Hawaii Island - 8 Popular Sunset Spots on the Big Island of Hawaii! Activities to enjoy the sunset in the background & tours to enjoy in the evening.

Known as the Big Island.
Hawaii (island)

The Big Island of Hawaii is the largest of the Hawaiian Islands in terms of area.

The island was formed by the fusion of five volcanoes, and its dynamic wilderness is fascinating.

 

What is the Big Island of Hawaii like?

With an area as large as Gifu Prefecture, Hawaii is an island that continues to expand.

This is because lava flows from the still-active Kilauea volcano reach the ocean, cool and harden, and expand the area as it becomes land.

Because the island is such a place where you can feel the dynamism of the earth, you can also feel the workings of the earth from the scenery of the sunset into the sea.

 

How to get to Hawaii Island

There are two international airports on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Kona International Airport and Hilo International Airport, but there are scheduled flights from Tokyo to Kona International Airport.

Another convenient way to come to the Big Island of Hawaii from various parts of Japan is via Honolulu, as there are multiple daily flights to Honolulu International Airport on the island of Oahu.

 

Attractions of the Big Island of Hawaii

The charm of the Big Island of Hawaii lies in its vast expanse of natural beauty.

 

Spectacular, untouched wilderness

The charm of the Big Island of Hawaii lies in its natural beauty, represented by the Kilauea Volcano, where you can feel the energy of the living earth.

 

A powerful volcano

On the Big Island of Hawaii, there are helicopter scenic flight tours that allow visitors to see the powerful Kilauea Volcano crater and caldera.

In Japan, there are almost no opportunities to see an active volcano, so please experience it for yourself.

You can also walk on the lava flow from the crater by trekking.

It is only on the Big Island of Hawaii that you can experience the amazingly dynamic nature firsthand.

 

Beautiful Beaches

The Big Island of Hawaii has two of the most beautiful beaches in the United States.

That is Hapuna Beach and Mauna Kea Beach, which are typical beaches with blue ocean and white sand.

However, Hawaii Island also has Punaluu Black Sand Beach with black sand and Papakolea Green Sand Beach with green sand.

Both beaches are beautiful, although the former is black because of the sand deposited by lava flows and the latter is green because of the sand made of peridotite.

 

Shopping and dining are also recommended.

Since Hawaii Island has two urban centers, Kona and Hilo, shopping malls are concentrated in these two locations.

Typical shopping malls in Kona include King's Shops, Queen's Marketplace, Kona Inn Shopping Village, and Kona Commons Shopping Center.

Hilo has several shopping malls, including Prince Kuhio Plaza and Hilo Farmers Market.

There are also restaurants attached to large shopping malls, and the town is lined with restaurants serving Hawaiian and other international cuisines.

Hilo, in particular, is a town with a large Japanese-American population, and there are many Japanese restaurants.

 

Let's learn about culture and history.

The island of Hawaii was first landed on by Polynesians around 400 A.D., when it was still uninhabited.

Since then, Hawaii's unique culture has grown, and in 1795, King Kamehameha the Great established the Kingdom of Hawaii.

Gradually, more and more people migrated from the United States, and Hawaii Island became the first island in the Hawaiian Islands where a Christian church was built.

Although the island became part of the United States in 1898, traces of its history, such as historical sites, remain here and there, which is another characteristic of the Big Island of Hawaii.

 

Evenings on the Big Island of Hawaii are full of charm!

One of the attractions of the Big Island of Hawaii is the sunset over the Pacific Ocean.

The sunset over the great Pacific Ocean is also a sight that is not often seen.

 

Evening Attraction

When you are in Japan, you are so busy doing this and that that you don't have time to watch the sunset, and before you know it, night has fallen.

Since we have come all the way to a resort island, we want to feel the time pass slowly.

At such times, relaxing and watching the sunset is recommended.

 

sunset

As you watch the sun slowly sink below the horizon, you can feel the earth moving and the energy of Mother Nature.

 

Enjoy the activity experience!

There are many sunset activities on the Big Island of Hawaii.

There are many different situations to view the sunset, such as on the beach or on top of a mountain.

 

Comfortable climate

Hawaii Island has a comfortable climate with a minimum temperature of about 20 degrees Celsius in winter.

You can go out to watch the sunset without bothering to wear heavy clothes, and you can go out in rough clothes.

 

8 recommended sunset spots

Here are some of the best sunset spots you can see on the Big Island of Hawaii.

 

Mauna Kea

Known for its clean air, stargazing is popular on Mauna Kea, but the best time to view the stars is from sunset.

 

Recommendations

The starry sky is often seen at an altitude of about 2,000 meters, but at that height, the light from the ground does not interfere, and only the sunset slowly sinking into the sea can be seen.

You can feel the earth moving.

 

Access

To get to the top of the mountain, take a tour. It takes about 3 hours by car from Kona International Airport and 2.5 hours from Hilo International Airport.

 

Anaeho'omalu Beach

This public beach is located in front of the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Hotel.

 

Recommendations

Between the hotel and the beach is an old aquaculture pond said to be 800 years old.
The sunset seen beyond it is popular.

 

Access

Located in Waikoloa, it is a 30-minute drive from Kona International Airport and an hour and a half from Hilo International Airport.

 

Wai'alea Beach

This white sand beach is located between Hapuna Beach and Puako Bay. At sunset, the sky turns pink.

 

Recommendations

It is a quiet beach without many tourists, partly because it is not easily accessible.
You can spend a relaxing time before sunset.

 

Access

From Route 19, turn onto Puako Beach Drive, and after less than 1 km, turn right at the intersection with Old Puako Road.

There is a parking lot at pole number 71.

 

Waikoloa

This spot on the Kohala Coast is famous for its pink sunsets.

The Kohala Coast offers beautiful sunsets from any location, but Waikoloa is especially popular.

 

Recommendations

You can walk to the recommended beach from the parking lot, which is entered from across the street from King's Shops.

 

Access

It is a 30-minute drive from Kona International Airport and an hour and a half from Hilo International Airport.

 

Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows

This luxury resort is located on the Kona Coast in the western part of the Big Island of Hawaii.

It was renovated in 2018 at a total cost of over $100 million as part of the Auberge Resorts collection of luxury resorts.

The hotel name has also changed to Mauna Lani Auberge Resorts Collection.

 

Recommendations

The dining is the best part of this hotel turned auberge. There are five restaurants where you can enjoy a dinner made with local ingredients.

The hotel is also popular with families because it is on a lower floor, providing a good view and spacious rooms.

 

Access

It is a 30-minute drive from Kona International Airport and an hour and a half from Hilo International Airport.

 

Quabay (breed of fish)

This is one of the most beautiful blue beaches on the Big Island of Hawaii. The sand is pure white and contrasts beautifully with the blue of the ocean.

The blue sea and white sandy beaches attract locals as well.

 

Recommendations

Be sure to enjoy the blue of the Kua Bay ocean.

It is the kind of beach where you can overhear the conversations of the locals who gather at Qua Bay and feel as if you, too, have lived here before.

 

Access

It is located in the northwestern part of the island, about a 15-minute drive from Kona International Airport and less than two hours from Hilo International Airport.

 

Kona Inn Shopping Village

It is a shopping center with more than 50 individual stores. It is housed in a building originally built as a hotel and has a cute atmosphere.

 

Recommendations

The stores are all unique, with elaborate displays and atmospheric restaurants.

The backyard of the mall is a pleasant open space with a lawn facing the ocean.

 

Access

From Kona International Airport, travel time is about 15 minutes.

 

Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park

This national park is located on the west coast of the Big Island of Hawaii.

It is the most sacred historic site in Hawaii, with mausoleums containing the remains of 23 royal family members, including ancestors of King Kamehameha the Great, and became a national park in 1961.

It was also considered a place where people who had committed kapu (taboo), as believed in ancient Hawaii, could escape their sins.

 

Recommendations

Once a sanctuary that was razed to the ground after the island of Hawaii became a U.S. territory, it has been reestablished as a national park.

With a pamphlet in hand, visitors can learn more about Hawaiian royalty of the past by walking the pathways that connect 16 historic sites, including the stone walls that separate the royal reservations.

 

Access

It is a 50-minute drive from Kona International Airport and 70 minutes from Waikoloa Beach Resort.

 

Recommended evening activities

Here are some activities you can enjoy in the evenings on the Big Island of Hawaii.

 

Lava Tour

Hawaii Island has an active volcano, Kilauea Volcano, which erupted in 2018. In the past, there have been lava tours that take visitors on a safe walk through the ruins of the lava flows that were washed ashore by the eruption.

 

Recommendations

In Japan, it is almost impossible to experience going to see lava or walking on lava, so this lava tour will be a great memory.

Feel the dynamic workings of the earth conveyed by lava that has cooled and hardened as it flows.

 

cruising

Since you are going to see the sunset on the Big Island of Hawaii, why not watch it from the beautiful blue ocean?

 

Recommendations

Cruising tours departing from the Kohala Coast or Kailua Pier are popular. Some tours include dinner because it is in the evening.

 

helicopter tour

How about watching the sunset while taking a helicopter ride, a rare experience in Japan?

You can kill two birds with one stone by overlooking the crater of Kilauea Volcano as well as the sunset.

 

Recommendations

Helicopter tours allow visitors to watch the sun set over the Pacific Ocean while viewing the crater of Kilauea Volcano, Waipio and Waimea Valleys.

 

trekking

The Big Island of Hawaii is a large island, so there are many trekking spots. The climate is stable on the Big Island, so this is one of the activities you can easily participate in.

 

Recommendations

On the Big Island of Hawaii, trekking around Kilauea Volcano is very popular. Walking through the lava plateau and huge crater, you can feel the energy of the earth.

 

riding horse

Horseback riding is not a casual experience in Japan, but on the Big Island of Hawaii it is used for transportation to state parks, canyons, and other scenic areas.

Since many tourists from Japan have no experience in horseback riding, all tours include instructions at the beginning.

 

Recommendations

On the Big Island of Hawaii, you can take advantage of horseback riding on tours to ranches on the Kohala Coast, Waipio Valley, and Waimea Valley.

Enjoying horseback riding in a variety of locations is a unique Hawaiian experience.

 

Recommended tours to enjoy in the evening

Here are some tours you can enjoy in the evening on the Big Island of Hawaii.

 

Mauna Kea Sunset & Stargazing Tour

Mauna Kea is known for its clean air. For this reason, many observatories have been set up on the summit.

This tour allows you to view the beautiful sunset and stars from the middle of Mauna Kea, 2,000 meters above sea level.

There will be a photo shoot with a spectacular view in the background.

 

Kilauea Volcano Helicopter Tour

If you come to the Big Island of Hawaii, a Kilauea Volcano excursion is a must experience.

Helicopter tours allow visitors to see the crater from above, and to enjoy the dynamism of nature in spots such as the tropical rainforest in the Puna district and Rainbow Falls.

 

Sunset Dinner Cruise

This popular sunset cruise leaves from Kamakahonu Bay, where King Kamehameha I spent the rest of his life after retirement.

Local Hawaiian cuisine can be served on board as a dinner buffet. If you are lucky, you may see manta rays or dolphins.

 

summary

The evening scenery is one of the main attractions of the Big Island of Hawaii, and because of its dynamic nature, there are many ways to enjoy it.

The way you spend your evenings will surely be one of your great memories.