Kaunaoa Bay facts for kids
Kaunaʻoa Bay is home to one of the few white sand beaches on the Kohala Coast. This coast is on the western side of the island of Hawaiʻi. A famous hotel, the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, sits right on the beautiful Kaunaʻoa Bay.
What's in a Name?
The name Kaunaʻoa is interesting because it can mean a few different things in the Hawaiian language.
- One meaning is a thin, orange vine with yellow flowers. This plant (Cuscuta sandwichiana) grows all over Hawaiʻi. It is even the official lei vine for the island of Lānaʻi.
- Another meaning refers to a type of sea snail (Vermetidae).
- A third meaning describes a tough kind of seaweed (Galaxaura rugosa).
No one knows for sure which meaning inspired the name of this lovely bay!
Getting to the Bay
You can reach Kaunaʻoa Bay by taking Mauna Kea Beach Drive. This road is just west of state Route 19, which is also known as the Hawaiʻi Belt Road. The bay is located at 20°0′16″N 155°49′30″W / 20.00444°N 155.82500°W. It's about 2.6 miles (4.2 km) south of Kawaihae, Hawaii.
You can also explore the area by walking along the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail. This trail goes north to Samuel M. Spencer Beach Park. It also goes south to Hāpuna Beach State Recreation Area.
The beach has public restrooms and showers for visitors. However, there are only a limited number of parking passes available each day. You can get these passes at the resort gate. It's a good idea to arrive early if you want to visit!
In the year 2000, a professor named Stephen Leatherman called Kaunaʻoa Beach "America's Best Beach."
A Look Back: The Bay's History
The land above Kaunaʻoa Bay used to be part of the large Parker Ranch. In 1960, this area was mostly a quiet place with hot lava fields. It wasn't suitable for raising cattle.
Hawaii's first governor, William F. Quinn, invited a rich businessman named Laurance Rockefeller to visit the islands. Rockefeller was leading a study for the government. After visiting the ranch, Rockefeller went for a swim in Kaunaʻoa Bay. He loved it so much that he decided to build a resort there!
Plans for the resort began in January 1961. The state of Hawaii agreed to help by paving the Hawaii Belt Road to the site. They also built a new Kona International Airport nearby. Rockefeller also bought land that included the Puʻukoholā Heiau. This is an important ancient Hawaiian temple. He then gave this land to the government to create a National Historic Park.
The original idea was to build many small cottages. But these plans changed. Instead, a company called Skidmore, Owings & Merrill was hired. They designed a modern-style hotel.
The hotel was designed to be open-air. This allowed cool breezes, called trade winds, to flow through the building. Even so, the rooms also had air conditioning. The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel finally opened in July 1965. It was one of the most expensive hotels built at that time. Over the next few decades, other hotels with similar designs were built along the Kohala coast.
The owner of Parker Ranch, Richard Smart, agreed to a long-term lease for the land. The hotel was named Mauna Kea Beach Hotel after the tall mountain Mauna Kea. You can see this mountain above the bay on clear days.
Before the hotel was built, hawksbill turtles used to nest on the beach. In 1973, a lawsuit was started to allow the public to access the beach. After seven years, an agreement was reached. Starting in 1981, a small number of parking spaces were made available. Trails along the shoreline were also opened for everyone to enjoy.
In 2006, a big earthquake, called the 2006 Kiholo Bay earthquake, happened only a few miles from the bay. The earthquake damaged the hotel. But the hotel was repaired and reopened in early 2009.
