Kiholo South
Kiholo Bay is found on the west coast of the Big Island of Hawai’i. The whole area was covered in lava flows less than 200 years ago so access is often a rough road through ragged, barren black lava beds. Trails are really just paths along the shoreline, partly broken up by waves and partly cleared by people who throw the larger chunks to the side. These coastal paths link bays, black sand (pulverised lava), coral depots, ropy pa’hoehoe lava shelves, and a few white sand pocket beaches. A few scrubby (kiawe) trees have established a foothold in sandy or gravelly spots. Run-off percolates down through the lava flows from Mauna Loa 60 km away and emerges in fresh-water pools in hollows.
We hiked south from Kiholo Bay to Mano Point and back, a total of 6 km in the tropical sun.
This is an other-worldy experience that can only be partly shared in photos. This is raw, new, rugged terrain with pockets of beauty. Click any photo for a larger image:
