Punaluu Black Sand Beach, Hawaii

The Punaluu Beach on Hawaii’s Big Island is one of the most unique beaches in the world! The beach is a black sand beach that has been made of basalt and created by lava flowing into the ocean which cools almost instantly as it touches the water.

In other words, the beach is literally made up of tiny pieces of lava.

Black Sand Beach Directions

Punaluu Beach is located between the Volcanoes National Park and the small town of Naalehu. It took us roughly 45 minutes from the Volcanoes National Park to get to the beach. The drive for the most parts is pretty peaceful with not much scenery. However, that changes closer to Punaluu.

Tip for parking

If you’re approaching the beach from the Volcanoes National Park, I’d recommend taking a turn to the beach before the main car parking. Keep an eye out for the signs, the narrower road is a few hundred metres before the main exit. It gets you off right at the beach, next to the turtles’ resting area.

Click here to open the location in Google Maps.

Turtles Basking On The Black Sand

Sleeping honus

If the black sands weren’t already an attraction for most tourists, add giant green sea turtles (known as “honu” in Hawaiian) to that list. The turtles in the area come to the beach every day to eat (seaweed) and enjoy their siesta, basking in the sun.

Keep in mind the green turtles are a protected species, and under no circumstances are you suppose to touch them, or get too close to them. Usually, volunteers build a boundary of rocks around the turtles to keep people away.

Volunteers build a rock wall to keep people away from the turtles

Do Not Swim

Another thing to keep in mind is that it is not advisable to swim in the waters at Punaluu Beach. The sea bed is still full of volcanic rocks, and the waves are extremely strong! The beach also has a large amount of underground freshwater that flows in it. This freshwater is very cold and looks almost like gasoline mixing with the water.

Punaluu Beach – Tiny Pieces Of Lava

Here are a few more photos of the Black Sand Beach In Punaluu. A MUST see for anyone planning to visit the Big Island in Hawaii anytime soon. In fact, this is one of those unique beaches in the world that you have to put on your bucket list.

Also, thanks to all the volcanic activity on Big Island, there is another unique beach. A green sand beach.