Papakolea Beach — a beach in Hawaii County, Hawaii — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 12.1 km (7.5 mi) S of Discovery Harbor.
Papakōlea Beach (also known as Green Sand Beach or Mahana Beach) is a green sand beach located near South Point, in the Kaʻū district of the island of Hawaiʻi. It is one of only two green sand beaches in the world, the other being Punta Cormorant on Floreana Island in the Galapagos Islands It gets its distinctive coloring from olivine sand eroded out of the enclosing volcanic cone (tuff ring).From the Wikipedia article “Papakōlea Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Papakolea Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 65° (ENE) at the June solstice and 115° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 295° (WNW) in June to 246° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 85° in summer but only 48° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:27 AM | 90° E | 6:34 PM | 270° W | 71° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:47 AM | 65° ENE | 7:03 PM | 295° WNW | 85° | 13h 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:12 AM | 89° E | 6:20 PM | 271° W | 71° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:52 AM | 115° ESE | 5:51 PM | 246° WSW | 48° | 10h 59m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Beaches facing east suit sunrise and west-facing beaches suit sunset; wet sand mirrors the sky color during golden hour.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:36 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 07m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 32m |
| March | 6:10 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:33 PM | 6:55 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:44 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:35 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:03 PM | 12h 35m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:14 PM | 13h 02m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:26 PM | 13h 16m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:28 PM | 13h 10m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:35 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:14 PM | 12h 46m |
| September | 5:49 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:40 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:48 PM | 12h 15m |
| October | 5:55 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:47 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:23 PM | 11h 43m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:02 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:08 PM | 11h 15m |
| December | 6:25 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:12 PM | 11h 00m |
Local time (Pacific/Honolulu), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Papakolea Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 42° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| February | 4:08 AM – 5:28 AM | 1.3 | 26° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:16 AM – 5:16 AM | 3.0 | 39° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:16 AM – 4:46 AM | 4.5 | 42° | SE → S |
| May | 10:11 PM – 4:21 AM | 6.2 | 42° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:26 PM – 4:16 AM | 7.8 | 42° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:26 PM – 2:56 AM | 6.5 | 42° | SE → SW |
| August | 8:08 PM – 12:48 AM | 4.7 | 42° | S → SW |
| September | 7:40 PM – 10:50 PM | 3.2 | 39° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:14 PM – 8:54 PM | 1.7 | 28° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -17° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.9 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and April as the cloudiest (57%). September is the warmest month and February the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 79 | 78 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 80 | 82 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 82 | 80 |
| Low °F | 70 | 70 | 70 | 71 | 73 | 74 | 74 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 73 | 68 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 4.1 | 5.4 | 2.9 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 3.5 | 4.5 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this beach
- Slow shutter speeds (0.5–2 s) turn receding waves into streaks that lead toward the horizon.
- Watch for sneaker waves; never turn your back on the ocean on exposed coasts.
- Salt spray coats lenses quickly; wipe often and rinse gear afterward.
- Fog and marine layers can make minimalist images; don't give up on grey days.
- Time visits around low tide to reveal tide pools, sea stacks and reflective sand — check the tide widget below.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Winter storms bring dramatic surf on Pacific coasts; summer and autumn sunsets are popular on Atlantic and Gulf beaches.
Suggested gear: Tripod, ND filters, Rain cover, Lens cloths. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Honuapo, 19.5 km (12.1 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Papakolea Beach, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Papakolea Beach?
What time is golden hour at Papakolea Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Papakolea Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Papakolea Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Papakolea Beach?
How far is Papakolea Beach from Discovery Harbor?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.