Land and Fire: Exploring the Big Island of Hawaii

The Big Island of Hawaii has become our favorite Hawaiian island over the years because of its incredible natural diversity and the vast number of activities it offers visitors of all ages. We have visited the island three times over the past two decades, and with each trip we have discovered something new.

What makes the Big Island so unique is its astonishing variety of landscapes. Hawaii contains 10 of the world’s 14 climate zones, ranging from tropical rainforests and black lava deserts to lush green mountains and sunny coastal beaches. Few places on earth offer such dramatic contrasts within a single island.

Our most recent trip was especially memorable. It was the first time in years that our entire family—our three grown children, their spouses, and our grandchildren—were able to vacation together.

Bob and I booked a large VRBO home in 2021 while Covid was still raging and Hawaii was largely locked down. It was a bit of a gamble at the time, but it allowed us to reserve a beautiful five-bedroom home overlooking Kailua-Kona and the Pacific Ocean for our July 2022 summer vacation at about half the normal price.

The house turned out to be perfect for our family gathering. It featured a large chef’s kitchen, a pool, and expansive outdoor living areas where we spent many evenings enjoying the incredible ocean views and warm Hawaiian breezes.

For many of the spouses and grandkids it was their first trip to Hawaii, while our children had last visited when they were much younger. We booked the house for two full weeks and encouraged everyone to stay as long as they could.

Our family loves outdoor activities. Among us we have hikers, snorkelers, scuba divers, fishermen, golfers, bikers, and general explorers. Fortunately, the Big Island offers something for everyone.

With two rental cars available, we encouraged everyone to split off whenever they wanted to explore the island on their own. Some days we ventured out together, and other days smaller groups pursued their own adventures.

It worked perfectly.

🗺️ Understanding the Big Island of Hawaii

The Island of Hawaiʻi, often called the Big Island, is exactly that—big.

At more than 4,000 square miles, it accounts for roughly 63% of the entire land area of the Hawaiian Islands, yet only about 13% of the state’s population lives here. The island is still growing as lava from active volcanoes continues to add new land along the southeastern coastline.

Unlike most U.S. states, Hawaii has no incorporated cities. Instead, communities are organized into districts and towns. The two largest population centers are Kailua-Kona on the west coast and Hilo on the eastern side of the island.

When we visit, we tend to think of the Big Island as four distinct regions:

The East Coast rainforest region around Hilo
The sunny West Coast resort and beach area around Kona
The central volcanic region, home to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
The lush northern mountains and ranch lands

Each region offers a completely different experience.

🌧️ East Coast: Hilo and the Rainforest Side of the Island

The east coast of the island, anchored by the town of Hilo, is lush, green, and dramatically different from the Kona side.

This region receives significantly more rainfall than the western side of the island, creating dense tropical forests, waterfalls, and botanical gardens. The coastline here is rugged and jagged, formed by lava flows that have cooled and hardened over centuries.

Visiting Hilo often feels like stepping back in time. The town has a laid-back atmosphere with colorful historic buildings, local restaurants, and murals painted along several streets.

The surrounding region is famous for:

scenic hiking trails
botanical gardens
waterfalls
rainforest drives
and incredible coastal views

Because of the frequent rain showers, it’s always wise to bring a light waterproof jacket when exploring this side of the island.

GREAT ADVENTURE WITH HILO ZIPLINING

☀️ West Coast: Kona’s Sun, Beaches, and Ocean Adventures

The west coast of the island is known for its sunshine and beautiful coastline.

Stretching north and south from Kailua-Kona, this region offers many of the island’s best beaches, golf courses, snorkeling spots, and ocean excursions.

Kailua-Kona itself is the island’s primary tourist hub. The town features excellent restaurants, oceanfront shopping areas, charter fishing boats, scuba diving operators, and plenty of places to simply relax along the shoreline.

Just south of the Kona airport sits Honokōhau Harbor, one of the island’s main launching points for fishing charters, scuba diving trips, snorkeling tours, and whale watching excursions.

During our stay this harbor became our starting point for several ocean adventures, which we’ll cover in more detail in our upcoming Sea and Salt post.

Dive boat - Heading to dive and snorkel with the Mantas

Getting ready for diving with the mantas at night

🌋 The Central Region: Volcanoes That Built an Island

The Big Island exists because of volcanoes—five massive shield volcanoes that have formed the island over hundreds of thousands of years.

These include:

Kīlauea
Mauna Loa
Mauna Kea
Hualālai
Kohala

Among them, Mauna Loa is the largest volcano on Earth by volume, and Kīlauea remains one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

When we visited in July 2022, Kīlauea was still flowing with visible lava activity, while the other volcanoes were dormant. Since then, Mauna Loa has also experienced renewed eruptions.

The heart of this volcanic region is Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, one of the most fascinating national parks in the United States.

Volcano National Park

🥾 Exploring Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park

A visit to the Big Island would not be complete without exploring Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

On our very first trip to the island in the 1990s, visitors were sometimes able to walk extremely close to active lava flows—sometimes even watching molten rock creep slowly across the ground.

Today, safety concerns and changing volcanic activity have limited how close visitors can approach lava flows. However, the park still offers an incredible experience.

During our visit we explored several hiking trails overlooking the massive volcanic craters and walked through ancient lava tubes that once carried molten rock beneath the surface.

We also drove down to the coastline where hardened lava fields stretch out toward the Pacific Ocean in jagged formations.

The landscape here feels almost otherworldly—vast, stark, and powerful.

Volcanic conditions change frequently, so visitors should always check current updates from the U.S. Geological Survey Volcano Alert System before planning a visit.

🌄 Northern Big Island: Green Mountains and Ranch Country

The northern part of the island is dramatically different again.

Here the terrain becomes lush and rolling as the slopes of the extinct Kohala Volcano rise into green pasturelands.

This region is home to Parker Ranch, one of the largest cattle ranches in the United States with more than 17,000 head of cattle grazing across the hills.

The ranch has deep historical roots in Hawaiian ranching culture and remains an important part of the island’s agricultural economy.

Later in our trip we visited a nearby ranch for a memorable dinner experience—something we’ll describe in more detail in our upcoming post on local experiences on the Big Island.

Beautiful Parker Ranch

🚗 Driving the Big Island: A Journey Through Many Worlds

One of the most fascinating aspects of visiting the Big Island is how dramatically the landscape changes as you drive across it.

It takes less than two hours to drive between Kona and Hilo, but along the way you can pass through multiple climate zones and entirely different ecosystems.

Three main routes connect the island:

Route 11 through Volcano National Park
Route 190 across the central highlands
Route 19 along the northern coast through Waimea

Each drive offers unique scenery and weather conditions. During our stay we traveled all three routes multiple times while exploring the island.

🌺 Why the Big Island Keeps Calling Us Back

The Big Island is unlike any other place in Hawaii.

Its combination of volcanic power, lush rainforests, dramatic coastlines, and welcoming communities creates an island that feels both wild and deeply rooted in Hawaiian culture.

For our family, this trip was about more than just exploring a beautiful island. It was about spending time together, sharing new experiences with our grandchildren, and rediscovering the places that had meant so much to us on earlier visits.

In the following posts we’ll dive deeper into the activities that made this trip unforgettable—from hiking through waterfalls and botanical gardens to snorkeling, fishing, and exploring the ocean waters surrounding the island.