The Big Island of Hawai'i is the largest island in the United States. It is home to about 200,000 people mostly living along the coast. Captain James Cook was the first European to claim to have found the Islands and named them the Sandwich Islands. He was later killed by the locals on the beach for pretending to be a god.
Punalu'u Beach
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Black Sand Beach is true to its name. A beach of black sand created by lava flowing into the ocean. It plays a trick on the preconceptions of the mind and is worth a visit.
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Beach
Most of the coast is rocky but many fine sand beaches are to be found. These beaches are smooth as silk and the water is as clear as could be wanted. Normally the waves are large enough for thrills to be had. |
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Lush Paradise
The Big Island is a wonder of nature. Being home to the tallest mountain in the world, if you remove the ocean, it has many climates. You can be on top of Mauna Kea in heavy winter clothing looking down below you at little specks of people playing in the water nude, or behind you at the arid Ka'u desert. |
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South Point
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Ka Lae is the Southern most point of the Big Island and also of the United States of America. Its looks do not support such a claim, as it is identical to the rest of the coastline.
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Rocky Shore
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Most of the Big Island is not beaches, but rocky outcroppings such as seen here. There are constant lava flows making the island bigger daily.
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Making New Land
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Hawai'i constantly has lava flowing into the ocean making new land. There is a National Park where you can safely view the lava flowing. It is best to go at night.
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Volcanoes National Park
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A beautiful place offering views of lava and lava tubes. Go in the daytime for hiking but stay and sit on the edge of the crater at night for viewing nature in all her majesty.
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Walking across an active Volcano
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One expects to be blown out and fly into the ocean while walking across this crater but it has not yet happened to my knowledge.
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Tourism
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Most of the islands economy is based on tourism. It supplanted sugarcane, which was the backbone of the economy for over a century. The last sugar plantation on the island closed in 1996.
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