Big Island region
Kaʻū & the Far South
The wild, quiet south on the road to the volcano
The dry, remote south between Kona and the volcano: Ka Lae (South Point), the southernmost point of the 50 states, and the black-sand coast at Punaluʻu, where sea turtles bask. As of October 2026, Punaluʻu’s county beach park is closed while Hawaiʻi County completes a purchase of the land.
Photo: Nothereeither via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Go if…
You are driving the southern route between Kona and the volcano and want to break the trip.
The trade-off
Towns are tiny and services are limited — fill the tank before you go. Hurricane Lala damaged roads and bridges here in August 2026, and the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority warns the South Point road is rough and may not be covered by rental-car agreements.
