Pololū Valley at Sunrise: Huge Payoff for a Short Hike

From the Waikoloa/Kohala resort area, this was roughly an hour for us and absolutely worth the early wake-up. The overlook alone gives you huge green sea cliffs, ocean and the valley below.

Hike down

The trail is steep but relatively short, and we did not find it particularly hard. At sunrise it was cooler, the light was beautiful, and the black-sand beach at the bottom was almost empty.

We would not plan to swim here: the shoreline can have dangerous surf and currents.

Coffee in Hawi

On the way back we stopped at Hawi Coffee Company at Kohala Coffee Mill. It was one of our favorite coffee stops on the island and made the morning even better.