The Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area sits along the coast a mile north of central Kailua-Kona, on the site of the town's original airport. The runway was decommissioned in 1970 when the present airport opened up the coast; the strip is still there, now used as a long flat car park and walking promenade.
The park gives easy access to a long stretch of rough black-lava coast with a few small white-sand pockets, tide pools, picnic shelters, a swimming beach at the north end, and good shore-side spots to watch the sunset. It is busy with locals — joggers, families, surf-school sessions — and has none of the resort feel of the Alii Drive beaches. The on-site lava bench is also a popular sunrise yoga spot.