Discover Whittington beach park and Honuapo Bay in the Big Island

This scenic beach park filled with the ponds and tidepools are fun to explore and enjoy the coastline here in Ka’u and just a short distance from Na’alehu town. Since, there’s not too much information about this beach park, find out more about Whittington’s fascinating history below.

This isolated and unspoiled beach park features natural ponds, beach areas, and even a dilapidated wharf with fascinating history.

Having lived in Hawaii for over 15 years, I’m sharing my own personal experiences and insight to visiting Whittington Beach park and exploring the pond areas. Hope you get to visit here someday.

History of Whittington Beach Park

In the early 1800s, Honuapo was a fishing village with the Honuapo pier constructed for ocean passage to the area. Once a prosperous and busy port area, the town of Honuapo was a bustling sugar cane town supporting the Hutchinson Sugar Plantation along with a shipping pier located at Whittington beach, which was also busy shipping facility. The sugar boom was active from the 1870s to late 1930s when competition for sugar went to cheaper growing and processing centers around the world. A large tsunami wiped out a large part of low-lying areas around the Big Island, this included the main pier at Whittington beach.

In 1948 the land was turned into Whittington park and named after Richard Henry Whittington with an 82-acre parcel for the public to enjoy and Honuapo or “turtle cove” for the various sea turtles that frequent the area. After Pearl Harbor was bombed in 1941, the Honuapo pier was also bombed to minimize any landing spots for the Japanese troops to get to the Big Island. What you see know are the remnants of what survived the bombing of the pier.

Amenities and attractions at the park

This oceanfront park in the Kau area of the Big Island is quiet and typically sunny most of the time but usually windy later in the daytime. Like most beach park areas, you’ll find a full range of amenities in the park but there is no actual beach area but more grassy spots and a fun lagoon to explore.

Here are more things to do around Whittington beach

You’ll find nice picnic grounds and covered pavilions

Grassy areas to lounge and play in

Restroom and shower area at the park that is non potable

Tidepools and pond areas to explore

Marine life viewing along the coastlin

Camping is allowed with permits

Fishing on the rocky areas or offshore

Explore the wharf ruins off the coastline areas.

Practical Information on visiting Whittington Beach Park

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🕒 Park Hours & Location

• Open daily: 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM
• Address: 95-4995 Mamalahoa Highway, Nā‘ālehu, HI 96722 ​Hawaii County, HI | Home+1Hawaii County Parks+1

Amenities

The park is equipped with:​

• Restrooms and outdoor showers (note: water is non-potable)
• Picnic tables and grassy areas
• BBQ pits and a covered pavilion
• Free parking ​

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Camping

Camping is permitted with a valid permit. Reservations can be made through the Hawaii County online system.

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Swimming & Safety

Swimming is not recommended due to rough waters and strong currents. However, the tide pools and fishponds are suitable for cautious exploration. ​

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Wildlife & History

The park is known for sightings of endangered Hawksbill sea turtles, especially around dusk and dawn near the fishponds. Historically, the area was a bustling port in the 19th century, with remnants of the old pier still visible. ​

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Getting There

• From Hilo: Approximately 62.4 miles via Highway 11
• From Volcano Village: About 35.5 miles ​HawaiianIslands.

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Nearby Attractions

• Punaluʻu Bake Shop for local treats
• Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach
• South Point (Ka Lae)
• Green Sand Beach (Papakōlea)​

Rare sea turtles at Whittington

One thing that makes Whittington beach unique are the endangered Hawksbill Sea turtles that can often be seen here especially in the fishpond area at nighttime. The best time to spot them is at dusk or early dawn in the pond areas of the park where they are going to and from the ocean. The turtles come into the pond at night for safety and leave the inlet area into the ocean during the early morning hours.

Swimming is dangerous in the beach area but exploring the tidepools and swimming there along with enjoying time at the beach is a popular pastime here along with fishing off the shoreline.

Other attractions to visit around Whittington and Na’alehu area

If you are exploring the south side of Hawaii island, check out these popular attractions, towns and beaches to explore in the area.

Explore Na’alehu town and surrounding areas

Drop by Punalu’u bake shop for some delicious breads and sweets

Visit the South Point at Ka Lae area

Check out the Black sand beach at Punalu’u

Hike to the Green Sand beach at Papakolea area

Have you visited Whittington beach park?

Enjoyed your visit here or any other tips to share? Please share on the comments below.

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Author Bio – Noel Morata

Having lived in Hawaii for over 15 years, I’ve explore all the historic and cultural sites, tried delicious traditional food, fusion and local style dishes and learned a lot about growing and sustainability.

Hawaii for me is ever changing and I visit many of these places regularly for inspiration, changes that may occur, seasonality and cultural practises. I hope to share with you all the fascinating things and places I’ve learned grown appreciation for and hope that you will find the information helpful to visiting the islands.