Big Island Tours
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Big Island is the youngest of all islands in the Hawaiian archipelago and definitely lives up its name. With a size of over 4000 square miles (over 10000 km²) Big Island, which is originally known as Island of Hawaii, is twice as big as Delaware or all other Hawaiian Islands together. Because of ongoing lava eruptions the island is still growing with no end in sight.
Big Island was formed about 800,000 years ago by six separate volcanoes Five of the six volcanoes are located above sea level including Kilauea, the most continuously active volcano in the world. The other four are Kohala (extinct), Mauna Kea (dormant), Mauna Loa, and Hualālai (both still active). The settlement of the Hawaiian archipelago started from Big Island. Polynesian settlers were the first that landed on Big Island to start a new civilization. The birthplace of King Kamehameha the Great, the first king that united all Hawaiian Islands, is located on Big Island and the grave of Captain Cook. The famous European discoverer got in a fight with the natives while visiting Hawaii and died at Kealakekua Bay. Mauna Kea is the highest point on the island with an elevation of 13796 ft (4205 m). If you would measure the volcano from the sea floor it would be even higher than Mount Everest, hence the tallest mountain in the world with over 33,000 ft (10,000 m). Big Island offers a diverse landscape and a wide selection of activities to visitors. An active volcano with wide lavafields waits in the Southeast while the North and East is dominated by lush rain forests, steep cliffs, and tropical bays. The West and South is known for beautiful beaches that include epic swim, snorkel and surf conditions. Despite, this area is also known for hotel resorts and vacation rentals. Those, looking for a more remote area and small but lovely B&Bs will find them in the area of Hilo and Puna. As you see the largest island of Hawaii comes not only with a breathtaking landscape but also a lot of history to discover. |