We went to the Southernmost point in the US (within 50 states) and hiked along the coast to the beautiful Papakolea or Green sand beach! The Big Island's Green Sand Beach is a fascinating geological oddity and a worthy hiking destination!!! Distance Round Trip: approximately 5 miles Relatively flat with no shade Papakolea Beach sits at the back of a small bay hugging the sides of an old cinder cone from an eruption that happened more than 50,000 years ago. It is the Big Island's only green sand beach, one of only four in the world. The hike to the beach is looooong and exposed, but also breathtakingly beautiful. You'll follow a maze of dirt tracks along the shoreline for what feels like forever, flanked by green Hawaiian grasslands on one side and the Pacific ocean on the other. On a clear day, you can see the Mauna Loa volcano and other mountains off in the distance. There are many criss-crossing paths that can be followed to reach the beach, and after awhile you may become convinced you've missed it. Rest assured though, so long as you stay close to the shoreline you can't miss the small bay and obvious cinder cone. On the day we were there, a handful of 4x4's were parked at the top of the cliff -- mostly locals offering up rides to tourists (more on this in a bit). The beach itself is quite small, but true to its name contains sand that has been tinted green by the rare volcanic mineral, Olivine. If you climb the small cinder cone, you'll be treated to an amazing panoramic view and a shot straight down to the beach. The water in the bay is cool but tolerable, and after the long hike we regretted not bringing our swim suits. Don't make the same mistake! To reach the Green Sand Beach, take Hwy 11 down to the southern tip of the Big Island and turn off onto South Point Rd between mile markers 69 and 70. Follow it straight ahead for awhile and look for an obvious parking area just off to the left of a crude sign indicating the beach. From here you have two options -- if you choose to hike, simply follow the road down towards the ocean and go left onto the rough dirt track you'll see paralleling the ocean. You can also hitch a ride from the locals -- a small child approached us upon parking and offered up rides for $15 round trip per person. We opted to hike to the beach, but decided to pay $10 each for the quick, bumpy and somewhat nauseating ride back. Directions to Green Sand Beach: http://bit.ly/1nVfKEO Don't forget to check out other videos from our exciting trip to the Big Island of Hawaii! Day 1: Exploring the Hamakua Coast (starting from Hilo) 1.) Breakfast at Ken's House of Pancakes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_S2-0zekjTQ 2.) Onomea Scenic Drive & Akaka Falls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCN_BMBkDoU 3.) Sample malasadas at Tex Drive In in Honokaa https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-Yusj-QuPo 4.) Waipi'o Valley overlook and beach hike https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJDG12ERqWQ 5.) Dinner at Café 100 in Hilo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HAYjvIB0Qw Day 2: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park -- Kilauea'iki Trail https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5u4qxDeivY References: http://www.bigislandhikes.com/papakolea-green-sand-beach/ http://www.lovebigisland.com/quick-and-remarkable-facts-about-hawaii/green-sand-beach/ http://www.tourismontheedge.com/hidden-places/seven-of-the-worlds-most-beautiful-colorful-sand-beaches.html ---------------------------- SUBSCRIBE! http://bit.ly/1KBGh1N LET'S CONNECT! Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1PhVVyR Twitter: https://twitter.com/perkyroams Instagram: https://instagram.com/perkyroams ---------------------------

• published: 28 Jan 2016
• views: 40083