Offbeat Traveler: Green sands of Papakolea Beach in Hawaii
Last week we showed you the purple sands of Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur. This week, we bring you a green beach -- Papakolea on Hawaii's Big Island. Olivine minerals, so called because of their tint, give the sand its unusual color.
Papakolea is located in Mahana Bay on the south end of the Big Island. To access the beach, start at South Point and follow a two-mile trail to an eroded cinder cone. Swimming isn't recommended here due to strong currents. The beach also lacks tourist facilities such as bathrooms.
-- Jason La
Papakolea is located in Mahana Bay on the south end of the Big Island. To access the beach, start at South Point and follow a two-mile trail to an eroded cinder cone. Swimming isn't recommended here due to strong currents. The beach also lacks tourist facilities such as bathrooms.
-- Jason La
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Cinder cone
The cinder cone at Papakolea, the source of the beach's olivine, was formed about 49,000 years ago. Once it's completely eroded, the beach will gradually lose its green color.
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