Best Hawaii beaches for adventure. The winner is...Papakolea Green Sand Beach!
When people look for the best Hawaii beaches, they are usually thinking of long stretches of white or golden sand. Hawaii beaches can be much more interesting than that! When I heard about Papakolea green sand beach I had to see it for myself!
The first problem I encountered was convincing my husband to walk to Papakolea beach. The beach is about 2.5 miles north east of South Point.
That means a 2.25 mile shade-less, windy walk each way from the Kaulana Boat Launch ramp at South Point. Of all the Big Island beaches, Papakolea is not the easiest to get to but it's not the hardest either! If we had planned ahead and
rented a 4-wheel drive vehicle
, we could have done his favorite thing—drive!
Tips:
Use a 4-wheel drive or walk. We walked it. Our rental car wouldn’t have made it. Kona is about 40 miles away. Imagine that towing bill!!
Park your rental car for free at the “visitor” center about a quarter mile from the boat ramp. There have been scams attempted in the past requiring a fee for parking. The Department of Hawaiian Homelands runs this area and they say parking is free!
Pack plenty of water or buy some here if you want to enjoy one of the best Hawaii beaches. It’s hot and windy. You’ll dry out fast!
The second problem I faced was how to relax and enjoy the wonderful coastline views as I walked with my grumbling husband for about an hour in the heat with a stiff wind in our faces. I kept thinking if this isn’t one of the best Hawaii beaches, I’m in big trouble! Thankfully this is what we saw.
When I caught a glimpse of the magnificent green sand horseshoe shaped Papakolea beach with these rugged sides, I knew my life was no longer in peril. Pretty cool beach, huh?
In case you are wondering, the green sand is crushed Olivine, a semi-precious mineral that is found in some volcanic eruptions. The beach is at the bottom of Pu’ u o Mahana, an old cinder cone formed by an eruption of Mauna Loa. The waves have eroded the “front” of the cinder cone creating the horseshoe shape.
If you plan to hike to Papakolea green sand beach to experience one of the best Hawaii beaches for adventure for yourself, there are a few rules you should follow. Some we followed, some we didn’t. For your safety and comfort, may I suggest you follow them all?
Rule #1: take lots of water and a snack. We broke this rule. We took a liter of water to share but we should have taken a gallon. We were quite dehydrated not to mention famished by the time we got back to our car. Do yourself a favor. Grab a knapsack and fill it with water and snacks or better yet, a picnic lunch.
Rule #2: take the path down to the green sand beach not the “steps”. We broke this rule, too. We jumped and scrambled down the rock formations Jeff and I were calling steps.
Don’t they look like steps? I wasn’t quite sure how we would get back up again since some of the “steps” were spaced so far apart we had to jump down to the next one.
We discovered that there is a switch back path leading up from the bottom. Stand facing the ocean over there directly above the “steps” that we risked our lives. Now look to your right for the path that snakes its way up the side of the horseshoe. The top of the path is hard to find but it is well worth the effort!
Rule #3: watch the waves for 10-15 minutes before descending to make sure the ocean won’t try to sweep you away. We kind of broke this rule. We didn’t watch the waves but there was a couple picnicking on the green sand below so we assumed it was safe.
Rule #4: don’t go in the water or turn your back to the waves. We definitely broke this rule.
Yup, here we are in the water with our back to the waves! But in our defense, the person who took this photo is a native Hawaiian who frequents this beach. She offered to take our picture. I took a photo of her and her boyfriend as well. None of us got washed away. I think I can safely call this one of the best Hawaii beaches for cool photographs!
OK so that rule is worded a little too strongly. Here is the real deal. When the surf is up, stay out of the water. The horseshoe shape can cause some dangerous rip tides and unpredictable waves. Just outside the horseshoe in the open ocean is a strong current that will sweep you all the way to Antarctica! Really! I’m serious!!
When the ocean is calm, swimming inside the horseshoe should be fine but beware of submerged rocks! Use your judgment as you wade in. I felt a strong undertoe and was getting knocked around by the waves while standing knee deep. I actually got smacked hard in the derriere by a wave just after this photo. It knocked me forward a couple of steps.
This is my husband tempting fate. He is the tiny speck way out on that rock ledge.
He just had to walk out really far looking in the tidal pools despite my begging him to turn back. He was having a great time until he almost got knocked into the ocean by a big wave. I had visions of going home a widow after only two years of marriage because I had to see a green sand beach! He returned to shore quite quickly after this first near miss.
The story ends happily. We got back to our car safely. There was no talk of divorce (whew!). And Jeff agreed that this was on of the best Hawaii beaches we visited because it was the coolest!
