Polo Beach

Rating:

In a nutshell: A pair of beautiful sandy crescents fronting the Polo Beach Club and the Fairmont Kea Lani.
Minuses: Can get crowded with resort guests & cabanas.
Sound-bite: “Where are the horses?”

Details:
A pair of beautiful sandy crescents join to form this beach. The south end fronts the Polo Beach Club and the north side the Fairmont Kea Lani hotel. At times, the north end becomes crowded with Kea Lani guests, cabanas and lounge chairs; the south end is usually uncrowded.

A small grassy park with showers, bathrooms, picnic tables & BBQs is removed from the beach and resort. The tables and BBQs are infrequently used because they don’t have much of a view and feel sandwiched between resort buildings and the parking lot. Plenty of parking and real easy access.

Polo beach got renamed in a sales brochure for the resort, probably because one of the common names prior to re-branding was a bit less appealing: “Dead Horse Beach.” The full name of the beach, “Ke One o Polo” is, however, quite accurate when translated – “The sand is not thick.” There are plenty of rocks poking though.

Snorkeling is excellent during calm seas around the rocky point to the north end of the beach. Boogie boarding is good when a south swell comes in. Sandy entry and gentle slope makes swimming and playing in the water a pleasure, but during large swells you are advised to avoid this beach as dangerous rip currents are known to form.

Video: Ocean Kayak POV

Key Info:
Location: End of Makena Rd., turn into parking area. (see map below)
GPS Coordinates: 20.675662,-156.443596
Facilities: Showers, bathrooms, picnic tables, BBQs, no lifeguards.
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