The Big Island at a glance
The area from Kailua-Kona down to Keauhou on the west coast of the island historically has been the most popular tourist destination, and has
some of the more established and historic hotels, along with a cool little town that serves locals and tourists alike.
More recently, the Kohala coast--north of Kona, but also on the west side--has become a center for big new
upscale hotels. Here the natural landscape is seemingly unending lava fields, but sand and vegetation has been
brought in on a massive scale to make this area a home for luxury resorts.
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Rainbow Falls. Photo courtesy Hawaii Tourism Japan
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The central north section of the island is ranching country; moving to the east coast, you'll find jungle and
rainforest--this side of the island is much, much wetter than Kona & the Kohala Coast. Hilo, the main town
on the east side, is more of a "working town" compared to Kona--although some cruise ships visit Hilo now, which
has led to an increase in services for tourists.
In the center of the island, you'll find Mauna Loa, the largest volcano on Earth by volume. In the south center, you'll
find the active volcano Kilauea, which
has active lava flows.
Lava from Kilauea flows into the sea. Photo courtesy Kirk Lee Aeder.
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Mauna Kea's the tallest volcano on the island, towering to 13,792 feet above sea level. Mauna Kea has a collection
of over a dozen observatories and telescopes
making it by far the largest astronomical facility in the world.
 | | Learn more about the volcanoes on the Big Island of Hawaii. |
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