Punalu’u Beach Park

Punalu’u beach is the most famous black sand beach of Hawaii. Two reasons for the popularity of this beach are the gorgeous black sand beach *and* the fact that you can often see endangered Hawksbill turtles and green turtles basking in the sun on the beach. It is a great place to go for a quick swim, snorkel, a coastal hike, and offers camping.

The beach itself is lined by rows of coconut palms. The shade under the palms is a good place to hang out because the black sand can get very hot in the sunlight. There are underwater freshwater springs in Punalu’u bay. The water from these springs is colder than the seawater and drifts on top of the salt water because salt water is denser than fresh water.