I haven't seen black sand since I was a kid. This beach is awesome. The waves are amazing. We…read moredidn't even plan this, just found it driving. The first thing I noticed was the abandoned resort. There is a long history of neglect from property owners over the years. It's truly sad. Just beware. I've seen a lot of how Hawaii is still suffering from oppression. Breaks my heart. On the ocean side of life. This park is amazing. The day we went, the sun was unforgiving. I meant, it was a typical day in Hawaii. We're from Oregon. It was He'll on earth for this white boy. I didn't care. It was awesome to see the black scorching sand. Pro tip. Keep your flipas on. There are a couple shad covered picnic spots. Plenty free parking. Showers to rinse off after swimming. Good easy beach access. A life guard. Boogy Bord rentals and turtles. We enjoyed the big waves crashing into the rocks. Pro tip. Never turn your back to the ocean. There was a bunch of teens and kids having a great time surfing. We even watched a Green Sea Turtle eating near the shore. I also discovered nearby is a place with Green Sand. Gotta see that one day. Didn't even know Green was an option. The memories we made here are amazing. My Wife is having the time of her life.

I'll admit that we probably did this one wrong. Trying to do both green and black sand beaches in…read morethe same day with the drive to/from Hilo is a lot. Compared to the green sand beach that we had just been to, this one, to be honest, was sort of underwhelming. If you're going counterclockwise around Ninole Loop Road, the first, to me the main, parking lot was full, so we went to the second lot or middle lot. There is probably space for twenty cars if people parked normally or weren't meandering around, but we didn't get that. Instead, we got the last space all the way up front on the left side and most people were parking like douches - sort of diagonal here, there and everywhere. Add in the roaming chickens and the people selling a few different produce items like sugar cane or coconuts while taking up multiple spaces and it was a show. Sadly, no turtles that day but on the plus side, it was windy and overcast so the sand was not blazing hot. Overall, nobody was in the water. Just a lot of walking around and looking at the Temu grade black sand beach merch for sale from the bodega next to the lot. On the off chance that a return trip was ever made, we should probably just focus and spend more time here to give it a fair chance. In the meantime, I'll give it a generous four spot but in reality, it was more like a three.

Whenever there's an eruption, steam is left from the displacement and is seen throughout the…read morevalley. It has no odor or particularly hot, but is an interesting feature...

On the West end of Molokai where the Kaluakoi Villas are, There lies one of the biggest stretches…read moreof white sand beaches in the entire state of Hawaii. About a mile wide and three miles long, the view is just breathtaking and the pictures don't do it justice. It was just awesome to take in the view with the cool breeze and NO ONE else around! Picture perfect scenery, peaceful, tranquil, and undisturbed.....only on Molokai......ALOHA!!!! YELP 365 CHALLENGE-(178/365) "One of Hawaii's Beautiful Beaches"

I've been to most beaches in Hawaii (except for Lanai, which is a smaller island with smaller…read morebeaches anyway). Popohaku Beach is probably the third biggest beach in all Hawaii. Polihale Beach on Kauai is the biggest at 17 miles long. Waimanalo Beach on Oahu is probably the second biggest at more than 5 miles long. Popohaku Beach is about 3 miles long (and up to 100 yards wide) and is informally named "3 mile beach". Kailua Beach in Oahu is about 2.5 miles long. Eighty Mile Beach in Western Australia is the world's longest beach and is actually 140 miles long. Ninety Mile Beach in Australia is just over 90 miles long. Padre Island in south Texas is about 112 miles long and I think may be all beach, but I never drove to the end. I digress... Papohaku Beach has large-grained reddish-golden sand and has a different vibe to the other Hawaiian beaches. First of all, there is pretty much no-one there. When we went there was just one other person walking the beach, and some random recent footprints. Probably the only time there are more than a few people is for the annual Ka Hula Piko Festival for three days in May. Each May the annual Ka Hula Piko Festival is held here as a celebration of the hula dance. Molokai is widely held to be the birthplace of hula. The Hawaiian legend is that Laka, the goddess of the hula, began the hula dance at a sacred hill in Kaana, named Puu Nana. Laka then travelled the Hawaiian islands teaching the hula. It is said that the spirit of Laka remains at Puu Nana hill. This is a walking beach. What a great beach walk with no-one else around. But when doing the long walk from the parking area to the beach, be careful of the kiawe tree thorns and don't go barefoot. View a spectacular sunset to the west over the water. If it's not too hazy you can see the coast of Oahu to the west and north a little bit. You can see Makapu'u Lighthouse at night and the lights of Kailua. This is not a swimming beach. An Aussie will swim at most places, but I definitely would not swim here. If the waves are not strong it is deceptively enticing. But if you watch the water carefully you will notice that the current does not move in just one direction, but swirls in many different directions. The 22 mile channel between Molokai and the east side of Oahu is one of the most treacherous in the world (Did you notice there is no ferry from Oahu to Molokai?). Also, there is a rock platform just under the water. I could imagine slipping on the rock, getting injured and then getting swept out to the ocean. BYO lifeguard. Halawa Bay was bad enough, and I swam at Sunset Beach in the winter till it kicked my butt. But I'm not going in here. As Amy Winehart said: they tried to make me [go to rehab] and I said No, No, No! Go early in the day when the tropic sun is less fierce, and the winds are calm. Facilities include outdoor showers, restrooms, drinking water and picnic grounds. To get there you take Highway 460 west toward Maunaloa. Turn right on Kaluakoi Road before you reach Maunaloa town. Continue on Kaluakoi Road, past the entrance to the Kaluakoi Resort. Papohaku Beach is two miles past the resort entrance. You can camp here if you get a permit from Department of Parks, Land, and Natural Resources at Kaunakakai (I think $3 per night). Be respectful of the Molokai people as they take this place very seriously as the most Hawaiian of all the islands. Say no to cruise ships. Mahalos yeah fo' checkin' out dis place.

I don't get it! I'm born and raised on the Hilo side of the big island. Okay, I've been living in…read moreHonolulu for some time now but I do get back to Hilo for regular visits..... My most recent visit to the big island taught me that I must live under a rock (and I don't mean lava rock) because I never NEVER stopped in at the Pohoiki Beach Park which is the start of the Pohoiki Lava Tours. The Lava Tours were not running...I guess because of the present eruptions.... but what I saw was Mother Nature and Madame Pele at their best. And the beach area was beautiful; blue waters with white crested waves with little pavilions where people bring their grills and beach chairs to soak in the sun, sea and comradarie. A must repeat for myself and a must do for you if you've never been

We were in Hawaii Sept 2010. Wanted to see the lava flow, so went to the Kalapana viewing area. Saw…read morevideos of lava flowing into the ocean & thats what we wanted to do. It was 8:00pm and we started talking to the tour operators, we wanted to go that nite itself & most of them were done for the nite and next tour was 5:00am. Through contact of a contact, we found Melvin Brown (captain of Pohoiki Lava Tours) We left from Isaac Hale Park. It was another adventure finding this place in the dark. At 9:30pm we were on a boat with Melvin off to see Lava flow into the ocean. Melvin took us sooo close to the flows and we stopped at multiple spots and just watched the flow. Melvin was in no rush & waited for us to say when we were ready to head back. We got back at 11:30pm & had a 3 hour drive back to Kona. Melvin was kind enough to offer us his couch so we would not have to drive back or find a motel that late. All in all. 5 stars for : 1) From time we spoke to him, to time we were on the boat, less than1 hour 2) No rushing, take your time to enjoy the lava flow 3) Just a great guy 4) Very reasonable prices compared to other boat tours ($130/per person) Additional phone number : (808) 937-0012

I have ran the Kona Marathon 3x now, the last time being in 2011. I also ran the 1/2 marathon once…read morein 2008. What keeps me coming back to the race is that - besides being local for me, is the fact that the IronMan World Championships are held in Kona and the marathon route is used on the exact same strip of out and back as the Kona Marathon uses too. It inspires me to run this stretch of paradise knowing that - while I may not be running it as part of the IronMan course, I can crank out 26.2 miles of pure marathon bliss and still have something to be apart of and that makes the pain of victory so much more sweeter. The marathon route is basically an out and back course that begins just outside the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort and finishes on the grounds of the resort. Heading out on Alii Drive, it winds into Kona Commons Shopping Center, and out on Queen Ka'ahumanu Hwy towards the Kona Airport. Down a road for 1.5 miles near the weather station there at the turn around before heading back to the Outrigger Keauhou Beach resort for the finish. Being that race day is in late June, the weather does start of really nice and cool, but the sun comes out and it can be really daunting to finish 26.2 miles in the hot Kona sun. Race starts at 5:30am and you are given 9 hours to complete the course. I have fond memories of running this race year after year, the first being that the 2009 race was the first marathon I ran after joining the Marathon Maniacs club. It was a surreal moment that brought me to where I am today and beyond. The aid stations are filled with enthusiastic individuals and it's definitely a well put on event. The only gripe I do have about this event is that the finisher's medals do not change year after year. Even if you do run the 1/2 marathon, you get the same finisher's medal as the full marathon peeps. There's no distinguishing the half and the full marathon participant. While that may not matter to some people, since every individual knows what distance they are running, it just bothers me that it hasn't changed. For whatever reason you are running the marathon, the Kona marathon is one of the best small marathons in the country. The ocean front views are world class and just being in Kailua-Kona for the weekend will melt your cares away. Run more! B+ #Yelp Marathons

Although having been held in Waikoloa now for the past 2-3 yrs(?), still is a great half marathon…read morerun. Waikoloa gets a bit hot, and the full marathon just doubles back on the same course a couple times, which can get pretty humid by 8am. Since the half starts at 630am and you can finish by 8-830am, it doesn't quite get too hot at that point. But you are running on the highway for several miles for either race...the highway stretch means you are fully exposed to the sun with no shade. I always carry water bottles with me, but most runners don't (always puzzling to me why not....) I strongly recommend folks carry their personal water bottle for this race (I use Accelerade as my drink of choice along with Clif gel chews Cherry flavor for salt and caffeine). Still, having done this race multiple times now, it is great way to race on the Big Island with a good mix of locals and out of towners. The t-shirts are MUCH BETTER DESIGNED than a few years ago with the odd orange bands on the sleeves and neck. Great shirt design to the team!

The Island of Hawaii is…read more 1. one of seven islands making up the Hawaiian Islands chain. 2. largest land mass (approx 4000 sq. mi) of all the islands (and the youngest) 3. southern most of all the islands geographically 4. only island with a LIVE volcano(s) - Kilauea Iki and Mauna Loa 5. island with 3 named and recognized national parks- Hawaii Volcano National Park, Honokahau National Park, Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Park also referred to as the City of Refuge 6. island with the most Hawaiian history and legacy- Captain James Cook discovered the Hawaiian Islands when he landed on the south west side of the island now known as Kona, King Kamehameha 1st, also known as King Kamehameha the Great as he united the people of the islands in the late 1700's. Then in the 1800's the missionaries came for a visit, never left and the rest my reading friends is history. I am born and raised on the Island of Hawaii, city of Hilo. While I'm a Honolulu resident all of my adult life, I still consider the Island of Hawaii; nicknamed the Big Island (for obvious reasons) my home. If you love nature, history and a laid back way of life, then, the Island of Hawaii is the place for you to visit. Fun Facts- Modern day Iron Man Triathlon held on Island of Hawaii. Cruise ships stop in two ports; Hilo and Kona, and if you are lucky, you might get to see and experience a live volcanic eruption

A third island for us (Oahu and Maui previously), our fourth visit to Hawaii. Just as gorgeous as…read morethe other two, and less visited. This large island mass could contain the entire rest of the chain in its boundaries alone. But beware of those lava flows if you're even thinking of relocating here. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is this island's biggest tourist drawing card.

one of the most incredible and unique things we have ever done. we poked lava with our stick until…read moreit was all burnt up. it seems rude we know but we wanted to throw more stuff into the lava just to see it burn up (but we didn't). be prepared when they say it's demanding - it really really was. and there isn't much to see during the hike - lots lava rock and a fern here and there. usually not even any ferns. sad. it was about 3.5 mi hike one way over this crunchy glassy creme brulee like lava fields, up and down. at times brutally hot and at times brutally cold and rainy. still it was worth it, just makes you feel so small when you how powerful nature is. steve and ken were very kind and accommodating and laid back. wear long pants - i wore capri length pants and little glass shards kept getting stuck in my socks and shoes. bring lotsa water. wear sunscreen. i got a wicked burn on my shoulders. no mosquitoes. actually nothing alive b/c the terrain is so barren. LAVA!!

My husband and I did the surface lava flow hike on Feb 13, 2011 with Steve and Ken and it was an…read moreamazing experience! We felt totally safe the whole time. Steve and Ken were very experienced, informative and all around nice people. This is the reason we went to the Big Island - to see Lava! The other tour companies we tried failed us. Kupahua Adventures and Ken and Steve were just what we were looking for - a personalized tour, not a hug group. The best part? We got to poke a stick into fresh, red and yellow LAVA! Yes, we got to poke it? How cool is that. The pictures were amazing and looking at them makes me want to go back again and again. We did the 5:30 pm tour so we got to see the sun set and walking back in the dark really wasn't bad as the moon was almost full and they supplied flashlights, gloves and the sticks! If you haven't done this, it is worth the trip and the tiny price Ken and Steve charge (we gave them a big tip as we think they could charge hundreds for the experience) for this lifetime adventure. Mahalo Ken and Steve!

I have lived in Hawaii for several years, and NEVER go on tours. I decided to hire Native Hawaiian…read moreLava Adventures to take me down to the lava once i realized how dangerous venturing into the lava field would be alone. I couldn't be happier that I chose to do this. The guides were very informative, and experts at navigating through this very very harsh landscape. I was really lucky on my trip, when we got back to the parking, the family's Kava-Kava ('awa) bar was full of happy Hawaiians, playing live Hawaiian music. Come to find out its a pretty regular thing,but i really enjoyed it. Every one was super friendly, and it was one of the better experiences i've had on my numerous trips to The Big Island. tip: wear fully covered shoes, bring a good flash light with fresh batteries, bring lots of water (more than usual) and take lots of pictures! You dont want to get lost in the lava field... trust me... Hire a professional if your going to enter the field from the kalapana side!

I took the hike from Kalapana to the lava flow ocean entry -- "Kalapana Lava Walk" which is…read moreorganized from right near the Kalapana Village Cafe. There were 10 people on the tour which cost $50 from some kids who were related to "Uncle Robert" who owns most of the land in and around Kalapana. We left at 5:30 pm and it was light out but it was still rough going over the lava field. The scenery was beautiful, but when I asked our 20-something guide (Bryan) to stop for some photo ops, he said there wasn't time -- I took the pictures anyway and just fell behind, along with some of the slower members of our tour. But Bryan didn't slow down for anyone or anything except to stop other hikers that were out there independently to warn them that they were on private property and would be prosecuted (the Aloha spirit?). We finally got to the lava flow in the dark with our flashlights and it was truly spectacular. I'm not sure if I could have actually seen just as much from the end of highway 130 than from a 2 mile hike/run in the dark over a very rough and dangerous lava field. Then another 2 miles back. The most amazing thing was that when we were almost back, Bryan actually found a glowstick trail marker left by some of the other independent hikers who had gone out later and he TOOK IT! Not only is that greedy (because they didn't pay up the $50) but incredibly irresponsible and dangerous. I hope those other hikers got back safely. Finally, nearly running over rough lava in pitch blackness with little flashlights, inevitably, one of our group tripped, fell on the lava and got some (minor I think) cuts on her face. Maybe look for another way to get close to the lava.