Photo courtesy of iStock / Marlon Trottmann
Welcome to the Island of Hawaii
The island of Hawaii, known as the Big Island, is indeed the largest (and the youngest) island in the archipelago. This slice of paradise is home to four different climate zones; white, gold, green and black sand beaches; active volcanoes and ancient history.
Photo courtesy of Lydia Schrandt
Gaze into the volcano
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park protects a landscape in flux, where active volcanic activity continues to sculpt the coast of the Big Island. In the evening, visitors can see the glow from within the Halema’uma’u Crater, a pit crater within the Kilauea Caldera.
Photo courtesy of Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau (IHVB) / Kirk Lee Aeder
From sand to snow
When you imagine Hawaii, you probably don’t picture snow. But that’s just what you’ll find at the top of Mauna Kea for parts of the year. This dormant volcano rises from the sea to nearly 14,000 feet – a journey that takes only two hours by car. It’s the highest point in both the Hawaiian archipelago and the entire Pacific Basin.
Photo courtesy of Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA)/Dana Edmunds
Look to the stars
The snowy peaks of Mauna Kea, the highest point on the island of Hawaii, offer some of the best conditions for stargazing in the United States. Over a dozen giant telescopes dot the peak, and while these observatories are not open to the public, visitors can gaze at the night sky from 9,200 feet at the Visitor Information Station.
Photo courtesy of Lydia Schrandt
The Rainbow State
Hawaii is known as the Rainbow State – and for good reason. Spend some time in the islands and you’re likely to see one or two rainbows at some point, thanks to the archipelago’s rapid weather fluctuations and topography. This rainbow stretches across the lava fields within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Photo courtesy of Lydia Schrandt
A cup of Kona
Kona coffee, sipped across the globe, is grown exclusively in the high elevation cloud forests of Hawaii’s Kona region. Hundreds of coffee farms dot the area, and many are open to visitors, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how beans are processed.
Photo courtesy of Lydia Schrandt
Teeming with life
Hawaii is one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet, home to tens of thousands of unique species. One of the Big Island’s most beloved critters isn’t from Hawaii at all, though. The gold dust day gecko (pictured here) was introduced from Madagascar, but it’s popular for its bright colors.
Photo courtesy of Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau (IHVB) / Kirk Lee Aeder
Nene, the state bird of Hawaii
Some 500,000 years ago, some giant Canada geese migrated to the Hawaiian archipelago and never left. Those birds were the ancestors of the nene, the state bird of Hawaii and the world’s rarest species of goose.
Hunting and predation reduced the population of nene to just 30 birds in the 1950s, but the species has been reintroduced to the wild, with some 2,500 living on the islands today.
Photo courtesy of Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau (IHVB) / Larry Marshall
Spectacular sea cliffs
While not as famous as the Waipio Valley Overlook, the Pololu Valley Lookout offers equally spectacular views of the dramatic North Kohala Coast. From the parking lot at the end of the road, you can see the verdant cliffs and black sand beach where the valley meets the ocean. A 25-minute hike leads to the valley floor.
Photo courtesy of Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) / AJ Feducia
Hilo town
Visitors from around the globe come to Hilo on the northeastern coast of the Big Island for a taste of Old Hawaii. The town was a major commercial center during the sugar boom in the 1800s, and today, it’s better known for its charming downtown and low-key vibe.
Photo courtesy of Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) / Daeja Fallas
The heart of Hilo
A massive banyan tree towers above Kalakaua Park, Hilo’s town square. The park gets its name from King David Kalākaua, ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1874 to 1891; a statue of him stands in the middle of the green space.
Elsewhere in the park, a marble monument honors Hawaiians who died during World War II, the Korean War and in Vietnam.
Photo courtesy of Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) / Ben Ono
A Japanese sweet, Hawaiian style
Japanese immigrants came to Hilo during the 1800s to work on the island’s sugar cane plantations, and they brought their culture and traditions with them. One of Hilo’s most beloved sweet shops, Two Ladies Kitchen, specializes in mochi, a Japanese rice cake treat.
The shop is famous for their strawberry mochi, a variety stuffed with a whole fresh strawberry and azuki bean paste.
Photo courtesy of Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) / Heather Goodman
How do you poke?
The Hilo Farmers Market is the go-to place for a taste of Hawaii, whether it be the colorful assortment of locally-grown fruit or an equally colorful bowl of traditional Hawaiian poke. Visit a poke counter here and you’ll have your choice of spicy ahi, kim chee shrimp, salmon, miso octopus or even bacalao poke made from European dried salt cod.
Photo courtesy of Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) / Heather Goodman
A ride through Hawaiian cowboy country
Move over, Texas. The Big Island has its own cowboy country. Waimea, inland from the Kohala Coast, comprises rolling green hills and sprawling cattle ranches. Kahua Ranch, a working sheep and cattle ranch, teaches visitors about the local paniolo (cowboy) culture via tours by horseback or ATV.
Photo courtesy of Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) / Heather Goodman
History meets adventure
Captain Cook became the first European to visit Hawaii when he landed on Kealakekua Bay in the late 1700s (and he was killed in a skirmish with Hawaiians at this same spot). A small obelisk memorializes the captain, but the park is perhaps more famous for its clear waters and stellar snorkeling and diving conditions. Schools of fish and spinner dolphins share the waters.
Photo courtesy of Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) / Anna Pacheco
Choose your perfect beach
There’s a beach for just about every preference on the Big Island, but the white sands of Mauna Kea Beach rank among the prettiest. This crescent of sand slopes down into waters typically calm enough for swimming. Grab a snorkel and explore the rocky ledge toward the north end of the beach.
Photo courtesy of Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) / Heather Goodman
Experience new beaches
The island’s volcanic geology has blessed it with some of the world’s most spectacular black sand beaches. Pohoiki Beach was formed as a result of volcanic activity in 2018, and the newcomer has already become a popular spot for swimming and surfing.
Photo courtesy of iStock / EvaKaufman
See rare green sand
The Big Island is one of the only places in the world with a green sand beach. Papakolea Beach on Mahana Bay has olive-tinted sand, thanks to a buildup of olivine crystals from frequent volcanic eruptions. A two-hour hike leads to the beach, so it’s often blissfully quiet.
Photo courtesy of iStock / MNStudio
A postcard-worthy view
Two of the most famous waterfalls on the Big Island are inside Akaka Falls State Park on the Hilo Coast. A short half-mile hike takes visitors past both: the 100-foot Kahuna Falls and the 442-foot Akaka Falls, plummeting into a rainforest-covered gorge.
Photo courtesy of iStock / YinYang
Valley of the Kings
Hawaii’s sacred Waipio Valley was the childhood home of King Kamehameha I, lending it the nickname “The Valley of the Kings.” Fewer than 100 people live in the valley, known for its towering cliffs and spectacular waterfalls (including Hawaii’s tallest).
Capture the best views (and photos) from the Waipio Valley Overlook.
Photo courtesy of Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) / Kirk Aeder
Swimmers in the Ironman Triathalon
The Big Island has been hosting the Ironman Triathlon annually since 1981. The course includes a 2.4-mile swim in Kailua-Kona Bay, a 112-mile bike ride through the lava desert and a marathon along the coast. More than 2,000 athletes participate each year.