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I am Big Island (Hawaii)

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Often the youngest sibling is the biggest of all. This is also the case with the islands of Hawaii. I am still greater than OahuMauiKauai and all other Hawaiian Islands together. I am also the largest island of all the states in the USA. Exactly my land area already measures 10,432 square kilometers. And I grow even more: On me you will find five big volcanoes. Three of them are still active today. Their fresh lava cools down and enlarges Hawaii Island more and more. But now I want to share with you some information about the people on the volcanic island.

Big Island ist zwar die größte Insel Hawaii´s, aber auch die Jüngste

volcanic eruption hawaii pele volcanic eruption hawaii pele shaka

On a 2018 tour during a volcanic eruption at Kilauea, Hawaii:
A 🤙 of the fire goddess Pele himself!

Big Island (Hawaii) Shortfacts:

Big Island is the youngest, but also the largest island of Hawaii and introduces itself in this article. We have summarized the most important information for you:

  • Current time:
  • Area: 10.430 km²
  • Inhabitants: +185.000
  • Tourists in 2017: 1.750.000.
    • Of these, 41,400 came from Germany!
    • They spent an average of 7.35 days on the Big Island.
  • Tourists per day:
    • There are approximately 35,240 tourists on the Big Island every day.
    • 7.35 persons per km² are thus incl. inhabitants on the island.
  • Climate on Big Island:
    • Daytime temperature: 25.2° to 28.8
    • Rainy days in month: 19-28 days
    • Sunshine hours in the month: 156 - 222 hours

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These are my inhabitants - this is how we live here

The capital of Hawaii - Honolulu - you will find on Oahu, but I am the main island - the Polynesians first discovered me over 1500 years ago. That's why I'm simply called Hawaii, Hawai'i Island or Big Island. Nature rules on me, the economic and political life of Hawaii takes place around Honolulu. Altogether live on my splendid island just under 200,000 Hawaiians. As with all of our state's islands, more and more people from all over the world are discovering our paradise in the Pacific and deciding to stay here forever. From 2000 to 2010, the population on the Big Island increased by a quarter - that's a Plus of almost 40,000 inhabitants.

Arrival at the airport, Big Island (Kona)
 Arrival at the airport, Big Island (Kona)

Hawaii Island is divided into seven regions. Around our Capital Hilo is where the main economic life of our island takes place. With about 50,000 inhabitants, Hilo is also the largest city on Hawaii Island. You will find the international airport here and you can leave from here to my other places. In the west of the island lies the Kona region with our second largest town Kailua-Kona. Further north you will come to the Kohala volcano. Here are the regions Kohala Coast and North Kohala with the town Waimea. In the southern part of the island are Pahala and Naalehu, and further east the Volcana Village. But I will tell you more about the individual cities later.

the coffee shack big island
 The Coffee Shack: Our favorite breakfast cafe.

My residents are well prepared for you and welcome you in the many hotels and resorts. The majority of Hawaii's residents earn their money with the Tourism - whether in the hotels, restaurants or as a guide. The tourist centers are on the west coast - in the Kona area, in North Kona and on the south coast - around Kohala. Besides that Agriculture a great significance for us Hawaiians. The volcanic ash gives us a particularly fertile soil. On the hardened lava we have until the 1960s mainly sugar cane cultivated. The sugar cane plantations were then moved from the Big Island - but you'll find many more different fruits grown here.

From the Kona Valley come the aromatic beans for our famous Kona Coffee. Be sure to enjoy a cup of freshly brewed coffee while you're here. Next to it you can see magnificent orchids on the Big Island of Hawaii. No other Hawaii island grows as many orchids as here. The tropical beauties thrive excellently on the lava soil. Around Waimea feel Cattle especially well. The ranches here are among the largest in the USA. On your trip you will also find tropical fruits and flowers like Bananas, papayas and also macadamia nuts.

You have to try this: Numerous tropical fruits and coffee plantations on Big Island

kona brewing beer hawaii
Kona Brewing - The beer from Big Island, Hawaii

Contrary to what the hit song claims, there is indeed beer in Hawaii - and really tasty beer at that. Kona Brewing Company is especially known for its Big Wave Golden Ale and Fire Rock Pale Ale. Be sure to order a bottle of the Hawaiian beer in one of the Kona Brewing Co. pubs. Today, the brewery produces more than ten different types of beer. Depending on whether you're going to a pub or eating in a fancy restaurant - different types of Kona Brewing beer are offered. From light to dark and from herb to mild, there is guaranteed to be something for everyone.

The hit song has a point: Hawaiian Beer hasn't been around long. Only in the 1990s the company from Hawaii has built up and established itself in pubs all over the island. The pubs are decorated in typical Hawaiian style and offer the right snack to go with the glass of beer, such as pizzas and sandwiches. Especially popular it the Koko Marina Pub on Oahu . Besides beer and delicious food you will be entertained with live music.

The beer is brewed on Hawaii Island in Kailua-Kona. But because it is popular with beer lovers around the world, the Hawaiian drop is also produced in Oregon, Washington and other U.S. states - but always according to the strict brewing recipe. Try a glass and taste the Aloha Spirit! Liquid Aloha just 🙂

Let yourself be enchanted by the charm of my volcanic landscapes!

our hawaii individualMy mainland consists entirely of hardened lava. That's why the ground is so solid black. Three of my five big volcanoes are still active, making Big Island big and bigger. These are the Hualalai - at the western tip of my island - as well as the Mauna Kea To the north. To the south lies the Kilauea - he is known as one of the most active volcanoes in the whole world. Since 1983, Kilauea has been spouting lava at regular intervals, causing Hawaii to grow in a southerly direction. The highest are Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa with 4205 meters and 4169 meters respectively. Since they start far down in the sea, you actually only see the top of the mountains. Below sea level Mauna Kea is still bigger than Mount Everest. Now still under the surface of the sea you can find smaller volcanoes that still have to grow so that you can see them. I would like to take you now on a journey through my contrasting landscapes and along my dreamy beaches.

Luxury Hotels on the Kohala Coast - Northwest Hawaii

Let's start our journey in the sunny north. For many tourists the coastal section around the Kohala volcano the most beautiful spot on Big Island, maybe even on all of Hawaii. The big hotel chains have quickly noticed this and settled here on Hawaii Island. Let your soul dangle on the fine sandy beaches - for example at the Anahoomalu Beach which belongs to Waikoloa Beach Resort. Remember, in Hawaii, the beach is for everyone - you can spread your towel on the beach of the expensive hotels, too. For the sporty ones, sailing and other water sports courses are offered here. Try your hand at beach volleyball or go on an underwater journey with the peaceful sea turtles here.

Hawaii's cliffs Big Island
Big Island's cliffs show what rock Hawaii is built of

You love walks along miles of sandy beaches? Then you will love the King's Trail fallen. In the very north of Hawaii lies the Spencer Beach Park ; here begins the narrow path - always along the Pacific Ocean. With the dark lava rocks and the deep blue of the sea, great photos can be taken for your Hawaii vacation album. The path leads to the city of Kona - a little further south on my west coast. The dry climate west of the Kohala and Hualalei Volcanoes shows very pleasant for running and doing sports - here it does not even rain 13 cm per year.

Kona offers not only the perfect location as a starting point for many excursions, but the city of 47,000 inhabitants also offers good insights into Hawaii's history. Discover old buildings and numerous museums about the stations in the history of Hawaii Island. You can then strengthen yourself in the traditional restaurants - best with a refreshing Kona Beer. Around Kona we have maintained golf courses laid out. Not only golfing is a highlight - alone how the lush green of the golf courses contrasts with the black lava mass is a dream setting for your pictures.

You will find a beautiful beach with fine sand at the Mauna Lani HotelEspecially for travelers with children, there is a lot to do here and you can snorkel or Diving explore the underwater world. Maybe you are looking for a romantic cove for you and your partner in Hawaii? Along the King Trails you will pass picturesque stretches of beach. Especially recommended is the Kikaua Point Park - You can get there quickly by car from Kona. How exactly you get there - for that you best talk to our Jessi. If you're lucky, you'll have this bay with its fine, white sandy beach all to yourself and the sea turtles. All you hear in Kikaua Bay is the rustling of the palm trees and the gentle waves of the Pacific.

The town Waimea (or Kamuela) looks like a cowboy town. The cowboys of Hawaii, the Paniolos, still left their caves here. Waimea opens you a world with lush green meadows and large ranches. It lies at the foot of the extinct Kohala volcano. The ranchers mainly raise cattle on the fresh grasslands, supplying companies far beyond the island. Want to know why we raise cattle right here in Waimea? Then pay a visit to the Parker Ranch Museum a visit. Parker was a settler from North America who reached the island in the 19th century. At that time he is said to have worked for King Kamehameha.

Along the west coast of Hawaii Island - especially north of Kona - sun worshippers flock. Large hotels line the map like a string of pearls. They provide plenty of entertainment and you certainly won't get bored here. But away from the package vacation and up close with the locals you get on the other side of the Big Island.

Experience history up close - in Honaunau

South of Kailua-Kona lies the National Historic Park . The Puuhonua o Honaunau takes you in a few hours to the exciting past of Hawaii Island. You'll find Hawaii's temples and restored village sites. If you are already in Honaunau, you should visit the Captain Cook Monument don't forget - in the place of the same name my inhabitants have set this monument to the navigator. Either you walk in the sun to our monument - or you cross over with a canoe. You can enjoy the landscape while sailing over the clear water. Just ask Jessi for more information if you want to add this excursion to your Hawaii trip you would like to record.

Black beaches on Big Island - punaluu black sand beach
Lani loves the black beaches of Big Island (here at punaluu black sand beach)

There are also larger cities on the East Coast of Hawaii Island with the capital Hilo and the region around Puna in the south. However, these towns are much more traditional and less crowded than the hotel areas in the west. In my capital Hilo, you can meet the locals and their Aloha Spirit come close. Stroll through the small specialty stores - for example for macadamia nuts or for local sweets. Discover the Polynesian culture in the museums and galleries - for the palate there are typical Hawaiian restaurants. Hilo appears idyllic with the neatly laid out botanical gardenswhich attract with rare plants and a colorful flowering. A beautiful Japanese garden is the Liliuokalani Garden. Overall, the area around Hilo is much more lush than the west coast. In the east of Hawaii it rains significantly more and yet it is tropically warm. Let the Rainforests and the Waterfalls around Hilo. Together with our Hawaii experts you can make a plan so that you don't miss anything in the capital.

360 degree panorama: View of Kilauea Volcano (Kilauea Visitor Center, Big Island)

Further in the direction of the South Coast, adventurers and camping vacationers get their money's worth. Hiking is particularly good around the Cape Kumukahi and along theblack sand beaches you can swim undisturbed in the clear waters of the Pacific with your loved one or your family. Along the coast from Puna to Kau, camping sites are waiting for you - you can get in touch with them via Facebook, for example - or simply ask our friendly experts for more information. In the Kau region, everything is marked by the active Kilauea volcano. The famous Great Crack is an 18×18 meter fissure in the earth. Like Kilauea, it was formed by tectonic activity deep beneath Hawaii. For the visitor, this offers a vast area for hiking and exploring: Numerous hiking trails lead the black lava landscape.

Close to the volcanoes - come with us to the Volcano National Park

lava tube volcano
Lava Tube - through this tube once flowed the molten lava

The best way to arrive in the coastal city of Kona is by plane. Nearby there are not only numerous hotels on Hawaii Island, but with the rental car you can reach the sights on Hawaii also in a short time. However, because the Big Island is significantly larger than the other Hawaiian Islands, many visitors first land in Kona and travel once across my mainland. From Hilo on the east side they fly back again. Between the two cities is centrally located our Volcano National Park. It is especially easy to reach from the accommodations around Kona. With the rental car you drive on the highway along the coast and then inland. In Hawaii, everything runs a little more leisurely - so plan a complete vacation day for your trip to the Volcanoes. In the park you can walk through the lava fields - the black mass comes from the Kilauea volcano in the south. On the black ground your feet can get warm quickly and you have a good view of the glowing lava running out of the Kilauea crater. However, park rangers are always on guard to make sure visitors don't get too close to the hot mass, as toxic sulfur fumes, among other things, can rise up.

On foot, you can enter Volcanoes Park via the three-mile Kilauea Iki Trail or via the Thurston Lava Tube discover. Brochures and a map are available at the information desk - you can also contact the friendly rangers at any time. Maybe your feet already hurt from hiking over Hawaii Island. Then I recommend you a Helicopter flight over the Volcano Park. For example, you can fly by helicopter directly over the craters and then see the molten, bubbling lava in action.

mauna kea visitor center
On the way to Mauna Kea at the Visitor Center.

I'll show you the stars - at Mauna Kea Observatory

Mauna Kea is the largest mountain of all continents - measured from the ocean floor, where it begins. But the thin and dry air at the top also offers optimal conditions for views into space. On the summit - at an altitude of 4200 meters - international institutes and various universities have therefore established their Telescopes set up. In total, there are eleven countries - which have joined forces up here to form the Mauna Kea Observatory. With very modern techniques and instruments, the researchers pursue astronomical projects. The Thirty Meter Telescope is one of the largest telescopes in the world. Many Hawaiian natives view research on their Mauna Kea rather skeptically: the once fire-breathing mountain is still considered sacred in their culture.

360 degree panorama at Mauna Kea Observatory

I am the athlete among the islands - from golfing to Ironman

ironman hawaii big island

Play golf? Beautiful golf courses are laid out all over the Big Island, bringing color to the black lava landscape. There are especially many opportunities for golfing near the large hotels on the west coast. But if you are looking for a little more action, you should visit Big Island in October. In autumn the Hawaii Ironman takes place. Surely you've seen videos of this tough competition on Hawaii's main island: Participants must first swim a 3.8-kilometer course in the Pacific Ocean. After that, it's time for cycling: 180 kilometers of narrow paths lead across my hilly volcanic landscape. But that's not all - a marathon in Hawaii's hot climate awaits the athletes at the end.

More than 2000 trained take part in the triathlon competition every year. Among them are also a lot of German athletes who always achieve best times and fight their way into the top ten. With the changing climate conditions, the triathlon is even tougher - from the tropical-humid region in the east to the hot-dry area on the west coast. You don't have to participate right away - already the atmosphere around the course is worth a visit. For just a few euros, you can become a spectator. Numerous Voluntary from Hawaii and the U.S. mainland help prepare, during the competition and clean up afterwards. You'll be swept away by the good-humored Hawaiian crowd. Information about the great spectacle in Hawaii you get us!

Visit me once! We at Hawaiiurlaub.de will help you plan everything perfectly!

Your questions, answered by us:

Big Island, more correctly called Hawaii, is the largest island of the Hawaiian archipelago and is located barely 4000 km from the American mainland, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

Big Island is the largest island in the state of Hawaii, which attracts many visitors every year due to its flora and fauna, as well as an exciting culture and history. Big Island is a volcanic island and is characterized by volcanic landscapes, black and white beaches and lush rainforests.

Hawaii (Big Island), is one of the Pacific South Sea Islands of Polynesian origin.

Big Island is the youngest and also the largest island of the Hawaiian archipelago that consists of 8 main islands. Due to its size, the island received the nickname "Big Island", although this specific island of the island chain also bears the name Hawaii.

The term Hawaii thus describes both Big Island as the one island of the island chain and the totality of all islands of the archipelago.

Big Island was thus given its "nickname" to make clear whether one is talking about Hawaii Island or Hawaii as an umbrella term for all islands.

Big Island is of volcanic origin and was formed by a hotspot in the middle of the Pacific Plate:

About 800000 years ago, the island began to be built up by the volcano Kohala, which today is already heavily eroded. About 450000 years later, the volcano Hualalai grew up to the southwest, whose last eruption is dated to 1801.
Approximately 50,000 years after this event, another volcano was formed, Mauna Kea. Mauna Kea, at about 4205 meters above sea level, is the highest elevation in Hawaii. Its activity began about 300'000 years ago, its last eruption was measured in April 1984.
Chronologically, the 4169 meter high Mouna Loa arose afterwards, which has recorded about 20 eruptions since about 1985. It is still active.

Another and permanently active shield volcano on the island is Kilauea. Its lava flows its 1983 continuously and is therefore of great importance for the life and change on Big Island.


The youngest volcano is Lo'ihi and is located south of Kilauea. The summit of this volcano is about 1000 meters below sea level. Scientists suspect that it will emerge from the sea in about 50000 years and either merge with Big Island or be the beginning of a whole new Hawaii Island.

Big Island is the easternmost and also the largest island of the state of Hawaii.
At the same time, it is also the largest island in the United States. With an area of 10,430 km², it is larger than all the other islands in the archipelago combined.

Big Island is an island of volcanic origin, which includes 5 volcanoes: Kohala, Mauna Kea, Hualalai, Mauna Loa and Kilauea.

The shield volcano Mount Kilauea has been continuously active since 1983, its lava flow is continuous. It is the most active volcano on earth.
Mauna Loa, on the other hand, is the largest volcano on earth and is also still active. However, it last erupted in 1984.
Mauna Kea, an inactive/dormant volcano, is considered the highest mountain in the world. It measures a full 9,753 meters from its base on the ocean floor to the summit.

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