When you say Hawaii, most people think of either Oahu or Maui. And fair enough, those are stunning destinations in themselves. But have you considered visiting the Big Island? Hawaii’s youngest and largest island isn’t just massive, but also incredibly beautiful. Here are my personal favorite, must-see, top 10 sights on the Big Island, Hawaii.
Manini’owali Beach (Kua Bay)
Perfectly clear tide pools, impossibly soft white sand, and bright aqua waves—it’s easy to see why Kua Bay is one of the most popular beaches on the entire Big Island. If there’s any beach that screams “tropical postcard paradise,” it’s this one.
Manini’owali Beach, also known as Mile 88 or Kua Bay, was one of my favorite stops on our Hawaii trip. You can choose to play in the water, lie on the sand, or even climb around the black rocks and explore the numerous little tide pools. It’s also a superb place to see sea turtles—we were just climbing on some rocks and saw two large sea turtles chilling in the water, eating moss from the rocks! Just know that there’s no shade to be found here, so adequately prepare for the sun.
Punalu’u Black Sand Beach
Punalu’u’s black sand beach is so accessible, it almost feels like cheating. Located at the south point of the Big Island, you need only simply drive up and boom, you’re walking on black sand. I loved how picturesque this beach was—the contrast between the black sand, blue water, and the tall green palm trees framing the beach is just beautiful!
Naturally, the sand does get quite hot, and it’s not the softest sand either. I would recommend at least bringing sandals, because I walked around without my shoes and I was hopping from foot to foot so I didn’t have to stand in one place! Also, because it’s so accessible, don’t expect to have this beach to yourself.
Waipio Valley
Waipio Valley is by far one of the grandest sights on the entire Big Island. The beautiful view from the outlook gazes over the massive green cliffsides, the trees and fields in the valley, and the incredible ocean bordered by a secluded black sand beach.
Unfortunately, only 4×4 vehicles are allowed to actually descend into the valley, and much of it is privately owned land, but it is possible to hike down the incredibly steep slope and into the lush valley if you wish! Just know that it’s not for the faint of heart.
Read more about the Waipio Valley hike and black sand beach here.
Papakolea Green Sand Beach
Sure, black sand beaches are cool and all, but in Hawaii they’re almost a dime a dozen. But have you ever heard of a green sand beach? Papakolea is one of the only 4 green sand beaches in the entire world, and definitely worth a stop on your itinerary. However, reaching here does take some effort—either via a 3-mile hike in the unforgiving sun, or by catching a ride from one of the locals.
The sand gets it green color from the mineral olivine, and is definitely more olive green than bright green. Its color also doesn’t show very well on camera, but I thought it was enchanting.
Learn more about the Papakolea green sand beach hike here.
Akaka Falls State Park
Akaka Falls is a towering waterfall twice as tall as Niagara Falls, thundering down into a lush green valley that looks straight out of the jungle. The state park charges $5 to enter, but not only do you get to stare at this mesmerizing waterfall, you also get to walk through the beautiful rainforest and see other, smaller waterfalls, tropical greenery, and flowers on this short paved loop.
You also have to pay for parking if you park in the lot, but this is easily circumvented by simply parking right outside the gate (a stone’s throw from the entrance anyway).
Lone Palm Beach
This beach gets its name from the singular, towering palm that stands by itself on a black sand beach. However, finding this beach is trickier than it seems—for example, there are actually two lone palm beaches and neither of them really have any signage to speak of.
The one I hiked to featured a relatively short but very rocky hike—make sure to wear closed-toed shoes!—and a beautiful little pool beneath the palm tree. If you’re interested in finding this beach, you’ll want to check out my more detailed guide to getting to Lone Palm Beach.
Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
Volcanoes National Park is the only U.S. National Park that features active volcanoes! Depending on when you visit, you may or may not be able to see active lava—since this changes continuously, you’ll want to ask a park ranger during your visit. We hiked out to see the glowing caldera and do a bit of stargazing at midnight in the park and it was beautiful!
Even if there isn’t lava or an active eruption going on, you can still hike across ancient lava fields, walk through the Thurston lava tube, wander among sulphureous steam vents, and much more.
See how Volcanoes National Park stacks up to the other U.S. National Parks in my ranked listing here.
Anaeho’omalu Beach
Anaeho’omalu Beach is actually located on the Hilton Waikoloa property. However, Hawaii does not allow for hotels to make their beaches private property, so you can stroll on over and enjoy the beach just as much as the people staying at the hotel! The sand here isn’t nearly as silky as Kua Bay’s, but the lines of palm trees make for a great framing for a glorious sunset. Also, they have monkey bars.
Rainbow Falls
Rainbow Falls is a beautiful little waterfall located very close to the large town of Hilo, Hawaii. It gets its name from the distinctive rainbow that forms at the bottom of the waterfall on sunny days due to the mist. We weren’t lucky enough to see a rainbow as the day we visited it was consistently raining, but it’s certainly a beautiful spot!
Rainbow Falls is completely free to visit and features no hike, just a few steps from the parking lot. However, if choosing between this one and Akaka Falls, I would suggest the latter.
Mahaiula Beach
Honestly, I’m not sure if the beach we went to was Mahaiula or Makalawena beach, but this one is a bit more secluded than your other beaches. To get here, you need to drive over an extremely long stretch of mostly unpaved, sharp volcanic black rocks, and it is definitely a bumpy ride! However, coming all the way out here is more than worth it—there are huge stretches of palm trees, tide pools, and soft sand for you to enjoy without anyone to bother you.
Have I convinced you to visit the Big Island on Hawaii yet? Are you planning to visit any of these stunning locations? Feel free to pin this on Pinterest, follow me on Instagram, and drop me a line if this helped!
