Hawaii's Big Island Beckons

Larger than all the other Hawaiian Islands combined, Hawaii’s Big Island truly deserves its nickname.

It also happens to have it all.

No place else in the world has the variety of terrain or climate of Big Island: 11 out of 13 climate zones are located on this, the youngest of the Hawaiian archipelago. Visitors can leave the sunshine and 84-degree temps of an arid volcanic landscape, drive through the rain and fog of verdant green pastures down through a lush tropical forest and up to snow-covered volcanic summits—all in the same day.

Travelers to this mystical, magical place will never forget their time here. With every return, we understand why it holds such a special place in our hearts.

From its fascinating history, pristine rain forests, lava deserts, spewing volcano, picturesque beaches and spectacular sunsets, these not-to-be-missed sights make Hawaii one of the best vacation destinations ever.

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Captivating Sunsets

In all our world travels, we swear Hawaii has some of the most spectacular sunsets—and none better than on the Big Island. As the sun dips into low-lying clouds then disappears into the horizon, the sky becomes magically ablaze with splashes of color.

There’s nothing like having dinner outdoors with tables overlooking the Pacific. Brown’s Beach House has always been one of our favorites. With its beachside lagoon location, impeccable service and creative top-notch sustainable cuisine, dining here at sunset is like experiencing a slice of heaven.

Volcanoes, Steam Vents and Lava Tubes

Hypnotic. Surreal. Other-worldly. Kilauea is the most active of the Big Island’s five volcanoes and one of the most active in the world.

Situated in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Kilauea is the home of the legendary volcano goddess Pele and has been erupting continuously since 1983.

After a stop at the Visitor Center for maps and an orientation, we headed to the Steam Vents. For miles and miles, the air is covered with white smoke rising into the atmosphere—the result of rain seeping down to hot volcanic rocks and then returning to the surface as steam.

A trail leads to an enormous caldera for incredible views of Steaming Bluff at Kilauea Overlook, the highest point on the caldera’s edge. If not for the volcanic activity, the crater appears much like a barren lunar landscape. At night, there’s nothing more exciting than red flares spewing 2000-degree molten lava into a pitch-black night sky.

Volcano House Restaurant offers their diners awe-inspiring moments from its outdoor balcony where “aahs” can be heard each time the volcano surges.

A trail through a lush rainforest filled with immense prehistoric-looking ferns leads to Thurston Lava Tube, one of the most popular stops in Volcanoes National Park. Like veins leading from the central heart of the volcano, lava tubes direct molten rock toward the ocean. As it flows, the outer crust hardens while the inner lava continues to move. Once the flow stops, the tunnel formation remains.

The tube is well lit, and the hike is an easy one, though having shoes with a good grip is important. Our ponchos came in handy when the rain began to fall.

Rare Colorful Beaches

Hawaii’s Big Island boasts some amazing beaches. But beside the glorious soft palm-lined white sands seen on many postcards, Big Island has some surprises—and they come in shades of tarry black and olive green.

Punalu’u Black Sand Beach located just south of Volcanoes National Park is one of the world’s most popular black sand beaches and a perfect place to view Honu (Hawaii’s sacred Green Sea Turtles). It’s also the most easily accessible black sand beach on the island.

The sand is made up of small course pitch-black fragments of lava. Though swimming isn’t recommended due to strong ocean currents and the water is rather cool due to its fresh underwater springs, it’s a beautiful place to relax under the coconut palms and watch the sea turtles sun on the beach.

Better known as Green Sand Beach, Papakolea is only one of four of these colored beaches in the world. Its unique hue is derived via large deposits of the semi-precious gem Olivine from an eroded cinder cone crushed by the ocean surf.

Located near South Point, (the southernmost point both on the island and in the United States), access to this secluded majestic beach is via 4-mile roundtrip hike through lava fields. It’s not an easy trek but we can say it’s more than worth it, especially going during the early morning to see this unique stretch of crystallized sand.

Waves here are usually at full-strength, and the azure waters can be very turbulent; Swimming is not recommended. But a picnic lunch on the beach against a backdrop of breathtaking sea cliffs is unforgettable.

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Chasing Waterfalls

Cascades abound on Hawaii, and we had the chance to visit some of these magnificent waterfalls while on the wet-side of the island known as Hilo.

Perhaps the most photographed natural attraction on Big Island is Akaka Falls, a breathtaking silvery-white plume that plunges in a vertical 442-foot drop into the gorge below. Standing there in awe of this beautiful cascade, we needed no explanation why it’s so popular.

The falls are accessible via a half-mile circular footpath through a lush bamboo-filled rainforest that will first take viewers past another set of cascades called Kahuna Falls.

Breathtaking multi-tiered Umauma Waterfalls sits on private property of the Umauma Zipline Company but can be viewed for a nominal fee without having to do the zip line tour.

A four-mile-long country road passes through sugar land and ends in a tropical rainforest, with not only the chance to view the falls but to also stroll along the rushing river through delightful botanical gardens.

Three more waterfalls are within only a ten-minute drive from downtown Hilo. Rainbow Falls is so named as water drops 80-feet into a large pool creating a chasm of rainbows.

Boiling Pots are a testimony to the awesome force of rushing water as it barrels downstream and bubbles up due to layers of submerged lava. Water travels from five-spouted Pe’epe’e Falls just a short uphill climb away.

A 20-minute walk through dense rainforest leads to Waiale Falls, a lesser known two-tiered flume situated further upstream from Pe’epe’e Falls. The hike offers multiple overlooks for viewing the cascades along the way.

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Up Close and Personal with the Universe

When was the last time you’ve seen the Milky Way or a shooting star? We have never seen the night sky the way we saw it on a clear, cool Monday evening on the Big Island.

While driving back from Volcanoes National Park on Saddle Road, we pulled off to a remote side road and stepped out of the car for an awe-inspiring look at the galaxy we’ll never forget.

Multiple shooting stars flashed across the night sky. Stars too many to count formed the Milky Way. There were literally so many, layer upon layer, that it would take an expert to pick out the constellations like the Big Dipper. With no street lights, structures or other distractions, it was just us and the universe as we witnessed it.

An unknown author once said, “When it rains, look for rainbows. When it’s dark, look for stars.”

Big Island has plenty of both. With some magic thrown in for fun.