Waikoloa Beach is an area located on the
South Kohala
The districts of the Big Island. From Northernmost, clockwise; North Kohala (highlighted), Kona, and South Kohala
image:HawaiiIslandDistrict-SouthKohala.svg, The districts of the Hawaii (island), Big Island. From Northernmost, clockwise; North Ko ...
coast on the island of
Hawaii and is located in the
census-designated place of
Puako. It can be confused for
Waikoloa Village, a CDP in the same "
ahupuaa" and is also known as "Waikoloa".
The area is home to many notable cultural and geologic features of the ancient
Hawaiian culture including
aquaculture
Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lot ...
fishponds,
anchialine ponds and
petroglyphs.
Ala Kahakai
Ala Kahakai or "trail by the sea" is the name for the ancient pathway that runs along the coastline in the Waikoloa area that linked important entities in the Hawaiian culture including communities, temples, fishing areas, etc. The Ala Kahakai, estimated to be long, is commonly called "King's Trail".
Anaehoomalu Bay
Anaehoomalu Bay, also known as A-Bay, is a palm fringed beach, shallow water bay located on the
South Kohala
The districts of the Big Island. From Northernmost, clockwise; North Kohala (highlighted), Kona, and South Kohala
image:HawaiiIslandDistrict-SouthKohala.svg, The districts of the Hawaii (island), Big Island. From Northernmost, clockwise; North Ko ...
coast on the island of
Hawaii. Anaehoomalu is best known for its sunsets, snorkeling and historic royal fishponds. The nearest town is
Waikaloa Village, which used to be owned by
Parker Ranch.
It is the location of the Lavaman Triathlon.
Also there is a water sport shop to rent snorkeling equipment & tours, a glass bottom boat, paddle boards, kayaks, and hydro bikes.
It is also the home of the Waikoloa canoe club.
Anchialine ponds
The anchialine ponds of Waikoloa are part of Hawaiian culture and were preserved in 1985 as the Waikoloa Anchialine Pond Preservation Area maintained by the
University of Hawaii. The
brackish water lava pools located just at the coastline are fed by both freshwater springs from rain water and sea water making the ponds a unique
microclimate suitable for a various small fishes,
crustaceans,
mollusks and tiny red
shrimp
Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are refer ...
.
Kuualii and Kahapapa Fishponds
The Kuualii and Kahapapa Fishponds are located just behind the Waikoloa Beach in Anaehoomalu bay. Historically, it is understood that Anaehoomalu was a center of thriving aquaculture. The two ponds were part of complex of fish farms, carefully tended by ancient Hawaiian people.
Hilton Waikoloa Village

The Hilton Waikoloa Village is built on and has 1240 rooms and suites with tropical gardens, waterfalls, lagoons and waterways. The resort features the ''Kohala Tennis Garden'' and other gardens, artworks, and statues. It was originally developed in 1988 as the
Hyatt Regency Waikoloa with Japanese investment, however was sold to
Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Hilton Hotels & Resorts (formerly known as Hilton Hotels) is a global brand of full-service hotels and resorts and the flagship brand of American multinational hospitality company Hilton Worldwide, Hilton.
The original company was founded by C ...
in 1994. The popular game show
''Wheel of Fortune'' has taped at the resort in 1996, 2008, and 2014. The "Buddha Point" is a popular spot for sunset viewing.
[ ]
It also serves as the setting for the
Nickelodeon game show ''
Paradise Run''.
Petroglyphs

There are approximately 30,000 historically significant
petroglyphs, or stone carvings, in Waikoloa. They
are potentially the closest thing to a written language that Ancient Hawaiians used. Although some petroglyphs are identifiable as human or animal shapes, many are more obtuse and abstract, with their meanings likely lost to history. The majority of the petroglyphs are from the Fifteenth through Eighteenth Centuries; interspersed with these drawings are messages from Nineteenth Century visitors that are written in the modern
Hawaiian language
Hawaiian (', ) is a Polynesian language of the Austronesian language family that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language o ...
.
References
External links
*
{{Hawaii County, Hawaii
Populated places on Hawaii (island)
Beaches of Hawaii (island)