Punaluʻu Beach

The black sand beach was a highlight of my trip. It’s a stunning spot with striking black sand and beautiful coastal scenery. When we visited, it wasn’t crowded at all, which made it even more peaceful. We were lucky to see several green sea turtles resting on the beach and swimming in the shallow water: an unforgettable experience.

Punalu'u Beach was my favorite part of our seven-day vacation to Big Island! The black sand beach was beautiful and the sea turtles were amazing - we saw seven in total. The beach wasn't too crowded. We spent a total of 1.5 hours enjoying the beach. The only problem was that we had to pay for parking. 10/10 would recommend.

Stunning black sand beach, with protected honu and monk seals. Please do not disturb or they will never return. They can get sick because of humans interaction.

This black sand beach is absolutely unique and breathtaking! You can often see Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles resting on the shore — they’re protected by state and federal law. Stay at least 20 feet away, never touch or feed them. Just one meter away starts private property — very unusual!

Amazing beach with a turtle population and black sands. One of my favorite beaches on this Island. I havent seen many swimmers there. People visit mainly to see the beauty of the beach and to see wild ses turtles. While you can swim there I would advise only to do so on the very left side to respect the turtle zone. Besides that the stones are very slippery on the right side anyway. A safeguard, restrooms and tables can be found at this beach.

The sand is such a dark black and fairly large (or just tiny pebbles), so cool! We only stopped for 40 minutes so it was nice that there was parking and restrooms for free on the side. We originally stopped at the paid parking and were shocked at the price.

Definitely stop and take a barefooted stroll through the black sand at Punalu'u Beach on Big Island. One of the few black sand beaches in the world it is easy to pull off the highway and find a place to park. Public restrooms are at the parking lot. There is a snack bar that is open some days. The beach is a turtle nesting area. A great place to see the sea turtles up close. Remember to leave them a little space and never touch the turtles.

Enjoy a fresh coconut while visiting black sand beach. Didn’t get to see the turtles due to rough conditions but grateful to be able to see Gods creation. 🏖️

Punaluu Beach Park is small park but has some beautiful views of the ocean and surrounding area. The views are calming and relaxing! A good place for an restroom break.

Only 45 minutes drive outside of Waikiki hub bub. Beautiful views, plenty of parking, and most of all less crowds. Watch the fishes jump out of the water and the sand crabs fighting for their dens. Worth the drive for the quiet, serenity, and ease.

Empty beach outside of Waikiki - quiet and deserted. A little swing made the visit worthwhile.