I’m going to feed my Hawaii homesickness today and reminisce about Papakolea for this week’s Throwback Thursday. Papakolea, also known as Green Sand Beach, is located on the southernmost portion of the Big Island. It was formed by the eroding of a cinder cone. The green sand comes from olivine, a green gem found in lava. The view was spectacular and it was worth the journey. To get there, you either have to have four-wheel drive or you have to hike three miles through blaring sun and extreme wind (sometimes there are a few guys with trucks waiting at the end of the drivable road who you can pay to transport you). We rented a jeep so we were good to go. If you ever go to the Big Island, you pretty much have to rent a jeep if you want to have any fun.

 

 

When we arrived, we stopped for a few photos before heading down the lava wall to the beach. (Don’t worry, there are stairs.) It was incredibly windy so it was a little difficult to sit and enjoy the beach, but we swam for a bit, and people watched. The wind was so strong that it ended up picking up a bodyboard out from underneath a kid. The onshore winds carried the board all the way up the lava wall onto a ledge. After about five minutes, the kid finally was able to retrieve it before it happened all over again.