The Island of Hawaii (AKA Big Island) is the largest and youngest of the Hawaiian Islands. Filled with geographical diversity, it’s definitely a marvelous place to visit! There are 5 must-do activities on the Big Island that visitors will enjoy. Also see my related post One Week in Beautiful Big Island & Kauai.
Experience Hawaiian Culture
There are a ton of activities to experience Hawaiian culture on the Big Island. On the Kona Coffee Coast, you can visit three different cultural sites. The Keauhou Holua Slide is an ancient landslide used by the native Hawaiians for sport. Participants would make a sled from trees and slide down the oiled earth slide at speeds up to 60 MPH!
Lekeleke Burial Ground is located on the site of a 1819 battle between the royal Hawaiian army and a group of Hawaiians who wanted to keep their native religion and customs intact. More than 300 warriors are buried here. Surrounded by cliffs and crashing waves, this site is both impressive for its reverence as well as its setting.
Puuhonua o Honaunau National Park is a 180 acre historic park featuring a half mile self-guided tour. On the tour, you can visit the Royal Grounds, Hale O Keawe Temple built in the 1600s, Great Wall built in the 1500s and the Pu’uhonua (Place of Refuge). You can extend your visit by taking the 2.5 mile round-trip hike to Ki’ilae Village. Scattered throughout the site are Ki’i statues of Hawaiian gods. Visitors learn about the Kapu system, ancient laws created by the Tahitian immigrants who were the ruling class of Hawaii. People in violation of Kapu laws could receive a pardon if they could reach the Pu’uhonua (Place of Refuge).
Visit Volcanoes National Park
Obviously, Volcanoes National Park is one of the major activities to do while visiting the Big Island. Home of the world’s most active volcanoes, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, this national park is 523 square miles. Hikers will love the 150 miles of hiking trails through diverse flora and fauna. Visitors can see lava tubes, steam vents, craters, and petroglyphs. Currently, Kilauea is erupting with active lava at the surface of the summit. This doesn’t impact visitors too much, but if you stay past dark, you may see a night-glow from the eruption.
Frolic on Unusual Beaches
Beautiful white sand beaches are a dime a dozen on the Hawaiian islands. But you must take the time to seek out more unusual beaches, too. Panalu’u Black Sand Beach is a must-see beach. The black sand is caused by the volcanic activity in the region. Another unusual beach is Papakolea Green Sand Beach. This beach requires some effort to get to as it requires a 5 mile roundtrip moderate hike. But it’s worth it to visit one of only four green sand beaches in the world. The green sand is caused by an abundance of the mineral olivine from cinder cones formed during the 1868 eruption of the volcano Mauna Loa.
Take an Open Door Helicopter Flight
There are helicopter tours and then there are totally awesome DOORS OFF Helicopter tours! I know this sounds completely crazy to some, but this is really the only way to completely see into the deep churning lava pit of an active volcano. If you don’t think you can sum up the courage to fly without doors, then a regular helicopter tour is also great. But understand that the view will be a bit obstructed by doors because you will not be able to hang your head outside the bird (yes, I said hang your head outside) to feel the heat of the lava as you snap your photos.
A bonus of any helicopter tour over the Big Island is that you will also see lava streaming over the cliffs and into the ocean, beautiful coastlines, small villages, and even waterfalls and green-spaces. These tours are not cheap – but you will never regret the time and money you spend on this once in a lifetime experience while on the Big Island.
See the Impact of Lava – Everywhere!
From lava tubes to boiling pots to coral reefs, the volcanic nature of the Big Island is extremely evident! As described above, Volcanoes National Park, Panalu’u Black Sand Beach, and Papakolea Green Sand Beach all were caused by volcanic activity. But there’s evidence elsewhere on the island as well.
Near Hilo, you can visit two other volcanic sites. Wailuku River State Park has pools aptly called Boiling Pots since they bubble like they are boiling. It’s not really boiling, however. The effect is caused by the flow of water through columns created by lava. You can also tour a lava tube at Kaumana Caves State Park. It’s a quick diversion, but interesting nonetheless to descend a metal ladder into a lava tube created from the 1881 eruption of the Mauna Loa Volcano. Everywhere you look on the Big Island, you will see black volcanic rock scattered on the landscape!
What are your must-do activities in the Big Island?
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