Papakolea Beach(Green Sand Beach, Mahana Beach)

Located on the South Point of the Kaʻu district on the Big Island of Hawaii, Papakolea Beach - also known as Green Sand Beach or Mahana Beach -  is a small green sand beach with many rocky formations.  The beach is renowned for its distinctive green sand, which gets its color from olivine (locally known as "Hawaiian Diamond"), a mineral found in the area.  This green sand is a result of the erosion of the enclosing cinder cone, Puʻu Mahana, which was formed over 49,000 years ago during an eruption of the Mauna Loa volcano.  The beach name Papakolea is derived from the Hawaiian word papa kolea, which means "plover flats."  The beach has a spectacular backdrop of rugged ledges, adding allure to its beauty, which together provide Instagram-worthy views of the Pacific Ocean.

Papakolea Beach Hawaii doesn't have lifeguards or any other amenities, so plan your trip accordingly.

Papakolea Beach offers many fun activities, including swimming, sunbathing, beachcombing, and hiking.  If you are planning to go into the water, swimming is allowed, but we recommend being cautious; the beach is known to have unpredictable rip currents.  Hikers can enjoy the nearby Green Sand Beach hiking trails, which offer unique insights into the local biodiversity.   The beach is ideal for visitors looking for a tranquil beach experience, as this beach sees fewer visitors than other nearby beaches.   Dogs are not allowed here, and the beach is open from sunrise until sunset.

Papakolea Beach does not offer an access path for people with disabilities.

Getting to Papakolea Beach is difficult - to access the beach, visitors have to take the road to ‘South Point’ between mile markers 69 and 70 on Highway 11, where there is a small parking lot.  After parking, you need to hike 2.5 miles (one way) from the parking lot on a dirt path along the lava cliffs overlooking the bay.

It is worth noting that driving a car on these roads is not permitted.  While some residents do provide rides from the public parking lot to Papakolea Beach, doing so is against the law, and using them can contribute to environmental degradation.

This beach Papakolea Beach is one of only four green-sand beaches in the world, and the other three are located in the Galapagos Islands, Norway, and Guam.

There are many attractions near Papakolea Beach.  Lava Tree State Monument is a public park that preserves lava molds of tree trunks that were formed in 1790 when a lava flow swept across a forested area.  This park offers many amenities, including picnic tables, restrooms, walking paths, three covered pavilions, trash cans, a paved path, and a hiking trail.  Mermaid Pond Trailhead features a small trail that leads to tide pools that were formed after 2018's volcanic eruption devastation.  It offers several fun activities, including tidepooling, picnicking, and sunbathing.  Kula Kai Caverns is a thousand-year-old lava cave and tube system that was once used by native Hawaiian tribes for water collection and as a shelter from the rain, wind, and sun.  Kula Kai Caverns offers an opportunity to explore the beauty, archaeology, geology, and history of lava tubes with the help of proficient guides.    

South Point Park is located on the southernmost tip of the Big Island, on Ka Lae Point, which was the first place where Polynesians first set foot when they reached the Hawaiian Islands as early as 750 A.D.   It is an excellent place to relax, unwind, and enjoy the breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean.   It is worth noting that this place is listed as a National Historic Landmark as it is home to the remains of fishing shrines, heiau (temples), and other historical sites.  If you are looking for another nearby attraction, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an International Biosphere Reserve.  The park has a crescent-shaped, partially submerged volcanic crater that forms a small, uninhabited islet, and it is home to two active volcanoes: Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, and Mauna Loa, the world's most massive shield volcano.  The park also features another magnificent volcanic landscape, namely the Thurston Lava Tube, which is a 500-year-old lava tube that was carved out by lava exceeding temperatures of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Papakolea Beach.   Hana Hou Restaurant offers Hawaiian-inspired dishes, including loco moco, salads, steaks, burgers, submarine sandwiches, wraps, pizzas, and desserts.   Ka Lae Garden Thai Food is an oceanfront Thai restaurant that serves amazing noodles, Thai curries, soups, salads, rolls, fried rice, pork, beef, and poultry dishes.  South Side Shaka Restaurant & Bar is an American restaurant that serves delicious pancakes, eggs, steaks, burgers, sandwiches, loco moco, laulau, katsu, seafood, pork, and poultry dishes.  Taco Tita is a Mexican restaurant that serves incredible tacos, nachos, taco salads, burritos, pork, and poultry dishes.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby restaurant, Luquins Mexican Restaurant is an upscale restaurant that serves amazing nachos, burritos, quesadillas, tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, sandwiches, burgers, steaks, shrimp, seafood, and poultry dishes.

If you are looking for a nearby Papakolea Beach, there are many great options nearby.  If you are looking for an upscale hotel, the 4-Star  Colony I at Sea Mountain in Pahala, which is 38 minutes away by car and offers several amenities, including an outdoor pool, hot tubs, and a golf course.  A more affordable option is the 4-Star At The Crater’s Edge is one hour and twenty minutes away by car and offers a few amenities, including a hot tub, a garden, and a golf course.  Another moderately priced option is the 3.5-Star Aloha Crater Lodge and Lava Tube, which offers several amenities, including a hot tub, a garden, and complimentary breakfast.  A more reasonably priced option is the 3-star Sea Mountain, which offers many amenities, including an outdoor pool, hot tubs, a golf course, tennis courts, and barbecue grill facilities.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby hotel, the 3-Star Volcano Village Estates offers a few amenities, including complimentary breakfast and nearby restaurants.