Be warned.

I am a fan of Kehena Beach, but there are certainly a list of cons. We were lucky that the place we stayed at was within walking distance to this beach. So we didn't have to worry about parking or rather, our car being broken into etc. Also, because it is just such a short walk, we can go at early early in the morning to watch sunrise and have the beach almost all to ourselves. I have read (and also the owner of the accommodation we booked have warned us) about the following: 1) Water conditions is not always safe 2) The hike down is not your nice paved road, i.e. exercise caution 3) Clothing is optional 4) May have some 'questionable' gatherings or what the owners of the rental house said, "may hear drums and may get crazy" Having said that, we enjoyed our experience at Kehena Beach. We were there twice during our short 3 night trip on the Big Island. Once for sunset and once for sunrise. It was beautiful watching the sun rise and that day, the weather was bad so the waves were rough. We had a lot of fun watching the waves crash in to the tide pool. Both times, there were hardly anyone around, but later on in the morning (for the sunrise), we did see a few more people and yes, like other reviewers have already said, clothing was optional.

The best thing about clothing-optional beaches is that it helps you to realize that any little thing that makes you self-conscious about your body is complete and utter crap. Because strangers' naked bodies are stranger. That's why they call them strangers. This place is super local and generally filled with people of all ages and backgrounds, except for the prudish tourist types. People are friendly and you're likely to smell/see/smoke some funny stuff on any sunny day. This was by far my favorite beach on the island, mostly because it was closest and was always filled with the same colorful characters. On a good day, you can swim with dolphins in the morning, catch some rays, meet some interesting folks on a legit black sand beach sheltered from the road by a large cliff. On a bad day, there is no beach because the killer waves are busy drowning all of the not-so-savy people foolish enough to get anywhere near the water. This is not a place to take your kids and ignore them, because they will definitely be swept away. So check it out (if you're not the prudish type) and see how the conditions are before you get in the water. Also, get a friend to put sunscreen on for you. Or else a stranger body will volunteer.

Great beach. Suggested by my local AirBNB host and backed up by good Yelp reviews. Do be sure to read the reviews here and take adequate precautions. The waves and the rocks can be very dangerous and I am glad I read other people's warnings before I came. I was able to enjoy the water and get out when I felt the waves were getting too rough to feel safe. That being said, I had a wonderful time being un-self-conscious about my body, rolling in the waves, sunbathing, and relaxing on my towel. Before long, a beautiful woman in a bikini came up to me and offered me her pipe. Doesn't get much better than this, people. Amazing scenery, tremendous waves, and if you can get over the naked old guys and the families with kids, a great place to relax.

If you want to sun bathe in the buff, this is the place for you. You will, of course, have to take a pretty steep little climb down a cliff to get there and then you can just get in the water and float about because these are not calm waters. I'm a fan of the naked beach in general, but I like to linger in the ocean so I passed on most of the experience (other then the initial check out). There are no warning signs, so if you're put off by folks in the buff hopefully you've read these reviews first. It's ridiculous beautiful though.

This is a BOMB ass beach. We stayed about 3 mins away and I had such a great time going. Some folks that walked down with us were shocked at the nude beach. I didn't care and joined in. Love the rock tumbling noice!!

Just NOT my most favorite beach to go to. Surf is very strong and dangerous. You'll only have sun until about 11:00am. I think it's very dirty; people piss near the cliffs, they don't bring their trash out with them, shady characters. I went to a Sunday drum circles and some drunk was trying to fight with me. Just didn't feel comfortable here.

It's easy to see why this is a local favorite. A small hike down to the beach. Beautiful waves. A beach big enough for everyone. Nothing but friendly faces. Aloha lives here. But not always clothing. Dolphins are often seen swimming not too far away. Drum circles play regularly on Sundays. Dancers can be found doing acrobatic moves in the sand. I've heard rumors that car break-ins are fairly common, but I had no such problems. I even found myself out for a nude nighttime swim after Hurricane Darby passed, and it was absolutely wonderful...

This is one of the best beaches I have ever been to. Black sand and is soft And water is crystal clear. Bring your water shoes because it can get rocky some spots. It's a perfect place for snorkeling since there are some deep drop offs you can explore. There was a short hike down some rocks to get to it, but nothing technical. Apparently we came on a good day because a local told me other days the water can be rough and the beach can be a bit dangerous. Although we are not nudists, We saw plenty of nude people on the beach but we didn't mind. There were guys playing ukulele, guitar and one guy was stacking rocks. I really dig the vibe of this place. We didn't take many pictures because I don't know what the etiquette is for that thing. I want to go back with my snorkel gear and try out the deeper spots.

Yesterday at least one person drowned here; the search and rescue helicopter's been combing the area looking for bodies since yesterday afternoon. One local said that on average one person dies in the water at this beach every year. I believe it. I ventured in myself a couple days ago, when the waves were just starting to grow, and although the fellow with me had lots of experience and thought it was a kick to ride the big ones, I thought I was lucky to get out alive. Scariest water experience I've had, and I've been upside down in lots of waves. When there is a heavy surf - which is to say quite often - it creates a strong undertow as the waves recede. So it pulls you out. Just off the beach there is also a very strong cross-current that flows southwest down the coast, which is nothing but volcanic cliffs for tens of miles. The story I heard is that one of yesterday's victims got swept down the coast by the current and tried to get back to shore along the cliffs, where the waves smashed him into the rocks. The advice I read is to get someone's attention and stay in the "dark water" and wait for help. So I'd say, unless the water's absolutely calm, don't swim here. If you stay on dry land, there's the beautiful spectacle of the black sand and the white froth of the waves. Sit by the trail and watch the sun rise. Some people here are clothed and some not. If nudity bothers you, then go to any one of the other beaches on the island. The locals I met were friendly and helpful, and to their credit, they told the water was wild before I went in and they kept their eyes on me until I got back out. Good folks, to my way of thinking, whatever they were wearing.

I went in February of 2011 to Hawaii and stumbled upon Kehena Beach on Day 2 of my road trip around the Island. Let me start by saying that everywhere on this magical island is a sight to behold, but Kehena was a unique and pleasant surprise. It is situated right off what the locals call the "Red Road". If you are headed East on the road it is on your right hand side. We found this spot when we notice cars parked along side of the road and people getting out of their vehicles with towels and swimming apparel. We parked, asked someone if there was a beach around and they pointed to the path that lead down the cliff to the beach. As we arrived at the path, the scenery was AWESOME to say the least! One of the best views on the trip. As we climbed down the steep path, with each step came a more breathtaking and impressive paradise like views. BLACK SAND BEACH, AQUA BLUE GREEN OCEAN, SUN KISSED BLUE SKY, HEAVEN ON EARTH! As we reached the shore to our surprise, the beach was populated by nude and clothed bathers. The diversity of people from old to young, black and white, male and female, local and travelers is one of the most interesting melting pots of people I've seen. The vibe is great, the people are irie, and the atmosphere is magical. One tip if you go is, this is a local beach and has NO TOURIST SERVICE. Basically, it's the beach, the people, and you. Bring water, food, lock your doors and make sure you take money and valuables with you or locked up out of view. As a travel rule of thumb to paradise, what you bring in be sure you take out. DO NOT LITTER OR DISTURB THE SCENERY WITH YOUR TRASH! Oh and by the way, there are plenty of people taking part in cannabis consumption as well. A drum circle happens every Sunday at around 12 noon. Anyone is welcomed to join with an instrument of choice or if you ask you may most likely be able to use someones drum. If you don't play you can surely dance to the rhythms as most people are. Yoga, meditation, dancing, singing, drumming, you will find it on that day in abundance. The water is rough at times and it can be quite challenging if you are not a good swimmer. If no one is in the water, that is usually a good sign that it is not safe. If you are not sure, go in about waist deep, let a wave come in, and ride it safely to shore like you would on any other beach experience. Do not go shoulder deep, or even to the point where you can not touch the bottom, if you are NOT a GOOD SWIMMER. The water has a pretty strong draw back to sea when it's retreating for another swell. Overall, if you are a free spirit, love diverse people, and an "off the beaten path" type of experience, you will LOVE Kehena Beach. ONE LOVE!

Amused that this tiny hidden black sand beach has made its way to Yelp, a bit taken aback anyone could give this beach a rating of less than five stars. I suppose it depends on what your expectations are. Hidden deep within the thick Puna jungles on the Southeastern side of the island is a black sand beach with no markers, no signs, no restrooms, no food, no grand resorts, and no luau's. The beach was once more popular, a shining jewel in the heart of Puna, but an earthquake in the 1980's destroyed the staircase that led down to the beach, cutting off access to all but the bravest of tourists and locals who weren't afraid to climb down cliffs. The earthquake plunged the beach into further isolation, and literally lowered the beach further into the ocean. Soon it stopped being patrolled by police, and no longer appeared in glossy travel brochures. In a way, the beach was taken back by the island, and the locals. In the 1990's, South Puna resurfaced as a tourist spot for those who balk at the golden California tones of Kona and West Hawaii. The destruction of Kalapana in 1990 signalled a new wave of tourists interested in coming to check out the reactivated volcano. Vacation rentals popped up around the cliffs of Puna. South Puna's counter-culture adopted the beach as a Sunday meeting ground, a tradition that has now lasted for years. On any given Sunday you will find dozens at the beach, usually forming drum circles and other makeshift jam bands. It's not for the faint of heart. Nudity is common every day, and drugs (mushrooms and marijuana) are common on the beach on Sundays. It's a live and let live attitude, people really don't care what you do, just don't invade locals' personal space or take pictures of them without their permission. Don't leave your car unlocked, especially if you have a shiny new rental car as opposed to the barely running beat-up car the usual Puntatic has. And I'm dead serious about that. If you are a tourist...travel smart. Police are usually at least 30 minutes away or more in this area. The surf is NEVER calm, although there are times when its definitely easier to swim than not. If there are no locals in the water, don't even THINK about taking a swim, even with fins. You can't really relax in the water as a strong current constantly tries to drag you southward, either toward a crop of dangerous rocks or to the Antarctic. But on days when there are locals in the water, there is a high chance you will be rewarded with spinner dolphins who come out to play with swimmers. Wear fins and hand-fins if you choose to swim out to play with them. The beach is magical. During high tide the beach is nearly completely covered by water. High cliffs hide the beach completely from the old red road above (Highway 137). It is said Kanaloa, the ancient Tiki god of the sea, is slowly reclaiming the beach from man, as fierce southern-ocean exposure causes erosion of the beach, yet locals who may or may not be homeless come down to the beach every morning and shovel precious lost sand back onto the beach for hours each morning in an attempt to slow the erosion process. They truly take pride on this beach, so don't trash it. Pack in, pack out. Pele will get you if you litter on the beach, mwahaha. The beach is found by mile marker 19 on the old red road, just look for some cars parked along the road. There are two paths downward but only one actually goes to the beach. The southern-most path actually leads to where the staircase collapsed. There is a hike down a steep cliff, there is no handicap access, no restrooms, but there are often really cool locals selling local made jewelry out the back of their truck.

Don't be afraid to let it all hang out! This gem of a nude beach has been my favorite place for decades, I have never seen a car broken into or had any trouble here. The people are laid back and friendly. No litter like the county beaches. Just go slow down the trail and stay out of the water if you are not a strong swimmer. It's true that folks smoke weed and drink beer here but that is often later in the afternoon.

This small stretch of beach is about 50 feet below the road. There is a lava cliff behind you, and rough surf in front of you. If you are not a Good swimmer, just hang out on the beach. Spinner dolphins come by when it is sunny in the morning. Take a towel, beach mat, anything to keep the black lava sand from getting all over you. The climb back up is a lot harder than going down, so take your time, up and down. Stop a couple of times and take a look around. The scenery is awe inspiring. Sunday = Hippy drum circle around noon Monday = Gay day any other time= almost never more than 15 people much busier on the weekends. lock your doors, and if you are in a rental car, don't leave anything (like your passport) inside it, anywhere in Hawaii!

In the 70's my grandma took some black sand from this beach. What she did not know was that doing this was bad luck--Pele no likey. On my trip to the Big Island, I brought that sand back to the very beach she got it from. This beach is small, beautiful and secluded...... And as I type that sentence, I understand why this is a popular place for nudists. My boyfriend and I were a little taken aback but had a good laugh about it. We returned my grandmas sand, stuck our feet in the water for a bit and then headed out. I can't want to tell my grandma about our experience--now I have a couple questions for her to answer!

No other place in the world like this beach. It's definitely one of a kind. Hippie hangout, drum circle, clothing optional. Some serious Aloha spirit going on here. Kinda like a mini Woodstock going on. If you go, make sure to participate in the festivities. Bring a drum, party, dance, suntan, socialize. Be tolerant and open minded. Otherwise, it may be awkward for you and others. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au6I8y2dGcA&feature=youtu.be See this video and feel the vibe of the tribe! :)

Beautiful beach. One of the few "beaches" in the east side of the big island. The week we were here the waves were very rough and I did not go in the water. Beach gets shaded early in December. Saw people swimming, jumping into the water from one of the rocks. During the morning not crowded but still some unclothed people doing yoga on the beach. Cool experience but not a swimming beach unless you are a strong swimmer with good sense.

This beach is meant for the open minded. Everyone is very friendly and mostly locals. The beach is clothing optional and on Sunday's there is a drum circle. To get down to the beach you must climb down a relatively steep lava rock cliff. Most people should be fine climbing down but if you have knee or stability problems it may be more challenging. Biggest recommendation is to take your time, lava rock cuts easily. You can swim in the water but you should be careful and a strong swimmer. The ocean takes one persons life a year on average, usually a tourist. Sometimes there are dolphins in the mourning but you must swim pretty far out to be able to view them underwater. Overall the beach is magical for the right type of person. It feels isolated from the rest of the world, a little piece of paradise.

I am not sure how to explain this place, it is nothing that we expected, much better. Yes there are some naked people (not all) and yes there might be someone smoking a joint but that is what makes this place wonderful and no we didn't get naked or high. This is a clothing optional beach not a nude beach, there may be one or two nude people talking to others that are not nude or I seen a couple walking hand in hand, he was fully clothed and she was wearing only a necklace. It was very relaxing and calming for us. This was the second time we had been there. Now try not to leave any valuables in your car because you will not be in sight of it and we heard that cars have been broken into in the past, we did not have any problems or noticed any one else with issues.

This beach was beautiful, but definitely not what I had imagined when we chose this area for our vacation. As others have said, the water is quite dangerous. I was only able to wade out a bit with my kid before legitimately fearing getting pulled in with the undertow. Also, the hike down the cliff to the beachy area can be tough to manage if you're not, well, a goat. We preferred the far less busy Kaimu Beach in Kalapana.

When in search of this, my very first excursion to a black sand beach, I had heard that there were several people who went in the buff, but I guess I wasn't really expecting to see it. Or what I should say is that I wasn't expecting a virtual hippie enclave as laidback as you might see in various parts of California, complete with a guy who did naked yoga for the better part of two hours I know the etiquette is that you're not supposed to look, but, frankly, if you're going to get naked in front of me, I'm going to look. It's human nature, and I'll try to be discreet, but you can hardly blame me for being curious. Total kudos to nudists, too, especially the older couple who came - I wish I was that comfortable. Anyway, the beach itself is a bit hard to get to, a bit of a climb, and we found it almost by accident. The sand is fine and nice to sit on. The water is completely gorgeous, blue and the surf seemed relatively gentle. Love beaches that face east, because the sun sets behind you and you don't have to do the whole squinty-faced routine to keep looking out at the ocean.

Amazing amazing beach. From the hike down the mountain, the rough terrain, the calm pool, the black stones that fade into soft black sand, the hippie vibe, all down to the huge crashing waves and passing Dolphins. Everything about this beach makes it my favorite. It was quiet when I was there last week, but this was in the evening. I wouldn't have had it any other way. Definitely check out this bikini optional black sand beach that is a diamond in the rough.

Absolutely one of the most uniquely beautiful natural spaces I have ever experienced. Jet black sand, warm blue ocean, waves crashing onto the shore, palm trees, the sheer cliffs rising up into the sky, and the feeling that you are completely, utterly, "away from it all." Beautiful spot. The water is rough and dangerous. I did not swim there. A friend who did reported that he felt a strong undertow making it tough for him to get back to shore. Unless you are a very strong and confident swimmer, I'd recommend sticking close to land. It's still an amazing place to watch the sea and let the waves roll over your feet.

Definitely a shock when we hadn't been warned of the "clothing optional" beach. In reality, we had a great time. No one cared that we didn't go "optional" and kept CLOTHING ON. lol. Surf is a little rough-- but fun for the big guys in our family. It IS a black sand beach-- so don't expect that the sands will be cool. They are very warm, and because they are lava can embed little lava rocks into the bottom of your feet. Errr... and anything else you might expose to the sand. =0) Overall-- a fabulous beach, and if you go close to dark, it can be a really quiet retreat with little to no attendees other than yourself. And yes.. the yoga practitioners are abundant in the nude. LOL... Open your mind, close your judgmental eyes, and have a ball! T

Maybe I'm just getting old, but the vibe at kehena has changed. Yes it's an off the wall hippy hangout where you'll still see a gorgeous naked lady breast feeding her baby then pull a huge knife out of her backpack, slice open some ripe papaya, and use the juice to scrub her skin all over with the black volcanic sand before rolling around in the waves. Yes some skinny dreadlocked hippy will go down to the waters edge and do an upside down split so his ass crack and saggy balls are framing the gorgeous ocean view. Yes some tourist will panic in the water and almost drown but get saved by a lot of compassionate caring people willing to rush out and risk their own lives.. There will be drumming.... Wear sunglasses, so you can discretely stare at all this alternate reality going on around you. And yes there's a lot of mellow herb being smoked... one guy lit his hand made coconut water pipe with a parabolic solar reflector... Very green! But when did people start bringing so much booze into this mix? I don't remember that from the days when I fell in love with kehena... Now there's guys chugging bottles of Jack Daniels in the sun and yelling incoherently about Jesus, and packs of underage straight kids lugging down cases of beer for serious partying back by the cliffs. The alcohol adds a very different, darker energy to the beach as the day gets later. I wish the regulars would get together and disallow alcohol on the beach and self- enforce that.... I don't feel comfortable in the late afternoon/ early evening any more... I suggest going early and leaving early, before the heavy drinking starts. This is one of those puna places where you're really on your own.

This is a beautiful beach on the east side. I swam in the water with no issues. Just stay away from the rocks and if the locals aren't in the water, you shouldn't be, either. The climb to get down isn't bad. I would recommend water shoes or some other closed toed shoe.

If you read the other reviews, you'll find out just about everything you need to know, bring, pack and expect. You're on vacation at one of the BEST, most breathtaking nude beaches on the island of Hawaii, so just let go. Men, go au natural. Women, at least go topless. No one knows you anyway. Get over it, and get over yourself. Seriously. It was midweek when we went there, around 10:30am, and there were no more than 10 people & 2 small kids there when we arrived (there were about 40 people there when we left at 3pm. It stared to get crowded.) The morning was So quiet. so peaceful. No loud music, except for the faint sound of a local playing the flute in the background. you can barely hear conversation. People are doing nothing but listening to and watching the incredibly azure colored waves crashing against the black sand. A MUST to have with you is: hiking shoes of some sort (we always wear our Keens) as the hike down to the beach is challenging, a blanket, towels, sun screen and a cheap umbrella from Walmart. You can always sit back from the water in a shaded area (shaded by cliffs and trees). We all watched, clapped and cheered for the whales in the distance as they surfaced and showed off their big fins and tails! It was fun to be part of that community participation. It was apparent that that is most likely the way the whales should be viewed and appreciated, instead of in captivity. The black sand is sticky so get used to it. Try a quick trip to the small sectioned whirlpool area at the base of the trail, to the right. Watch the waves crash and splash over your head. So awesome. Be prepared for tough rough waves that can crash you onto the lava rocks on the beach. But its the most awe inspiring authentic Hawaii you'll ever experience. Get there EARLY to 1)get a parking spot on the side of the road and b)enjoy the early morning weather and quiet. So peaceful.

Not just a nude beach, but also a gorgeous black sand beach that was swimable in January. There are some rocks bordering the entrance side which are really picturesque, especially as the waves crash over them. Shade hits the entrance side of the beach fairly early (around 3pm in winter) and starts to cover most of the beach within an hour, which is probably for the best considering the amount of untanned flesh on display! Cool, relaxed, friendly vibe where everyone can feel comfortable.

I'll give it five stars because it's the best beach in Puna and the largest beach anywhere on the East Side of Hawaii Island. That said, it's the ONLY beach in Puna and it's small and getting smaller all the time. If you need a big white sand beach go West Side to Hapuna or Mauna Kea. This was created by volcanic action a few decades ago and it's shrunk ever since. An earthquake dropped it several feet, look south and you can see stairs down a cliff from a house that end hanging in the air, over pounding surf. Used to be a beach there... It's a mellow family friendly beach (as long as you or your family aren't worried about seeing, as we tell the little kids when warning about bad touch, skin where the undies go) but it does get crowded Sunday afternoons. I'm an old hippie, but the smoke gets too much, and too many bodies for me and the family after one or two on Sundays, but the rest of the time it's a great place to sun and surf. Though we did find that hanging out in the middle of the drum circle made the 4 month old grandbaby happy and she'd cry every time the drumming stopped! And speaking of nudies, back when our children had never been to a nude beach we went to Red Sand Beach in Hana, Maui. They walked by a few middle aged naked guys on our way to snorkle and either didn't notice or didn't care enough to notice their lack of bathing suits, but maybe your children will be scarred for life. Fifteen years ago it seemed filled with nice nubile bodies, now I'm afraid you might be more likely to see grandma or some guy doing yoga. And I do mean it's a good place to sun and SURF! If you go you might see me or a few others body surfing the pounding shore break. I grew up body surfing O'ahu and Kehena is a hard place to ride, very hard breaking and shallow and has some rocks. That said, I love surfing there, but unless I want to drive over two hours from my house to go to Hapuna or Magic Sands, it's the only choice I have. And you'll often see tourists and fools getting smashed by the waves and/or getting drug out to sea. We have to save people often, last I pulled in was a girl of around ten and I chewed out her mother, what ARE you thinking!?!? Hawaiians traditionally watch the ocean for a while before going in to the water, if they go in. They use their brains. For some reason when malahinis (noobs) come to "paradise" they do silly things like leave their camera on the back seat of unlocked cars or jump into dangerous waters. No one would leave a nice camera in sight on the back seat parked in Oakland or LA, for goodness sakes! I've never lost anything on the Big Island and I've been coming here since 1955. But we use our heads and put our valuables in the trunk out of sight or in our bag which we carry down to the beach and if we are all in the water, we sometimes put the bag near some friendly folks and tell them that this way the roaming evil beach gangsters will mug them, not us - (that is a joke...), and we do pay attention. Anyhoo, if the surf is up, DON'T GO IN THE WATER!! It's not Kehena's fault or problem that people keep dying there and every other beach in Hawaii. Fourteen drowning deaths last year in the Islands. Mostly in flat water - if you can't walk up the stairs with out gasping for breath, perhaps snorkling isn't too bright an activity? Oh, and it's good for sun only until mid to late afternoon as the sun soon disappears behind the cliff. When the surf is small it's a nice swimming and snorkling beach. And the trail down is steep. After the first part GO RIGHT. There is a nice path that zigzags and avoids a steep rocky section. Against the ciff there used to be a screened by bushes bathroom area with screened pipes to pee in, but it got wiped by a landslide, so now the ocean or the bushes in back are it. It gets cleaned, trash picked up, bushes and trees pruned, rock walls and seating built by the Menehunis, a loose, very loose, group of volunteers. Have fun, and if you are a hippie type head over to the Sea View lawn a little north for a mellower Sunday gathering.

Beautiful black sand beach with cool short hike down to get there. Probably should have read reviews or asked about it before we brought our young kids down! "Daddy, that guy over there is NAKED!" Beach is amazing though.

I've been here on every trip to the Big Island. It's a beautiful black sand beach in the Puna district. It is pretty quiet here during the week but gets very busy on the weekends, because there are many families there. Yes, it's clothing optional, but get over it and enjoy it. There's nothing like feeling the cool breeze blowing up against your skin. The surf is very rough, and I wouldn't recommend swimming unless you are an expert. You could totally get swept away. I put my feet in the water and that was as far as I went. You'll see some interesting characters, but everyone is friendly and sociable. Yes, you will smell some interesting smells on the beach. Be careful leaving any valuables in your car, as problems have been reported with breakins in that area. Be careful on the trail down from the road as it is steep and treacherous. But it's totally worth the trip.

Gorgeous natural beach in it's natural environment. A bit of hike to get down, but this is truly paradise. Depending on the surf I may or may not go in, but if you are not an experienced swimmer I would avoid the water as i drops down quite soon off the beach.

This was an amazing experience. Something magical about stripping down on a black sand beach and letting the warm tropical winds wash over your body. If you have never gone nude sunbathing, this is a great way to start. Guaranteed to jump start your stay in paradise. Highly unlikely you will see anyone you know (if you even care). You are able to consume just about anything to give you the courage to get in the buff. It is something everyone needs to try once. I have been to nude beaches all over the world. This ranks right up there for scenery and climate. Can't wait to go back. Avoid the surf and lock your goods away. Don't forget to put extra sunscreen on your tender bits.

this is the spot to feel the real aloha spirit. a naked stoner beach that is friendly and sharing. i would not make a huge detour to get there, but if you are around, go. also, go early in your trip - there are nights with drum circles and gatherings - mostly wednesdays but that changes. good place to chat people up and find out what is going on and where.