Papakolea Beach
Papakōlea Beach (also known as Green Sand Beach or Mahana Beach) is a green sand beach located near South Point, in the Kaʻū district of the island of Hawaiʻi. On the map, it sits 7 mi south of Discovery Harbour. A drive of 25 mi reaches Kama‘ehuakanaloa Seamount.
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A beach, 7 mi south of Discovery Harbour
Plan where you’ll sleep
No town within 30 miles has many hotels or campgrounds. Look at the towns below, or plan to camp. Where to stay ↓
Best months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov and Dec
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December are the mild months, with highs of 75–79°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures and Wikipedia.
Warm months and cold ones
Below are typical highs and lows near Papakolea Beach.
Papakolea Beach
Papakōlea Beach (also known as Green Sand Beach or Mahana Beach) is a green sand beach located near South Point, in the Kaʻū district of the island of Hawaiʻi. It is one of only two green sand beaches in the world, the other being Punta Cormorant on Floreana Island in the Galapagos Islands It gets its distinctive coloring from olivine sand eroded out of the enclosing volcanic cone (tuff ring).
- Type
- Beach
- Wikipedia readers
- 9.5K a year
Places to stay near Papakolea Beach
The first towns with rooms are Discovery Harbour (4).
Discovery Harbour
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
1,079 people
7 mi north of Papakolea Beach
Compare 3 towns
| Town | From Papakolea Beach | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery Harbour | 7 mi north | 10 min | 4 1 hotel · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground | 1,079 | $444K |
| Hawaiian Ocean View | 14 mi northwest | 20 min | 1 1 hotel | 4,431 | $318K |
| Pahala | 21 mi northeast | 30 min | 2 2 lodges & cabins | 1,768 | $225K |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Around Papakolea Beach
Other well-known places within 63 miles.
Big draw62 mi MountainMauna Kea
Big draw38 mi MountainMauna Loa
Big draw41 mi MountainKīlauea
125 mi MountainKama‘ehuakanaloa Seamount
23 mi Ancient siteKa Lae
47 mi National ParkHawai'i Volcanoes National Park1.9M visitors a year
317 mi BeachPunalu'u Beach
54 mi MountainHualālaiPhoto credits
Mauna Kea: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mauna Loa: Gordon Joly, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kīlauea: Hawaii Land Cover Analysis project, NOAA Coastal Services Center, Public domain · Kama‘ehuakanaloa Seamount: John Smith and Brooks Bays, Public domain · Ka Lae: Holly Cheng, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park: Jos-uit-boston at Dutch Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Punalu'u Beach: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hualālai: Photograph by J. Kauahikaua., Public domain
A visit to Papakolea Beach: questions
What town is Papakolea Beach near?
Discovery Harbour, HI, about 7 miles north.
When is the best time to visit Papakolea Beach?
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December, with highs of 75–79°.
What is the closest airport to Papakolea Beach?
Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole (KOA), about 61 miles away.
Where should I stay near Papakolea Beach?
Discovery Harbour (7 mi, 4 places to stay).
Ask people in Discovery Harbour
Start the conversation in Discovery Harbour’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.