South Point Park

Introduction

South Point Park, at the southern tip of the Big Island of Hawaii in the Ka u district, is the southernmost reachable point in U.S. territory and one of the most primally wild places in the Hawaiian chain. Called South Point or Ka Lae, meaning the point in Hawaiian, it is believed to be where Polynesian voyagers first landed in Hawaii around 400 AD, bearing deep historical and cultural significance. The land is shaped by successive lava flows, with rugged volcanic cliffs dropping into the deep blue Pacific, strong winds and waves battering the shore day and night, a wild beauty utterly unlike Waikiki. Local fishermen line the cliffs catching prized red snapper, with traditional wooden fishing shrines nearby. Most stunning is the emerald bay below, crystal-clear, where brave local youth leap from the cliffs in a long tradition. Nearby Papakolea Green Sand Beach, one of only two green sand beaches in the world, gets its unique hue from olivine minerals. Far from tourist development, South Point preserves the most primal soul of Hawaii.

✨ Highlights

🛈 Practical Info