Punalu’u Beach is a stunning black sand beach on Hawaii’s Big Island. The sand on the shore is completely black. If you are driving from Kailua Kona, it will take 1.5 hours to reach there. Tourists who happen to be visiting the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park can visit Punalu’u Beach. Since it is a popular beach, you should come early so that you can avoid the crowd. Visitors also cannot take back the black sand as souvenir. If you keep on taking away the sand, the place will eventually lose it beauty.

 

You can come early in the morning to see the green sea turtles. You can see the turtles but you may not harass them in anyway. You should not use your hand to touch the sea turtles as they can die when exposed to germs. There are two types of sea turtles you can see at Punalu’u Beach including Honu’ea and Hony turtles. The Honu’ea turtle, also known as Hawksbill turtle will come to the shore of Punalu’u Beach during the nesting season. The nesting season for the Honu’ea turtle starts from May to the end of summer. Honu’ea turtle can only be seen at night. The Honu turtle are the turtles, which visitors frequently see during the daytime. The number of Honu’ea and Honu turtles are reducing steadily. You should not put the turtle back into the water if you see them on the shore. They just want to relax themselves on the shore.

 

The scenery at the beach is amazing. You will get to watch the blue waves of the Pacific Ocean crashing against the shore. The weather at Punalu’u Beach is warm because it is located in the Kau District. During the daytime, the sand will become heated. There are many coconut palm trees by the beach. You can spread a mat under one of the coconut trees and enjoy picnicking with your friends. If you step into the water of the beach, you will feel that it is cool.

 

The water of Punalu’u Beach is fed from water springs so it has a cool temperature. You should be careful of the dangerous surfing waves, which can occur from time to time. It is advised that you don’t go swimming if you don’t see anyone in the ocean. The best time to go swimming and snorkeling is when the sea is calm. If the sea is calm, you can go paddling along the water with your canoe. You can rent kayak from nearby rental shop and explore to surrounding areas of Punalu’u Beach.