Old Airport Beach Park: A “runway” of beautiful beach (perfect for portraits)

The Kona airport used to run along a beautiful beach, but when they moved the airport farther into the lava fields to its current location, it freed up this long, gorgeous beach park where families and tourists to come and find their own private section of beach. The old runway keeps on going and going, and so does the beach, so you’re sure to find a section with no people for your portrait shoot! White sand, black lava rocks, a nearby shady park, and gorgeous sunsets make this one of my favorite places for portrait photography in Kailua Kona here on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Park your car somewhere along the old runway, and within a few steps you can find a gorgeous beach with plenty of shade, picnic tables, pavilions (and outhouses if you need them). Across the way is a walking path through a tropical green park (that also has some beautiful photo locations that I will sometimes use as we wait for the sun to get a bit lower at the beach). There are beautiful palm trees, sandy paths, and lots of landscapes to explore.

Here are a selection of photos I’ve taken recently at Old Airport (known by the locals as “Old A’s”). Contact me if you’d like to inquire about booking your own portrait shoot with me here!