Kaunaʻoa — Mauna Kea Resort | Luxury Villa Rentals in Big Island

Kaunaʻoa at Mauna Kea Resort is renowned for its coastal scenery and top-tier amenities. Visitors can enjoy a wide range of activities, from water sports to cultural excursions, all set against the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean. The resort's commitment to luxury and service ensures a memorable stay for every guest. Whether indulging in dining or exploring the island's volcanic landscapes, Kaunaʻoa offers an exquisite experience for all.

Kauna’oa is the crescent-shaped white sand beach that gave the historic Mauna Kea Beach Hotel its setting when Laurance Rockefeller chose the site in the early 1960s, reportedly after seeing it from the air and deciding it was the finest beach he’d found in the islands. Also known simply as Mauna Kea Beach, it’s a wide, gently sloping bay protected by two rock points, which keeps the water calmer than much of the surrounding Kohala Coast and makes it a popular spot for swimming and bodysurfing rather than just sunbathing. The beach fronts the original Mauna Kea Resort, one of the first luxury resorts built on the Big Island, and its low-rise design — the hotel tops out at a handful of stories — set a precedent that the surrounding resort area still follows, keeping ocean views largely unobstructed from the villas set back from the shoreline. Villas at Kauna’oa sit within walking distance or a short shuttle ride of the beach itself, along with the resort’s golf courses, including the oceanfront Robert Trent Jones Sr.-designed course that runs along the coastal cliffs above the bay. The surrounding grounds hold historic significance beyond the beach: petroglyph fields and old Hawaiian trails are preserved within the resort’s boundaries, a reminder that this coastline was inhabited and actively used centuries before the first hotel broke ground. Because Kauna’oa sits within the broader, well-established Mauna Kea Resort, villa owners and guests have access to the resort’s full amenities — golf, tennis, and beach services — while still being anchored to arguably the most celebrated single beach on this coast. For travelers whose priority is genuinely great swimming and a classic, understated Hawaii resort setting, Kauna’oa remains a benchmark.

Kaunaʻoa provides a tranquil and luxurious setting within the Mauna Kea Resort, perfect for travelers seeking both relaxation and adventure on the Big Island.

Browse our handpicked selection of luxury villas in Kaunaʻoa — Mauna Kea Resort and find the perfect property for your Big Island escape.