In the evening, you can ascend the winding road to the summit, driven by a local guide. Astronomers based here discovered 11 of Jupiter’s moons from the volcano’s telescopes. The highest peak in the archipelago at 4,207 m (13,802 ft), Mauna Kea is one of the best places on the planet for stargazing. It’s hard to ignore the huge dormant volcano that rises up from the middle of the Big Island. You can then enter the water and snorkel among rays up to 7 m (23 ft) wide, their movements surprisingly graceful given their size. You head out by boat at dusk special diving lights lure plankton to the surface, which in turn attracts the manta rays.

One marine experience that we suggest is snorkeling with manta rays. Or venture underwater to swim among kaleidoscopic marine life. Drive along its coastline for views over sheer cliffs and turquoise waves. You can walk through moss-green rainforests to see wispy waterfalls and exotic birds. You can stargaze from its discovery-making observatory.Īttributing to more than half of the archipelago’s landmass but only 13% of its population, the Big Island is wild and untamed. Meanwhile, at the island’s heart, Mauna Kea is a dormant giant sloping up into the clouds. On the island’s western side you’ll find coffee plantations, sandy coves tucked between foliage-draped cliffs (including the bay where Captain Cook died in 1779), and long sweeps of beach washed by clear waters ideal for snorkeling. You can explore on foot with a guide, following set trails. Some of the most active volcanoes on Earth rise from swirling lava fields glowing with molten lava and dotted with hissing craters. To the east, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park dominates the landscape. The island of Hawai'i (sometimes referred to as 'Big Island') is the largest, most recently formed of the Hawaiian islands, and it has two distinct sides to it.

Big island hapu forest