Big Island Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
largest of the Hawaiian islands
About Big Island
The youngest and largest island in the Hawaiian chain, the Big Island contains five volcanoes, including Kilauea, one of the world's most active. It is an island with a long coastline of black, volcanic sand beaches where you may see leatherback turtles and a host of other marine life, and a large, sparsely-populated mountainous interior. Hawaii has a relaxed, rural and small-town atmosphere, and even the biggest city, Hilo, is neither very big nor heavily built-up. There are no freeways on the island, speed limits are low and drivers tend to drive under the speed limit. The Kona (west) side of the island, famous for its coffee, is the more touristy and drier side; the lush Hilo/Hamakua Coast (east) side gets about 180 inches of rain annually, the wettest in the 50 states, and is much less
Big Island Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 16 sections including: