Favorite Pictures of the Big Island, Hawaii

This page contains a collection of our favorite pictures of the Big Island of Hawaii. Each of these photos has been taken by us and is featured on our website. Click on any image to see the original page where the image is used on to find out more.

We have tried to include all our favorite places and activities on the Big Island into this collection. You will find our favorite beaches, rainforests, volcanic craters, an alpine lake (!!!), and more.

Feel free to share these pictures or to use them on your own blog or website, but please give proper credit: acknowledge our website (www.lovebigisland.com) using a hyperlink as source in the image caption. Mahalo Nui Loa!

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Based on a work at www.lovebigisland.com

: Overview of the Kilauea Iki caldera, This caldera hosts one of the most spectacular (and moderately easy) hikes on the island

: Green sand containing olivine crystals from Papakolea (green sand beach) on the Big Island.

: The best snorkeling in Kealakekua bay is around the Captain Cook monument, but getting there is difficult. The most easy option is to go on a snorkeling tour.

: Red Ohia Lehua flower

: A short 0.8 mile drive will take you from the Kīlauea Visitor Center to the steam vents. Here, ground water seeps down to the hot volcanic rocks and returns to the surface as steam with a distinct sulfury smell.

: You can visit the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park at night to see the glow over the halema’uma’u crater at the jaggar mnuseum.

: If you look closely you can see that the black sand at the beach consists of many small parts of solidified lava.

: One of your views when driving along the Kapoho Kalapana road.

: The boardwalk that protects the Pu’u Loa petroglyphs. Once you reach the petroglyph field you have to walk over this boardwalk to protect the petroglyphs

: You can visit the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park at night to see the glow over the halema’uma’u crater at the jaggar mnuseum.

: Carlsmith beach park in Hilo on the Big Island of hawaii

: Kahili ginger covers most of the rainforest floor in Volcano Village. It is very pretty to see but considered an invasive species.

: The ‘Ahu’ena Heiau temple in Kailua Kona on the Big Island. “‘Ahu’ena Heiau” is Hawaiian for “temple of the burning altar”. King Kamehameha I spent his last seven years in power here before his son Liholiho succeeded him

: The glow from the Halemaumau crater at night in the Volcanoes National Park, seen from the (now closed) Jaggar Museum overlook

: Pahoehoe lava at the Kalapana flow field of the Kilauea Volcano

: The volume of the rainbow falls (or Waianuenue) changes on a daily basis. This is what the falls look like after a good rain upstream

: The sunsets from Mauna Kea are out of this world, making a trip to the summit even more attractive

: Mahai’ula Beach is a scenic and secluded beach. It’s the southernmost of the three beaches making up Kekaha Kai State Park

: The active Pu’u O’o vent as seen from the Napau crater in the Hawaii Volcano National Park

: Green Sand Beach. One of the two green sand beaches in the United States. Close to the south point of the island

: Kua Bay is a small beach with good surf in the winter and snorkeling in the summer

: On a clear day you can see the world-class telescopes on top of Mauna Kea from Volcano Village. Please read our DIY stargazing guide if you’d like to visit the summit of Mauna Kea

: Lava from the Kilauea volcano on it’s way to the ocean. If the conditions are safe during your visit, you can try to visit the lava yourself.

: Climate map of the Hawaii Island showing 10 different climate zones on the Big Island. Only 8 climates are “independent”. Temperate “summer dry” and “summer cool” both belong to the temperate dry climate. Tropical “winter dry” and “summer dry” both belong to the tropical dry climate

: A Honu (Hawaiian word for the green sea turtle) is resting on the rocks at Carlsmith beach park in Hilo

: There are many waterfalls close to Hilo. Visiting them is for many people a highlight of their visit to Hilo.

: The scenic chain of craters road in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park ends after 23 miles at lava flows that covered the road in several eruptions between 1986 and 1996

: Punalu’u is a good place for swimming, taking in the sun and snorkeling (turtles!)

: The Mauna Loa access road is an 11 mile scenic road climbing Mauna Loa up to over 6000 ft.

: The beach in Pololu valley is well-suited for a rewarding rest after you hike down into the valley. This hike, by the way, is one of our favorite 5 short hikes of the Big Island.

: Gold dust day gecko (Phelsuma laticauda) on the Big Island of Hawaii. Originally from Madagascar (Africa), these little guys now also thrive in Hawaii. This little guy helps out a lot with testing our website.

: Kalapana with its black sand beaches and new lava fields has sunsets that are positively unique. After sunset (and with some luck / flowing lava), you can go on a lava hike to complete an unforgettable day.

: This lava tube was discovered in 1913 by Lorrin Thurston, a local newspaper publisher. At that time the roof of the tube was covered with lava stalactites, but those soon disappeared to souvenir collectors.

: Lake Waiau is located on Mauna Kea, more than 13.000 ft above sea level. It is one of very few lakes in the state of Hawaiʻi

: Strand of Pele’s hair in the Halema’uma’u crater of the Kilauea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii

: Kahili ginger flowers can grow up to one feet tall, and are very fragrant.

: ‘Ama’u (ah-ma oo) ferns colonize the lava flow at the Nāpau trail in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

: The Pohoiki pier protects the boat ramp, and also makes a sheltered area good for swimming

: Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Park in the south Kona district is a good place to take in Hawaiian History. Next door (300 feet from the park entrance) is one of the best places of the island to go snorkeling.

: The white sand at Kua Bay consists mostly of shells and bits of coral, with some pieces of black lava rock

: A handful of green sand from Papakolea beach on the Big Island of Hawaii

: Waialea Beach is a somewhat “off the beaten path” beach in between the Waikoloa resorts and Hapuna beach

: The Kalapana – Kapoho road (also known as red road) is one of the most scenic drives on the Big Island

: Pahoehoe lava partially covers A’a lava in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

: Hikers cross the floor of the Kilauea’iki crater in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Find out more about this hike on our website.

: Ancient petroglyphs on Hawaii. Petroglyphs are rock carvings left on the lava by the original inhabitants of Hawaii

: Kamakahonu (King Kam beach) is a small, family-friendly, beach in the heart of Kona

: Part of the Halema’uma’u trail in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park that takes you from the visitor center down to the Halema’uma’u crater floor

: The Hi’ilawe waterfall on the Big Island of Hawaii is one of the tallest and most powerful waterfalls of the state

: Drive down the chain of craters road in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to see the Holei sea arch raise out of the 80 to 90 feet high cliffs.

: Hiking tours to the lava flow can be tiresome but are worth every drop of sweat you shed!

: A young Ohelo ai branch. The leaves are evergreen and spirally arranged, and red when freshly emerging

: A close up of the sand at Ai’opio beach

: Mahaiula beach is the southernmost of the three beautiful Hawaii Big Island beaches making up Kekaha Kai State Park.

: Market day at the Farmers Market in Hilo, Hawaii.

: This will be your view back to the ocean after a 35 minute hike up the Mauna Loa trail.

: Good morning from the beautiful and (sometimes) sunny Volcano Village. Waking up to an orchestra of birds and the smell of a freshly brewed cup of coffee is one of the many blessings you can find of the Big Island. Volcano Village reminds me sometimes of Jurassic Park. Can you see why?

: Lava enters the ocean at the Big Island. You can see this yourself either from land by a moderate (5+ mile) hike or bike ride, or from the ocean, by going on a lava boat tour

: Steam vents in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, a few minutes from the visitor center.

: The best place for swimming it at the protected cove at the north-eastern side of the beach

: Hi’ilawe (the barely visible waterfall in the back of the valley) is one of the tallest waterfalls of the Big Island

: Reconstructed Halau that acts as a shelter for canoes on the Royal Grounds

: Telescopes of the Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii. Visible are: the Subaru Telescope, the W. M. Keck Observatory, and the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility