Papakolea Green Sand Beach

From the southernmost point of the US we hiked 5.5 miles to a green sand beach located in a bay cut into a side of Puʻu Mahana, a cinder cone that erupted about 50,000 years ago. The green sand is created by a common mineral in Big Island lava called olivine, which stays deposited on this beach because it is heavier than the other components of the lava. I took a bit of a tumble and lost a towel on the way, but luckily we met a very nice couple that made the hike back a lot easier!Read more