Definitely stop and take a barefooted stroll through the black sand at Punalu'u Beach on Big Island. One of the few black sand beaches in the world it is easy to pull off the highway and find a place to park. Public restrooms are at the parking lot. There is a snack bar that is open some days. The beach is a turtle nesting area. A great place to see the sea turtles up close. Remember to leave them a little space and never touch the turtles.

The black sand beach was a highlight of my trip. It’s a stunning spot with striking black sand and beautiful coastal scenery. When we visited, it wasn’t crowded at all, which made it even more peaceful. We were lucky to see several green sea turtles resting on the beach and swimming in the shallow water: an unforgettable experience.

This black sand beach is absolutely unique and breathtaking! You can often see Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles resting on the shore — they’re protected by state and federal law. Stay at least 20 feet away, never touch or feed them. Just one meter away starts private property — very unusual!

Punalu'u Beach was my favorite part of our seven-day vacation to Big Island! The black sand beach was beautiful and the sea turtles were amazing - we saw seven in total. The beach wasn't too crowded. We spent a total of 1.5 hours enjoying the beach. The only problem was that we had to pay for parking. 10/10 would recommend.

Amazing beach with a turtle population and black sands. One of my favorite beaches on this Island. I havent seen many swimmers there. People visit mainly to see the beauty of the beach and to see wild ses turtles. While you can swim there I would advise only to do so on the very left side to respect the turtle zone. Besides that the stones are very slippery on the right side anyway. A safeguard, restrooms and tables can be found at this beach.

Stunning black sand beach, with protected honu and monk seals. Please do not disturb or they will never return. They can get sick because of humans interaction.

Amazing must see location near Volcanoes National Park. Sea Turtles and a monk seal were on the beach during our visit. Highly recommend visiting to see the black sand beach and just an absolutely beautiful piece of Hawaiian coastline. Would not recommend visiting to go swimming as the water looks treacherous and rock outcrops were numerous. Overall a truly beautiful part of Hawaii which has retained its natural identity.

We went to this place 3 consecutive days for our morning coffee ☕️ they have free samples inside the shop as well. A very good concept to try the different flavour of manufactured coffees : It’s a coffee plantation. We didn’t do it, but you can also visit the area with a guided tour. We didn’t try the food, I think they are only selling muffins. Coffee prices was correct : around 6-7 USD for each.

Take a short, scenic drive through the lush Ka'u countryside, past dark macadamia nut forests and impressive stands of banana trees, and you will find yourself at this cozy welcoming center. Clean restrooms and a large outdoor pavilion adjoin this coffee shop/gift store. The owners are extremely generous with their coffee samples! There were six different flavors available to try (for free) on the day I visited. They provide several sweetening options, but unfortunately, no milk or creamer. If you want that, you'll have to purchase a beverage from their extensive menu. I really enjoyed browsing through all the high quality, locally made food items. The highlight was their signature brand chocolate bars. I got a Dark Chocolate Coffee Cream Bar, which was made with a few simple, clean ingredients and very reasonably priced for that caliber of chocolate. I loved how relaxed the atmosphere was. Nobody was pressuring me to buy anything, and I could just relax while happily sipping coffee and shopping.

While heading down to the coast, a large sign pointed at this coffee stop. Mainly, I was intrigued by the free restroom, for I am NOT a coffee person. However, what a great place! The landscape is so beautiful, and the store inside had me enamoured by the different coffee novelties that I almost have converted into a coffee person. I even tried a free sample of the macadamia vanilla coffee. Very tasty! They have several coffees to sample from. The atmosphere is very non-invasive: spacious and roomy. There is an outdoor seating area with the restrooms connected, and the restroom was very nice and free to use (no purchase required). I got myself a mango smoothie and chilled outside. It was a bit busy when I got there and was told it may take a while to get the smoothie, but the guy was speedy I guess and made haste to get me it pretty quickly. I was grateful. And smoothie price was fair, too.

During our time on the big island, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit here. We had the opportunity to sample various flavors and indulge in the gift shop. The guy who toured us was very knowledgeable about coffee. Additionally, we explored the property, observing coffee plants at various stages of the harvesting process. For coffee enthusiasts, this visit is a must-see experience.

I love this coffee farm, free tasting 😋. The lady working was very nice & helpful. The sitting area was nice & relaxing. Loved the nature of the farm. Coffee was great. Will go back again. A most go to when on the Big Island Hawaii.

Great place to see a coffee farm, get FREE coffee tasting, and buy handcrafted drinks. There are two free coffee farm tours a day at 11am and 1pm. They don't have coffee tours on the weekend though. The gift shop smelled like coffee heaven! There is outside seating to enjoy your drinks, and they have a very clean public restroom. They also have a store in Kona if you just want to get some of their coffee.

Free coffee samples and an okay tour. Coffee tasted good, but not quite as good Kona (on our humble opinion). Price was good though and the place is worth checking out.

The Temple was outstanding, a place & experience that I will never forget. I never wanted to leave. I felt touched by heaven surrounded by light, peacefulness, and happiness. The peacocks walking around me were magnificent. I will love this spiritual place and felt honored to have visited.

Beautiful space to reflect. Donation suggested if you step into the meditation room. A monk was there to greet and open up shop

The best place to stay if you’re visiting the Big Island!

We had a lovely, peaceful stay at Wood Valley temple - the rooms were clean, the kitchen well equipped, and the gardens lush and beautiful. It was also a convenient base for exploring Volcanoes national park. Marya and Miguel were kind and welcoming, we really enjoyed getting to know them and learning the history of the temple. Would highly recommend!

An amazingly peaceful retreat. We have been here many times over the last 12 years. A perfect place to get away from it all, but close enough to use as a home base when exploring the south part of the BIG Island. I can't say enough good things about this beautiful place.

Nice drive up the mountain. Area called Wood Valley. Located above Pahala Community /Town. This Temple is where the Dali Lama had been to. Nice peaceful place. Closes at 3 PM. Open to the public & Donations are welcomed. Has a nice little shop to buy souvenirs regarding the temple.

My family and company have stayed at the Wood Valley Temple and Retreat many times. We reside on the other side of the island and we often stayed there when we visit the Volcano Park or going to south side of the Big Island to conduct business. We appreciate the easy going and tranquility of the space offered. For a family or as a working group, we usually stop by Hilo or Kona to stock up supplies and just spent a few home like relaxing days at the temple retreat without the distraction of hotel personnel/ procedure, commercial advertisement, TV or over-priced hotel menu. My child got to hang out with the temple monk Deapala a few times. One of which was during a full lunar eclipse when he was performing a Tibetan ceremony. He allowed my child to participate in the ceremony for which I will be forever grateful for the his allowance for innocent blessings. We are a do-it-yourself and travel experienced family so the fact that we have a full kitchen to work with, a common dining area with eclectic music and spiritual book collection, clean water, simple rooms is a perfect set up for us. My work group also appreciate the fact that we have time to focus on interactions with each other instead of the oversubscribed mass entertainment and when needed, space for self-reflection or peaceful meditation. These are the reasons that attract us to come back again and again to the Wood Valley Temple and Retreat.