Anaehoomalu Beach

Stayed at an Outrigger Condo nearby & went here 4 days out of 7. If you get there early enough you can score a beach chair & not have to sit on the sand on your towel & mat. (BTW– buy one of the big foldable mats at Target & take it home with you instead of one of the crappy roll up pathetic ones)
Very clean bathroom but no soap available to wash your hands. Smallish parking lot fills up early too. Nice drive-​up drop off circle for people with disabilities or families with small kids.

As much as I utterly dislike crowded, touristy beaches, I do like this one for several reasons.
It isn’t very difficult to find. We found it using the Big Island Revealed app. There is ample parking. I was ready to pass when I saw all the tourists everywhere but I’m glad I gave it a chance.
As soon as you walk out to the beach, you are greeted by a grandiose tourmaline view of the water. I’ll admit. I was awed. Still wasn’t happy that there were people everywhere but it really wasn’t that bad. Right but the restrooms (that are, by the way, decent, clean, functional) are several trees that offer shade and act as natural dividers so you can find a nook to claim and not feel like you’re in the general population.
You can hike farther down to the left and follow the water line where you can enjoy the sounds of the waves crashing and watch the windsurfers. Once you pass the area where new construction is going on, you will pass endless rows of trees on your left where you can find many spots to sunbathe, reflect, daydream, etc without being disturbed except for the occasional explorer. I am writing this review under the shade of some trees, 10 feet from the gently rolling waves. The breeze is refreshing and the number of windsurfers have doubled since I started my exploration.
On my way here, I passed several turtles. After I took my 500 pictures of them, I moved on. The shore isn’t all sand. I highly recommend shoes. There were areas where lava rocks formed crystal clear pools and those are worth checking out. Not so fun in bare feet unless you’ve got soles as tough as rubber tires.
I haven’t gone in the water yet (me being a hiker explorer) but my husband (who is the sea monkey) tells me that there are lots of coral and the water is not as clear as other beaches in the area.
I’m giving it 5 stars inspite of my initial reluctance because I did find a quiet nook for myself away from all the others and I am thoroughly enjoying myself
Things I liked:
Beautiful, tourmaline color of the ocean
Numerous spots where it’s possible to have some serenity
Lots of parking (though this has never been a negative for me if parking was not so readily available)
Working, clean bathrooms (although as a hiker, well,…)
Definitely the honu. I LOVE them
The other reviews gave a negative for the rough sand and lava rocks. I don’t mind. It gives this beach character and a reminder that this island has been and is continually being formed by volcanic activity. I would definitely come back here and, yes, I would bring my guests here.

Lot of Marriott people here for obvious reasons, and the sand is a beautiful salt and pepper color, but not as soft on the feet. Not many waves, but that can be a good thing if you have a toddler. Water is oddly cold compared to other beaches nearby. Parking is good in the late morning and public restrooms not bad. Lots of shade under many trees too.

After spending a day at the beaches with super fine sand, this beach does not compare. The sand is coarse and hurts to walk on. The beach and the available swimming area is short and the waves are not strong enough to boogie board on.
However, the sunset is indeed beautiful, the area where the turtles sunbathe is fascinating, and – like other Hawaiian beaches, the water is clear.
This beach is worth visiting just to look, though. Don’t forget to spend time at the ponds behind the beach. There are lots of crab, shrimp, and fish to watch.