Are you looking for a quiet stretch of beach where you can dunk your head and enjoy a lazy tan day? If so, and if you happen to be on the island of Molokai, then consider a drop-in at Kumimi Beach.
Kumimi Beach is a public but rarely busy beach located on the eastern side of the island, in the Kumimi neighborhood and just off Kamehameha V Highway. It’s sometimes referred to as Murphy’s Beach and sometimes 20-mile Marker Beach due to its position at the highway’s twenty-mile marker sign. Seeking out that signpost is probably the best way to know that you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be as there isn’t much in the way of signage or facilities for this beach. In fact, there’s not even a parking lot. You’ll find parallel parking available on the cleared sandy shoulder edge of the highway.
No parking lot and also no other facilities such as you’d see at more official city beaches. So no bathrooms, showers, or posted lifeguards.
So, just why would you go to Kumimi Beach? Well, not having facilities on site is also a boon in that it means this is a less populated beach — and a pretty one at that! This is actually one of a limited amount of full sandy beaches on the island’s eastern end. Here, you’ll find a nice long stretch of soft sand to throw your towel or blanket across. When you’re ready to take a dip, you’ll appreciate that the water is often calm here and ideal for swimming. Wade in slowly as it is fairly shallow at the start with a sandy bottom but that does turn to rocks further out as the water gets deeper. This rockier area is also where you’ll find a stretch of coral reef that offers some decent snorkeling opportunities. If you are looking for just a nice easy swimming experience on the Molokai coastline, try and go to Kumimi Beach during high tide as that’s when you’ll be able to appreciate the most out of that sandy bottom closest to shore.
During the winter, ocean surges bring in massive waves on this side of the island and the western end of Kumiimi Beach sees quite a lot of these. This is an ideal time for surfing, and you’ll often find locals lining up to catch the big ones as they roll in. Unfortunately, these same conditions that make winter an ideal time for surfing at Kumimi Beach make it this season a simultaneously bad time for general swimming. This is when the current is at its worst and only strong swimmers are recommended to go into the water.
Insider Tips:
-If you’re looking for a good place to take some scenic pictures on Molokoi, then make your way just two miles past Kumimi Beach to a small one-lane road that juts out east. At the end of this road is a small parking lot where you can park and walk just a few feet for a spectacular vantage point of Molokoi’s coastline as well as of Maui and Lanai in the distance.
-Grab food and beverages before you head out to Kumimi Beach, or before you plan on spending any extended time on this side of Molokai. The east end of Molokai remains pretty isolated, without any significant communities where you can even find a corner store to grab some snacks at. There aren’t even a lot of public facilities around to take advantage of here. So, if you plan on spending more than an hour or two visiting this beach or other nearby areas, you’ll want to grab at least a gallon of water and a couple of snacks (if not pack a full lunch) before you head out.