ALOHA!
So the list below focuses on black sand beaches on the Big Island.
And there is a very good reason for that!
When it comes to seeing a black sand beach in Hawaii, the Big Island can be a GREAT Hawaiian island to visit for your first trip to Hawaii if you want to see many really black-colored black sand beaches.
The beaches on this list aren’t the only black sand beaches on the Big Island, but they are among the best to make a part of your Big Island itinerary when you’re short on time!
You can see beaches with jet black sand on the Big Island of Hawaii!
These are also some of the best black sand beaches in Hawaii!
I have probably seen close to 15 black sand beaches in Hawaii, although that depends on your definition of black.
That number includes beaches that I would consider only “kind of” black sand (maybe closer to grey sand) but is often listed as being a black sand beach.
Best Hawaiian island to see black sand beaches
The top 2 contenders for best black sand beaches in Hawaii out of the main Hawaiian islands are the Big Island and Maui.
In terms of ease of access to a number of black sand beaches, and the ease of fitting it into your day’s itinerary, I would say the Big Island might have the best black sand beaches in Hawaii.
But Maui has at least one really black black sand beach.
There’s the famous black sand beach on Maui, and then some more black sand beaches, including ones that are basically secret black sand beaches that no one’s talking about online.
So if you’re trying to decide between visiting the Big Island or Maui and you would be happy to see even just ONE black sand beach, you’ll be happy with either of these Hawaiian islands!
Kauai may or may not have a black sand beach depending on your definition of black.
Oahu has no black sand beaches.
👇 Explore the Big Island black sand beaches map.
Why are there black sand beaches in Hawaii?
Hawaii’s volcano activity and lava flows are what gives Hawaii black sand beaches.
This also might explain part of why the Big Island is the best Hawaiian island to see black sand beaches.
The Big Island has the most recent volcano activity!
It’s also the only island that currently has several active volcanoes, and the Big Island is where you can find Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Maui has one volcano, and Haleakala National Park is home to Maui’s famous volcano.
According to a University of Hawaii professor:
In Hawaii, the term black sand beach has been used only for beaches dominated by grains of black volcanic glass.
Lava flows entering the ocean chill and their glassy rinds shatter.
Waves and currents may build a beach from the black grains of glass.
If you’re headed to Hawaii for the volcanoes, then be sure to also see the list of where to see old lava flows on the Big Island and where to see old lava flows on Maui!
More below on the specific black sand beaches to visit in Hawaii!
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And now…
7 best black sand beaches on the Big Island in Hawaii
1. Punaluu black sand beach
This is probably the Big Island’s most famous black sand beach.
Punaluu Beach isn’t famous just for its black sand.
It’s also a place to visit for a good chance to see sea turtles when you’re on the Big Island!
Although the turtles can sometimes be found swimming in the ocean, there’s one spot near the lifeguard tower in particular that’s a frequent turtle resting spot on Punaluu black sand beach that can give you the best chance of seeing turtles when you’re on the Big Island!
This is a beach park, which means there are a number of beach facilities here, including lifeguards and bathrooms.
You can make a quick visit to Punaluu black sand beach if you drive along the southern coast to get from Kona to the Volcanoes National Park area.
This is a beach you can hang out at.
Relatively nearby this beach is also the southern most point of the United States (South Point Park) and the green sand beach.
See more about this black sand beach in Hawaii: Trip to Punaluu black sand beach
2. Pololu Valley Beach
There’s an overlook to Pololu Valley which can be a quick stop. It might be a bit difficult to see the black sand beach from the overlook though.
If you want to head down to the beach, the way to get there is by foot on the hiking trail to get down, maybe about a 40 minute hike to the beach.
If you don’t want to go all the way down, you can go down part way for some viewpoints to get a better view of the black sand beach.
I don’t recall there being any toilets in the parking area or down by the beach.
This is another beach you can hang out at.
You can make it a black sand beach day by going to Pololu Valley before or after Waipio Valley.
These could be good stops to make if you’re going from Kona to Hilo, or Hilo to Kona, along the northern coast.
I did a hike to the Pololu Valley beach when I was on my way from Volcano village to Waikoloa village.
I consider this a “kind of” black sand beach.
See more about this black sand beach in Hawaii: Pololu Valley black sand beach
3. Kaimu black sand beach
You get to this beach in Kalapana on the Puna coast by taking a short walk on a trail that leads to the coast, maybe about 10 minutes.
It’s a trail with black sand too!
And, there are palm trees among the lava fields, as well cliff views, and this makes for a stunning landscape!
Going on this black sand beach hike will give you some amazing cliff views along with the possibility of walking through lava fields. It’s an amazing spot to go if you’re looking for places to see old lava flows on the Big Island all around!
Just be careful as you’re walking across the lava!
After you’ve finished up walking around the area and return to the parking lot, there are some places to eat and drink right nearby.
Go for a tropical fruit smoothie to refuel!
The crashing waves meant absolutely no chance of going onto the beach itself.
So this was something to view from above and enjoy watching and listening to the waves crashing against the shore!
You can start off your day by going to this black sand beach before doing the scenic drive down Red Road aka Kapoho Kalapana Road aka Highway 137.
You can make it another black sand beach day by going to more black sand beaches that are located along this drive, including the Pohoiki Beach.
I did a hike to the Kaimu beach cliffs at the start of my drive on Red Road as a day trip when I was staying in Kalapana surrounded by lava fields!
If you’re staying around Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the Puna coast can be a nice day trip.
See more about this black sand beach in Hawaii: Trip to Kaimu black sand beach
4. Waipio Valley Beach
This is another black sand beach with an overlook which means this can also be a quick stop if you just want to see the beach from above.
Or, the way to get down to the beach is by driving or by foot. If driving, this is one of the Big Island drives in which a 4-wheel drive is required.
This is considered to be among the world’s steepest roads, thus the need for a 4wd vehicle.
This also means that if you’re going by foot, expect the return to be a tough walk with a supposed slope of up to 37%!
There were portable toilets near the beach.
This is a beach that you can hang out at.
Again, it can be a perfect black sand beach day if you do this on the same day as a visit to Pololu Valley.
I did a hike to the Waipio Valley beach on the same day that I did the hike to Pololu Valley. You can make it a day of these two “valley beach hikes” only and it can be a perfect day! Pack water and snacks!
I consider this a “kind of” black sand beach. This is another older black sand beach.
See more about this black sand beach in Hawaii: Trip to Waipio Valley black sand beach
5. Pohoiki Beach
This is a new black sand beach on the Big Island that was created after the 2018 volcano eruption.
This is located at the Isaac Hale beach park.
This beach was previously closed off as they were making it ready for visitors, but now it’s simple to access, as all you need to do is walk from the parking lot to the beach!
And then you can walk across the beach.
As a beach park, there are beach facilities like lifeguards and portable toilets.
This is a beach you can hang out at.
I did a walk along Pohoiki Beach at the end of my drive on Red Road as a day trip when I was staying in Kalapana.
6. Kehena Beach
If you can ignore (or are comfortable with) the people who are beach lazing or swimming without swimsuits on (it’s a clothing optional beach in Hawaii), then this can be a nice little beach with really black sand.
It’s in a slightly “hidden” area, as the way to this beach is going down a steep trail off the side of the road.
It might take a bit of patience to get to the beach itself though if the waves are strong, because ocean waves can come crashing to the spot where the trail meets the beach.
It also might require jumping down, which also means it can mean pulling yourself up on the way back.
This is another stop you can make on the scenic drive on Red Road.
There are no beach facilities here.
See more about this black sand beach in Hawaii: Trip to Kehena black sand beach
7. Richardson Ocean Park
And then if you’re looking for a black sand beach in Hilo…
Then Richardson Ocean Park is your beach!
This is another black sand beach that will give you a good chance of seeing turtles!
There’s not that wide of a beach here, but you can hang out at this beach.
There are bathrooms here.
You can make it one day in Hilo with a black sand beach, turtles, lava cave hike, and waterfalls!
See more about this black sand beach in Hawaii: Things to do in Hilo
And these are just a few of the black sand beaches in Hawaii! Maybe you’ll come across more as you’re driving around the Big Island!
Summary of how to see the best black sand beaches on the Big Island!
If you want to see a beach with REALLY black sand on the Big Island of Hawaii, then go for one of the beaches on the Puna coast!
These would be the beaches that you can do on the day of the scenic Red Road drive – Kaimu, Kehena, or Pohoiki.
I’d say these are the most black out of them all.
And it’s totally reasonable to visit all 3 beaches in one day too.
See ideas for how to spend one day in Puna (or a half day) near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
👆 Map of some of the best black sand beaches on the Big Island: Punaluu black sand beach to Kaimu black sand beach to Pohoiki black sand beach! Explore the map.
No matter which black sand beach you visit in Hawaii, be safe out there!
The ocean is powerful!
And with that…
There are 3 types of beaches you must visit when you’re on the Big Island! (Or, highly consider!)
Best beaches on the Big Island:
And here is the list of colored-sand beaches in Hawaii:
- Black sand beaches (above!)
- Green sand beach
- Red sand beach
And if you haven’t decided yet on which island in Hawaii to visit, see the comparison of the Big Island vs Maui!
If you already know you’re going to the Big Island, then see how to do a TON of very Hawaii things by doing a circle island drive with this Big Island itinerary that explores different areas of the island!
Explore more volcanic activity outside of Hawaii:
HAPPY SEEING A BLACK SAND BEACH IN HAWAII!
Here are some ideas for your time on the Big Island!
Among the most popular things to do on the Big Island are Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Akaka Falls State Park, and Waipio Valley!
For Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the main road to drive is Chain of Craters Road and it will take you to see the best lava fields in Hawaii! Before that though (or after!) you will want to make a stop for the Thurston lava tube. You can also hike into a former lava lake by doing the Kilauea Iki Trail!
Other Big Island activities you may want to make time for are the best black sand beaches in Hawaii (including Punaluu black sand beach to see turtles maybe!) and the Papakolea green sand beach of Hawaii.
Volcanoes in Hawaii
There was a time in December 2022 that 2 volcanoes were erupting in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
This was a special occasion because even in the past few years, there was a quiet period where there was NO active lava to be seen anywhere in Hawaii.
As the National Park Service says, it was the first time in nearly 40 years that TWO volcanoes were erupting in Hawaii at the same time!
But what seems like nearly just like that, they stopped erupting.
As it goes with volcanoes, things can change in an instant!
So be sure to check National Park Service updates when your Big Island trip gets closer: What's going on with the volcanoes?
Spotted yesterday at #MaunaLoa – a lava boat rides the waves! On Dec 7, a lava boat was spotted floating down channel. Lava boats can form when portions of the cone or lava channel break away & are rafted downstream. Hot lava cools to its surface to create that smooth exterior. pic.twitter.com/D9gdoFolfq
— USGS Volcanoes🌋 (@USGSVolcanoes) December 9, 2022
👇 Explore the Big Island map on google maps!
See the list:
- Things to do on the Big Island (for VIEWS!)
- Things to do in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
- Things to do in Kona
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Top things to pack for your Hawaii vacation!
The ultimate beach towel for travel?!
Turkish towels are considered to be more absorbent and lightweight than your average beach towel. Be sure to check out turkish towels like these!The cheapo way to waterproof your phone
You can take underwater pictures with a simple waterproof phone case like this. Touch screen may not work well underwater - try the volume button to snap the pic instead!Get your suitcase more organized!
Packing cubes can make it so you're spending less time on your vacation looking for things! They are basically a form of drawers in your suitcase. Take a look at these packing cubes.Wear less sunscreen by wearing a UPF swim shirt!
Wearing a swim shirt means less skin that's exposed to the sun which means less sunscreen you need to apply! See about wearing swim shirts with UV protection like these when you're snorkeling.More for your Big Island packing list
- How a cheapo waterproof phone case works
- Why wear water shoes for the beach
- Why a personal swim buoy is an essential for snorkeling and swimming in the ocean
- Essentials to pack for Hawaii
- Best shoes for Hawaii
Watch the videos to see the Big Island in action!
Find more amazing things to do on the Big Island: Watch my Big Island videos on youtube
If you see an activity you like, look in the description below the youtube video for the individual blog post about that specific activity!ALOHA!
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