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The Big Island's romantic sunsets are complemented by its stunning and rugged geology. Here are some of the top spots to watch a sunset or sunrise on the Big Island called Hawaii.

Romantic Big Island Sunsets

Sunsets from the Kona coast of the Big Island are outstanding. In fact, we like these sunsets so much that we have created an entire page of them: visit our Kona Sunsets page to see for yourself.

Unlike Maui's Haleakala, the summit sunset experience on the Big Island is unparalleled. Mauna Kea, at almost 14,000 feet, provides a great platform for sunset viewing. It is possible to drive almost to the summit of Mauna Kea, but you need a 4x4 to make the last few miles. (At the time of this writing, only Harper's rental allows this; check your rental contract.) It can be quite cold up here, and you will need to be extremely careful about altitude sickness. If you feel the least bit ill, descend the mountain immediately! However, if your doctor approves, and you can rent the right vehicle, this is a sunset you will never forget! If you can't make it to the summit, skip this sunset, because the mountain blocks the view of the sunset until you get to the top. Visit our Mauna Kea Summit page for more.

Best Big Island Sunrises

The Big Island isn't really known for its sunrises, although a lot of beautiful sunrises can be found on the eastern coastline of the island. The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park area can make for some interesting sunrise experiences. Although you won't see a lot of the sunrise, Kipuku Puaulu ("Bird Park") in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a special sunrise experience because of the many birds you will encounter. Note that it is NOT possible to see the sunrise from Mauna Kea: to reduce dust at the observatories, traffic is forbidden on the upper road until 30 minutes before sunrise. If you want to do Mauna Kea, you will need to see it at sunset instead.