Hawaii's Big Island

First discovered by Polynesian canoe voyagers many centuries ago, Hawaii, affectionately called The Big Island, is the geologically youngest of the 132 Hawaiian Islands in the 1500-mile chain across the Pacific Ocean. It is also the largest, and at 4,000 square miles, is bigger than the other main islands - Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe and Niihau - all put together. And thanks to the ongoing volcanic eruption at Kilauea on the island's southeast coast, it is still growing.

Diverse in Nature

With nearly all of the earth's climatic zones, from desert to rainforest, the Island of Hawaii is a natural wonder of diversity. It is also home to the tallest mountain in the world, Mauna Kea, 33,000 feet from the ocean floor to its sometimes snow-capped summit. From warm, sunny beach days on the western Kona and Kohala coasts, to lush tropical forests, green fields and waterfalls on the east, the Big Island offers dramatic contrasts in weather, elevation, landscape and lifestyle.

A Place to Call Home

The Big Island, also known as the Orchid Isle, developed as a quiet, agricultural community, economically driven by sugar cane plantations that dominated the island, cattle ranches, Kona coffee farms, tropical floriculture and macadamia nut orchards.

Today, while Kona coffee is still renowned and tropical florals are shipped worldwide, the economy has evolved into a tourism and real estate mecca. From award-winning resorts, beaches and golf courses to mountain eco-adventures, oceanfront dining or watching for the green flash at sunset, the Big Island offers something for everyone. The island has become a preferred location for vacation residences, second, retirement, and full-time or part-time homes for those seeking the island lifestyle.

A place of ethnic diversity with a living Hawaiian culture as part of everyday life, Hawaii's Big Island is a unique and an endlessly interesting place to call home.