About Island of Hawaii
Nearly everything about the Island of Hawaii (commonly referred to as the “Big Island”), feels larger-than-life. Here, you’ll find Mauna Loa, the world’s largest volcano, the vast moonlike landscape of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in the southeast and giant, snow-capped mountain peaks of Mauna Kea, the “white mountain.”
Explore Hawaii
Getting to the Island of Hawaii
Flights into the Island of Hawaii big island arrive into one of two major airports: Kona International Airport (KOA) on the west side of the island accommodates both domestic and international flights. Kona airport offers easier access to the popular resort areas. Hilo International Airport (ITO) on the eastern shore of the island primarily receives domestic and inter-island air traffic. Hilo Airport is closer to the Volcanoes National Park, and many helicopter tours depart from here.
Fast Facts
The “Big Island” truly is! The Island of Hawaii is twice the size of all the other Hawaiian islands combined. It is also the youngest of these islands.
Hawaii is the only state that produces coffee.
There are volcanic black sand beaches, red iron-rich beaches and even a green-sand beach on the island, known as Papak?lea or Mahana Beach, one of only four known in the entire world. The green color comes from olivine crystals. You have to hike to this beach, as cars are not allowed.
Travel Tips & Tools
Overview
Watch the continual spectacle of the majestic Kilauea volcano, as it spurts molten rock into the sea (which it has done almost continuously since 1983), increasing the island’s size even further. Explore the steaming craters, lava tubes and rainforests on your next vacation to the Island of Hawaii.
This stark landscape vividly contrasts the lush, eastern side of the island, home to the friendly town of Hilo and the spellbinding 442-foot Akaka Falls.
Be sure to visit Banyan Tree Drive in the heart of Hilo. It takes about six hours to drive around Hawaii. However, you’ll be stopping throughout your trip to admire the amazing sights and sounds of the island such as Rainbow Falls State Park in the Hilo region, the mysterious black sand Punaluu Beach in the southeast, and the lively seaside town of Kailua-Kona on the sun-blessed west coast.
What To Do on the Island of Hawaii
Get the lay of the land aboard an exhilarating Two-Hour Waikoloa Big Island Spectacular helicopter tour. Rated as the “World’s Best Helicopter Ride” by the Travel Channel, this fantastic tour will give you a Nene bird’s eye view of all that the Island of Hawaii has to offer, from cascading waterfalls to erupting volcanoes, endless beaches and more.
Located on the historic shores of Kamakahonu Bay and Kamehameha the Great’s former Kailua-Kona home, the Haleo Luau offers a chance to sample the best authentic Hawaiian dishes and musical entertainment on the Big Island.
You can’t beat the fun of taking an outrigger canoe, paddleboard or kayak along the island’s sunny western shores. Visit pleasantactivites.com for ideas on the varied attractions on the Island of Hawaii.
Check out some of our 5 favorite experiences on the Big Island.
What To See on the Island of Hawaii
See the inner workings of a real coffee farm in Kona. Or visit a macadamia nut orchard, such as Mauna Loa, and view their chocolate and nut processing plant. You’ll be amazed at the hardness of the macadamia nut shells. Be sure to ask for samples!
Drive through the Chain of Craters road and experience the red glow of an erupting volcano at twilight. Or head high into the sky towards snow-capped Mauna Kea, where you can explore the Keck Observatory telescope and breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding islands.
Shopping
There are lots of shopping destinations on the Island of Hawaii from Kohala to Hilo. Shop for Tahitian Black Pearls along the Kona Coast at Island Pearls. Browse the Kings’ Shops at Waikoloa Village for high-end apparel and more.
Just south of the Kailua pier, the Ali'i Gardens Marketplace provides plenty of locally made goods. Shop at the Kona Coast Shopping Center, just minutes from Kona Airport.
Nightlife
From sunset cruises to stargazing atop the world’s tallest sea mountain, Hawaii’s nightlife offers a variety of experiences you won’t find on the mainland. Listen to local Hawaiian slack key guitarists or contemporary music at one of the many restaurants, bars or hotels, and let the romance begin.
The Island of Hawaii with Kids
Start your family’s morning off right with a tropical breakfast and award-winning snorkel cruise to Kealakekua Bay along the sunny Kona coast. It was here, in 1779, that Captain Cook and his crew first came in contact with native Hawaiians.
Watch giant sea turtles on land and sea at Punaluu black sand beach. Go even deeper beneath the ocean in the Atlantis Kona Submarine and get a turtle’s eye view of the colorful creatures lurking amid these wondrous, tropical waters.
Put smiles on your kids’ faces with an amazing dolphin encounter. You’ll discover a variety of experiences for all ages when you book a Hawaii vacation on the Big Island with Pleasant Holidays.
Off the Beaten Path
Get moving with a Botanical Segway Adventure through the stunning Hamakua coastline past fragrant gardens and colorful rainforests.
View ancient petroglyphs and wildlife at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park in Kailua-Kona. Swim and snorkel with wild Hawaii spinner dolphins for the vacation of a lifetime. A Pleasant Holidays expert can help you plan personalized Hawaii vacation packages for a truly memorable trip.
Food and Drink
Hawaii is the only state that commercially produces coffee. Start your day with a piping cup of Kona coffee, rated among the best in the world. Visit a Kona Coffee Plantation or one of the many coffee farms in the area.
Chocolate and macadamia nuts are also produced on the island.
You’ll also discover a variety of beers created in microbreweries across Kona, Waimea, and Hilo. Try some with huli huli chicken, kalua pig or lau lau, a delicious dish of pork wrapped in taro leaves. Taste the more contemporary Loco Moco made with a hearty hamburger patty and a fried egg covered in brown gravy atop steamed rice.
For something sweet, visit Big Island Bees, a Kona farm producing delicious raw and organic honey.
When to Go
If you’re looking for the perfect time to visit the Island of Hawaii, you might want to consider the weather. Due to its size and terrain, the Island of Hawaii contains a variety of climates. The leeward Kona side is usually dry and hot, while the windward, eastern coast around Hilo attracts much more rainfall. At sea level around Hilo, temperatures run around 79 F most of the year. In Waimea, the weather is often foggy and cool. And further up Mauna Kea, you’ll even find freezing temperatures.
The Kona coast receives around 12 inches of rain per year, while Hilo can get as much as 127 inches, plus plenty of rainbows. November through March tends to be the wettest months on the island, and this period is considered the Big Island’s rainy season.
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