is usually what the people refer to as the beach although there is an entire subdivision of homes (not that many really) here. It has become rather famous or perhaps infamous because it is the only clothing optional beach on the island that I am aware of. It is as you see a black sand beach and since there is a nice blocking of rocks the sand doesn't wash away like elsewhere.

There is a bit of a dropoff not too far off shore so you have to be a fairly strong swimmer or bring your fins or it is difficult to get back to shore since the current is always taking you out.

The beach is snuggled into the cliff rising up to the road and there are trees for nice shade to get in off the hot sand after your swim. You can see that there is a good crowd here many optionally clad of all types including families. I'd say it's about 50-50 in those that are and those that aren't making this a good place to meet tolerant people.

This beach was actually created from the 1955 lava flow and not too many years ago an earthquake hit this entire south puna lowering the beach from the subsidence about one to three feet up and down the coast.

This was a Tuesday in March but the first day in a while that the weather was absolutely gorgeous. To get to the beach you have to trek a couple hundred vertical feet as evidenced in the first two photos.

As you can see this beach is very popular but to find a parking spot is really only a matter of moving further on down the road till you find your vacancy.

This is a typical view from the road as you motor on to more adventure having just left Kehena beach.

The road is the old Kalapana - Kapoho Road that was originally made from red cinder native to the quarries hereabouts.

Much of the road is still the old red cinders (although most of it nearer Kalapana has been redone). Natives think sadly about the near future when the entire road will be blacktopped making it no longer red. But there are stretches where it is in such bad repair and so narrow that it is evident that something must be done.