Green Sands Beach aka Papakolea Beach. If you get tired of all the wonderful white sand beaches on the Big Island and are ready for a new adventure you can check out Green Sands Beach. About a 1.5 to 2 hour drive south of Kona is Green Sands beach. Located very close to “South Point” which is the southern most point of the United States (no, its not Florida). You can do South Point and Green Sands beach all in one day and hit a few of the eateries near Captain Cook on your way back. Green Sands CAN NOT be accessed by a car or van or vehicle without 4WD. Even if you have 4WD it is a treacherous drive down to the beach. Some people hike it. It is about a 1-2 hour hike (one way). If you do hike, take lots of water and a rain coat in case the rain comes. For those that don’t want to hike, there are normally outfits in the parking lot that will drive you down in the back of a truck for about $20 per person round trip (worth every penny). It is a bit of a rough ride but a great adventure for kids. Elderly people may have lots of issues with the drive and it jars you around a bit. You can ask to sit in the cab of the truck but it is still a rough ride. Once you get to the actual Green Sands Beach, it is a glorious cove covered in green sand and steep cliffs on each side. It is a spectacular place to spend a few hours. Please see my last picture for a general map of how to access the parking lot where you can catch the $20 taxi truck ride down to the beach itself. The Map shows both South Point, the Green Sands Beach ride access point, and then Green Sands beach itself. Please do not take any sand, as it is sacred to the people of Hawaii.
