Properties Up to $500 per Night
Beach Banyan
Rates from:
$475
per night
Four generations of the island-based Black family have owned and loved this special oasis by the sea, presided over by the oldest and largest banyan tree in Puako. The family’s handiwork is present in the ocean-side groves of coconut palms soaring 15 to 35 feet high: on the right are palms named and planted by individual family members, many as young children, or in honor of special friends; on the left, special events are marked by a separate grove. Together, the palms frame sunsets and the neighboring island of Maui, dominated by the 10,000-foot-high mountain of Haleakala.
Blue Dragon Beach Bungalow
Rates from:
$375
per night
Set on a double ocean-side lot, this newly remodeled two-bedroom, two-bath bungalow offers spaciousness plus a sense of seclusion along with spectacular views. The large lawn between house and sea is perfect for children at play when they are not exploring the tidal pools just beyond. Adults can watch from the shaded pavilion under a spreading milo tree, where a swinging love seat offers pure relaxation. Walk the coral-lined path to the ocean, where turtles sunbathe, majestic whales frolic during winter months, and divers explore the depths of the Puako reefs—home to abundant sea life. A hammock and several chaises lounges await you in the shade of sea hibiscus trees, for perfect tranquility while enjoying the views of Maui, the Kohala Mountains and Puako sunsets.
Ehu Kai
Rates from:
$295
per night
Well named, ‘Ehu Kai (for the tropical seaside salt air) is located just beyond the water’s edge, nestled among the trees at Waialea Bay. Hand constructed by the owner, this one-bedroom, one-bath two-level home is surrounded by shade trees and lush vegetation—providing the best of both worlds: prized oceanfront location with comfortable temperatures and breezes year round. Just beyond your door, enjoy snorkeling, diving, swimming and sunbathing. Return to your upstairs living space and relax in the cool trade breezes while enjoying the ocean view from the covered lanai. ‘Ehu Kai is the perfect vacation spot for a couple with two young children.
Hale Lihikai “House at the Edge of the Sea”
Rates from:
$275
per night
This four-bedroom, three-bath home is located right on the water’s edge and offers the dual delight of Puako sunsets (which you’ll share with the honu—sea turtles—who sunbathe on the lava rocks) coupled with views of the summit of Mauna Kea. A well-loved home, where the owners raised their family, Hale Lihikai offers three options for a range of visitors: the Kona Side, the Kohala Side or the entire hosue, depending on your numbers and needs. Whichever you choose, you will enjoy your time spent amid unique surfing and Hawaiian décor, mature and lush landscaping lovingly planted over the years, and the shoreline of Puako Bay.
Hale Puako
Rates from:
$2800
per week
Perfectly sited for dramatic views and private access from the yard to the ocean, this double A-frame home sleeps six in one of the best seaside locations in Puako. Rough-hewn vaulted ceilings with tall windows frame views of Maui, the Kohala Mountains and Puako Bay. Relax in one of several outdoor choices: a front lanai, or a wind-protected sun bathing deck. Watch your children play in the grassy yard shaded by mature trees and shrubs. The balcony, part of the separate master suite, offers private viewing of Hawaii’s spectacular Pacific sunsets. You’ll be within walking distance of the charming Puako General Store and handy to excursions to Waialea Bay and Hapuna Beach, often rated among the world’s best beaches.
Honu
Rates from:
$450
per night
The honu, or green sea turtle, is a beloved figure in Hawaiian legends as well as on our beaches today. Some believe the honu helped guide the Polynesians to Hawaii (although others attribute that role to the kolea, or Pacific Golden Plover), because they swim hundreds of miles to return to their birthplace to lay eggs. Another myth has the honu Kaiula turning herself into a girl to watch over the children playing on the black sands of Punalu’u beach on the volcano side of the Big Island. Today the honu is revered as an “aumakua” or protective spirit and a symbol of good luck. Young honu are raised to maturity in the saltwater ponds of the nearby Mauna Lani Bay Hotel, where they are released into the ocean each July 4th or “Honu Independence Day.”
Because of their protected status, it is now common to see honu in the shallow waters and sandy beach of Waialea Bay, where this appropriately named home is located. An affordable vacation home right on Waialea Bay Beach, Honu is indeed a lucky find—a delightful place for children, so close to the sand and ocean with a grassy yard protected by landscaping and a shaded lanai for watchful parents. With two bedrooms and two baths, this home sleeps six. (See also Ehu Kai and Ulu Niu for other homes in this family compound.)
Kolea
Rates from:
$400
per night
Kolea (the Hawaiian name for the Pacific Golden Plover) are believed to have been migrating between Alaska and Hawaii for at least 120,000 years, returning to the same spot year after year. Symbolizing the unbroken continuity of nature’s rhythms, the kolea is an “aumakua” or “protector spirit” and figures in many Hawaiian stories, songs, chants and hula. It is an apt name for this seaside home, whose owner first came to the site as a child in 1929. Now one of four homes in this family compound (see also Honu, Ehu Kai and Ulu Niu), Kolea itself represents continuity, with many families returning to it every year—for good reason: it is a rare find: a beachfront vacation home at an affordable rate. Set amid the cooling shade of a coconut palm collection that was once the largest in the state, Kolea’s grassy yard is nearly an acre in size—great for children. Steps away is the white sand beach of Waialea Bay, where you’ll swim, dive, snorkel and sunbathe while enjoying the honu (sea turtles), manta rays and wintertime whale activity.
The two-bedroom, two-bath, two-story home, built in 1969 and recently renovated, offers comfortable beach-side living with cool breezes, outdoor dining, ocean views and spectacular sunsets. Kolea is one of only a handful of vacation rentals available on Waialea Bay, a prized location for a Hawaii vacation.
Maluhia Cottage
Rates from:
$195
per night
While the spectacular waters and extensive reef are among Puako’s primary attractions, the peacefulness of this beach community is not to be overlooked. Well named, Serenity Cottage seems to float above the mundane while capturing breezes, birdsong, and tropical fragrances. This mauka (mountain side) property offers unobstructed views across dry land kiawe trees to Mauna Kea or “White Mountain,” named for its wintertime snow cover. From the living room, the balcony lanai, dining table—even from your bed—you’ll experience breathtaking moments as the morning sun first signals its approach and then peeks up around the edge of our magnificent mountain.
Located near the south end of Puako Beach Drive, Maluhia Cottage is handy to snorkeling and scuba diving described this way in a popular guidebook, “You could dive Puako every day of your trip and still not see it all.” Cross the quiet road to one of many Puako beach accesses for a day by the sea, exploring tide pools, marveling at our beloved honu (sea turtles) or whale watching during their annual winter migration to our warm waters. Enjoy nearby Paniau, a popular surf spot, and complete your day with a colorful sunset over the Pacific.
As the prices of vacation rentals have escalated with the recognition of this lovely old beach town, there are still affordable homes. Maluhia Cottage is one of these, accommodating a couple or a small—even a larger—family, with the addition of the ground-floor suite.
Mauka Beach Bungalow
Rates from:
$245
per night
Offering a sweeping view of Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa and the Kohala Mountains, our Mauka Beach Bungalow is located adjacent to a state-owned nature preserve that provides refuge for many birds, including the partridge-like Francolin. Enjoy your morning coffee on the back lanai while watching the sun rise over Mauna Kea, then stroll across old Puako Beach Road to see turtles swimming through the black lava tide pools for their day of basking in the sun on the beach. Snorkel just off the tide pools or spend the day at Waialea Bay beach, just five minutes up the road. Return to the water’s edge for sunset while “talking story” with neighbors or walk along the beach to the Fairmont Orchid for “umbrella drinks” and spectacular sunset views.
With two bedrooms and two baths, the Mauka Beach Bungalow is perfect for two couples or a family of four.
Pau Hana
Rates from:
$215 – $250
per night
Pau Hana means “Finished Work” , so we have created a special place for you to “veg out” while on vacation in Puako. This two-bedroom, two-bath home has the perfect floor plan for privacy; with each bedroom and bath on opposite ends of the house. Between them, a comfortable, high ceiling great-room with living and dining areas, full kitchen and plenty of sliding glass/screen combination doors to welcome the morning sunlight and the afternoon tropical breeze. The outdoor lanai set amidst tropical vegetation is THE spot to relax with a book, your laptop or for a bbq and dinner at the outdoor dining table. The owners have thoughtfully encouraged the growth of large shade trees and blooming plants for a natural Hawaiian feel.
Plumeria Cottage
Rates from:
$175
per night
Plumeria Cottage is a charming early-era-Puako beach bungalow–set amid mature palms, Milo tree, spectacular spreading Royal Poinciana and, of course, plumerias. Newly remodeled yet preserving many original details, you’ll enjoy a special vacation steeped in the continuity of this enduring community. Walk across the one-lane road for beach access or visit nearby Waialea Bay and Hapuna Beach for spectacular swimming, snorkeling, sunning or wintertime whale watching. Stop at the quaint Puako General Store for an ice-cream treat or cold drink, or visit nearby resorts for shopping, dining and Hawaiian-style events. This appealing one-bedroom, one-bathroom cottage is ideal for a couple, perhaps with a young child.
Puako Beach Ohana
Rates from:
$300
per night
The second-story ohana in the Puako Hylton villa offers a little taste of heaven for a couple looking for a get-away in beautiful settings in one of the most charming areas of Hawaii. Explore the seashore, lava fields, natural ponds and the captivating sights of rare fish, sea turtles and humpback whales enjoying our wintertime warm waters. Just steps from one of the few sandy beaches in Puako, the Puako Hylton Ohana provides intimacy in the midst of quiet luxury.
Puako Condominium Unit 309
Rates from:
$155
per night
Nowhere else in Puako will you find ocean views and sunsets, two pools, and a two-bedroom, air-conditioned place at such a great value! This unique village is one of the few remaining true beach communities in the Hawaiian Islands, with year-round residents as well as vacationers, living in everything from vintage beach cottages to multi-million-dollar showcase homes. Right across the street from two of these beautiful newer homes, you’ll share their views of ocean, Maui and Kohala Mountains at a fraction of the price (binoculars included during whale-watch season!).
Also right across the street is the beach access prized locally for its sandy beach, gentle tide pools and views of sailboats moored in Puako Bay, as well as historic Mauna Kea Hotel with the Kohala Mountains rising above it.
Next door is the Puako General Store, great for snacks, essentials and friendly “talk story.” Walk or ride the two miles of Puako Beach Drive or explore the beach-side route. Hop in the car for a quick (5 minute) ride to two of Hawaii’s best beaches: Waialea Bay (known locally as “69” for the number on the telephone pole that marked the beach access) for snorkeling and shade or expansive Hapuna Beach for waves, sun, sand and a food shack.
Reef House
Rates from:
$295 – $420 ($125 for suite)
per night
Reef House Puako is a true old Hawaii getaway right on the blue Pacific Ocean. Snorkel with sea turtles from the sand and lava beach, explore tide pools, lounge in hammocks under the palms, watch for a green flash sunset, or just hang out at the two blue cottages with ocean and Maui views from almost every window. This will be a place you’ll never want to leave.
Treadwell House, Waialea Bay
Rates from:
$495
per night
For some lucky people, the term “beach house” evokes childhood summers spent in a special oceanside place exploring sand and sea, playing barefoot on wooden decks warmed by the sun by day and by night falling into a sound sleep to the soothing rhythms of ocean waves and gentle breezes. In those days, “luxury” meant slowing down, relaxing with a book or just marveling at the beauty of the water and the nearby greenery and birds. Life was stripped down to basics: simple food, simple pleasures and simply spending time with family and friends.
The owners of Treadwell House count themselves among these lucky people. Their property, on the shore of Waialea Bay, has been in the family since the 1930s, when the sole structure was a small fisherman’s shack. Like many beach cottages, a few small bedrooms were attached and it became a vacation home, accessible only by boat from the port of Kawaihae. The rustic nature of the building was part of the charm for the family.
Although that house still exists, the current Treadwell House was built with all those summers in mind, keeping the simple and joyful spirit of that beach house while meeting a more modern standard. This delightful home will appeal to those who also had the luck to experience such childhood summers…or simply wish they had!
Treehouse
Rates from:
$215
per night
Four generations of the island-based Black family have owned and loved this special oasis by the sea, presided over by the oldest and largest banyan tree in Puako. A well-received addition to the beloved Beach Banyan compound, the Treehouse is a cheery upstairs studio cottage seemingly slung between the graceful banyan branches. Looking out to a mesmerizing scene of ancient lava rocks and ocean waves, the Treehouse provides a unique blend of timeless island lifestyle and modern-day creature comforts. It’s a perfect hideaway for couples looking for a dreamy oceanfront retreat.
Ulu Niu
Rates from:
$460 – $580
per night
Ulu Niu is a rare find: a beachfront vacation property at an affordable rate. Lovingly hand constructed by the owner 20 years ago, this hideaway is set in a lush coconut grove that provides privacy and shade from the tropical sun. Yet just beyond the verdant plantings lies a white-sand beach on Waialea Bay: “perfect sand, gorgeous water, interesting shapes to photograph, a treasure trove of interesting shells and coral,” wrote one guest. This is one of the few natural sand beaches on the Big Island. Swim, dive, snorkel and sunbathe on the beach right in front of the house—the perfect spot for children and adults alike. Ulu Niu is a two-story home with two bedrooms, full bath, living area, dining room, covered ocean-view lanai and a fully equipped kitchen above a third dorm-style bedroom with full bath and carport for two vehicles .
Vintage Beach Cottage
Rates from:
$199
per night
Vintage Beach Cottage is an immaculate and well-maintained one-bedroom cottage just steps away from the shore in the enchanting neighborhood of Puako. Just cross the two-lane street to watch vibrant beach sunsets each evening. Ideal for a couple or single looking for total relaxation, the cottage is delightfully decorated in vintage-look Hawaiian fabrics, Hawaiian art, shells and surfboards. A brief stroll away, the Puako General Store offers charming local hospitality. Meet the owners or talk story with neighbors while enjoying a cool beverage, a refreshing ice cream bar, or selecting a movie to watch after the sun goes down.
