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The Big Island in Four Colors - A Shoreline Story | USA

  • LoriKat
  • Apr 24
  • 4 min read

Updated: 4 days ago

📅 Mar 2022 | 🗺️ Hawai'i Big Island, HI


Hawai‘i’s Big Island is the largest in the archipelago, a land of volcanoes, rainforests, and coastlines that change color with the sand. Here, beaches aren’t just white — they shimmer green with olivine crystals at Papakōlea, glow black from volcanic rock at Punalu‘u, and blush pink along hidden coves. Driving its shores means chasing color, culture, and the raw beauty of an island still being shaped by fire and sea.


The Big Island gave us more than beaches—it handed us a palette —🌑 black, 🟢 green, ⚪ white, and all the shades where land meets sea and decides to surprise you.


We didn’t set out to make a theme of it, but the island curated one for us anyway — a shoreline quilt stitched from volcanic power and ocean patience. Some beaches felt wild and brand-new. Others felt ancient and sacred. Each one carried a different page of the island’s story.


We came ready to swim… but we ended up exploring, stacking stones, chasing fish, collecting moments. The shoreline told us what to do.


Here’s how the island painted our days…


Man in a blue shirt and beige shorts gestures at rock stacks on a rocky beach with blue ocean waves in the background, under a clear sky.

📚Journal Spill


Pohoiki Black Sand Beach - Where Fire Meets the Ocean


Pohoiki made us earn our arrival —wrong turns through old lava flows, GPS confidence dropping…

Then suddenly: the beach appeared.


Not soft, not gentle — crunchy, glassy, volcanic armor beneath our shoes.


Swimming? Hard pass. The waves were strong and moody — like the island reminding us who’s boss.


So we played differently:

  • I stacked smooth rocks into tiny sculptures

  • The kids built lava-rock forts

  • We peered into tide pools catching flashes of fish including the ⭐ ridiculously named Humuhumunukunukuapuaʻa (still practicing)


This beach felt brand new because… it is. Land the island created and dared us to stand on.


Hands holding a pile of black gravel, against a similar background. Person wears a black wristband. Bright lighting emphasizes texture.
Woman in sunglasses smiles, sitting on black sand beach with white stone heart. Waves crash in the background under a partly cloudy sky.
Child wearing a red cap stands among lava rock formations on a black sand beach, with palm trees and parked cars in the tropical background.
Fish swims over colorful rocks in clear water, showcasing vibrant orange and black patterns. The rocky background adds texture.


Punalu'u Black Sand Beach - Where Turtles Write the Rules


Same black sand color — but a completely different soul. Punaluʻu was softer, slower — the kind of place where you stop whispering without noticing.


We sank our toes in, feeling warmth radiate through grains made from ancient eruptions.


And then — a sea turtle slid ashore, unbothered, honored, ancient. We gave it respectful space, but we couldn’t stop smiling. The kids pointed out every shell shape like little biologists, then demolished sweet rolls from Punaluʻu Bake Shop — warm, fluffy, and sticky with joy.


Palm trees framed picnic tables. A lily pond bloomed with purple flowers.


We didn’t rush. The island asked us not to.


Hands hold black sand on a dark beach. One wrist has a black watch. Bright sunlight highlights the gritty texture of the sand.

A beach with black sand, palm trees, and vibrant blue ocean. People are enjoying the shoreline under a clear sky, creating a serene mood.
Lush pond with green lily pads and blooming purple water lilies under natural light, creating a serene and tranquil atmosphere.


Papakōlea Green Sand Beach - The Earned Reward


A bucket-list beach that makes you work for it. The shuttle option looked…ratchet-strapped and slightly terrifying 🛻😅 So we hiked the 3 miles instead.


Wind whipping. Sand blasting our ankles. Ocean dropping away into turquoise.


We climbed the final ridge and— GREEN. Not neon. Not obvious. More like crushed-olive gemstones mixed with sand. A secret color revealed only to those who show up sweaty.


A steep ladder down into this strange cove felt like climbing into another world — one carved slowly by volcanos and waves who know how to collaborate.


We sat there, tired and proud. A shade of sand we will always remember.


Hands holding wet, brown sand on a sunny beach. Sand falls between fingers, creating a textured contrast against the smooth, sunlit skin.
Close-up of greenish-yellow sand with small black and white grains, creating a textured appearance. The overall mood is natural and earthy.
People relax and swim at a secluded beach with green sand, rocky cliffs, and turquoise waves under a clear blue sky.


Ai'opio Peppered Sand Beach - Slow & Subtle


Aiʻopio was quiet like a whisper.


Pale sand sprinkled with coral, water so clear it looked like light was floating. Turtles dotted the shoreline, resting like royalty — unbothered, timeless.


And then a pufferfish — intact but not alive —the kids studied it like detectives trying to solve a sea-crime.


The beach invited us to lower our voices, slow our pace, notice all the soft things.


Hands holding coarse, multicolored sand on a pebble-filled beach. A person wears a black wristband. The scene conveys a sense of exploration.

Close-up of a beach surface covered with small shells, black sand, and rocks. A small beige object is partially visible among the shells.


Kamakahonu White Sand Beach - Our Water Playground


Some beaches feel like an invitation. Kamakahonu was one of them.


Soft white sand, calm shallows, green grass where we plopped our gear and just exhaled.

We snorkeled past the heiau, gliding over bright schools of yellow-and-white fish — confetti in motion.


Then we spotted it: A black sea urchin the size of a basketball guarding the reef like a spiky sentinel.We kept a respectful fin’s distance.


We ended the day with rainbow shave ice from Ululani’s — mango + li hing mui + blue raspberry happiness melting down our hands. The perfect color to finish our palette.


Hands cupping soft, white sand on a beach. Sand spills through fingers, with bare feet and a black wristband visible. Calm, serene setting.
A person in a blue shirt and snorkel gear kneels in clear water on a sunny beach. Palm trees and sunbathers are in the background.

🔚 Final Spin


The Big Island didn’t give us one perfect beach —it gave us pieces:

  • hot-black new earth under our shoes

  • sacred shores meant for turtles and patience

  • a green cove earned by sunburn and grit

  • quiet sand sprinkled with coral secrets

  • a friendly white-sand swim with confetti-colored fish


Every stop felt different — like the island kept changing outfits to see which version of herself we liked best.


Turns out: we liked all of them.


We left with sunburns, sandy toes, rock collections, and a rainbow stain on our memories. The island colored us in. One beach at a time.


🍬Echoes, Keepsakes, & Oddities


  • A perfect white-rock heart found on black sand

  • A turtle who chose to nap beside us

  • A lava-rock bruise that made a funny story later

  • Kids in beach chairs with rainbow tongues

  • That Papakōlea ridge reveal moment

  • Humuhumunukunukuapuaʻa (we’ll get it eventually)


🎞️ Tag & Snag



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