On our way to the Volcano National Park from our condo in Kailua Kona we stopped at Punalu'u - Black Sand Beach. It was a great place to get out and move our legs before heading up the volcano! The sand is pitch black and the beach gently curves. We were welcomed by some giant Sea Turtles who had beached themselves to sun for the day while others were seen in the waters eating, simply amazing. A few small little open air "huts" selling candy, soda, and some fun trinkets.. A must-do on your way to VNP!

Located between Volcano and Na'alehu on the southern portion of the Big Island of Hawaii. This is a site to see. Gorgeous black sand beach. I had never seen this before and was taken back by the beauty.The beach has a little "Shack" where you can buy sunscreen and trinkets. The bathrooms are not easy to get to. The beach is full of rough rocks so do wear your water shoes. Black Sand Beach Bonus...Sea Turtles! But you must stay more than 20 feet away from them as they are protected. And take your snorkel gear because it the turtles are not up on the beach, they will be in the water!

This black sand beach is a must visit if you're planning a trip to the BIG Island. You can almost always see Hawksbill turtles there resting on the beach. Just walking in the black sand is a treat. It isn't every day that you get to sink your toes into black sand.
There are a couple little souvenir shops right on the beach. You can buy a t-shirt or a refreshing bottle of water. This beach is about halfway between South Point and Volcano National Park. You may as well plug it into your GPS because you will definitely want to see this.

Punalu'u's Black Sand Beach is a MUST SEE in Hawaii. There are very few true black sand beaches - and this is one of them. It's easily accessible right from the main highway around the island - just follow the signs when you get between mile markers 55 and 56. Park (free), take off your shoes, and hop out to be awed by the color nature takes here - esp beautiful on a sunny day (though the sand can get HOT). The black of the sand, blue of the sky, and green of the palm trees and lush Hawaii make for a wonderful contrast.

Taking off your shoes for at least a little bit  is critical. Why? Because true black sand doesn't FEEL like ordinary sand, and it's hard to explain. A few steps and you'll understand. It's neat and definitely different.

You can swim on this beach, but the water is cold—especially due to some freshwater that comes up from the ground here (you can see it along the water's edge). We opted to wade and take in the beauty. Our boys enjoyed playing in the water and on the rocks. There are plenty of turtles around if you haven't seen any on the BI yet.

Tour buses stop here, as does pretty much every tourist circling the island, so be prepared for crowds. Even so, it's worth it to stop. When the buses aren't there the crowds are quite reasonable, so wait a little bit if they are there when you arrive. They don't stay long. It's a fine place to picnic if you are so inclined, but we didn't. (We wanted to eat at the Southernmost restaurant in the U.S. [see separate journal for Hana Hou Cafe].)

This stop makes a nice stretch of legs if one is going to/from Volcanoes National Park and Kailua-Kona. It's a shorter beach, but nonetheless, the beauty makes it nice for beach walking.

If you want some tourist souvenirs, there are shops here.

The beach is definitely worth seeing as it is truly black sand. Often there are sea turtles crawling right up on the beach (there were two when we were there), which was worth seeing. This beach is really worthwhile going to see but is more of a "stop and see it beach" than a swimming beach. If you are looking for swimming, go elsewhere!