This is a beautiful olive green sand beach, carved out of cinder cone on the South shore of Hawai’i island. Commonly known as Green Sand Beach, a trip to this special natural wonder is definitely worth it. It’s a ~2.25 mile hike (one way) to get to this beach, so we left our North Kona house bright and early to beat the heat. The hike-in is flat, over rolling dirt tracks with Mauna Loa in the distance. It seems like we walked forever, until we got a glimpse of the old cinder cone, and wow, what dramatic views.

For us, this is a hiking day, rather than a beach day. Bring plenty of water, snacks, and sun protection (there is absolutely no shade). For the hiking, although many people wear sneakers or even sandals, I was glad to have on my hiking boots. Maybe bring sandals or water shoes if you plan to hang out at the beach.

Here’s a quick view on the beach. So beautiful and well worth the hike!

Access

There is a paved road (narrow and one-lane in spots) all the way to the large, free parking area. There are generally port-a-pots, but often they are not maintained (you may want to bring toilet paper and hand sanitizer). Walk down the road (definitely do not drive) toward the boat ramp and follow the dirt pathways. After about 2 miles you’ll see the cone. Follow the path northside of the cone where you’ll see an old rickety staircase at the mouth of the cone. Be careful to climb down towards the shoreline along the obvious pathway (I honestly sat on my butt and scooted down in some places).

There are several locals that you can pay to get a lift in the back of their truck to and/or from the beach. Last we heard they charge $20 cash. But, these trucks are really damaging the land so we prefer to hike.

#greensandbeach #bigisland #hawaii #lovelifeeveryday 💜💛💚