Funny thing about this beach. There are so many wonderful elements, but tanning and swimming aren’t at the top of the list! Punalu‘u Beach [Hwy 11 Island of Hawaii, HI 96777] has some of the blackest sand I have ever seen, especially when wet from the lapping of the waves.
The palm lined view just after sunset was glorious.
A walk in either direction will lead to fascinating finds. Walk left to discover to find a magical pond speckled with lilies.
Meet the friendly geese.
Walk back over to the right and come across the most exciting, in my opinion, facet of the beach – the small gang of honu, or, green sea turtles!
They love napping on the warm black sands and feel safe in their protected area. Look but don’t touch! All in all we spent about an hour reveling in this gem of a park as we waited for the sky to darken so we could go view lava at nearby Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The beach would also make a great stop en route to the green sand beach or south point, and is a fantastic stand alone activity as well. When it comes to actual beach activities be weary of the current and aware of the blowing wind, enjoy the nature!