Kapoho, Big Island

Kapoho at a Glance

The less touristy town of Kapoho is one of the best kept secrets of the Big Island. The sleepy coastal community located in the lower Puna District of the Big Island offers visitors weary of the crowd and rush of resort towns and urban spots will have no problems with the lack of malls, boutiques, restaurants, and other urban amenities here. Yet, there’s a wonderful selection of vacation rentals and beds and breakfast for visitors planning to spend vacation here.

Surrounded by lush terrain and dotted with palm trees, visitors will enjoy the warm abundance of sun here. Kapoho has the distinction of being the sunniest spot in the eastern side of the Big Island, which is why it is often referred to as “Sunny Kapoho.” The town is also a snorkeler’s delight. It may have no white beaches, yet its coastline boasts of numerous tide pools and lagoons rich with marine life. At Kapoho Bay, there’s Champagne Pond, a tide pool with geothermally-heated freshwater. This ocean-fed inlet is also called as Turtle Pond, named-so because sea turtles tend to hang out here.
Nearby is Green Lake and Green Mountain, one of the most scenic spots in Hawaii. Surrounded by rainforest, the spring-fed Green Lake is one of the only two natural fresh lakes in the Big Island. Green Mountain, the crater that holds the lake, is 400 years old.

Despite its idyllic beauty, however, Kapoho is a ghost town. In the past, Kapoho was an agricultural community with schools, churches, and homes. The town was completely destroyed by lava flow, however, when Kilauea erupted in 1960. Until today, Kapoho has not been resettled.

Kapoho’s zip code is 96778.

Kapoho in Bullet Points

Kapoho Location

Kapoho Map (top)

Kapoho Weather (top)

Now
75°F
Windchill:
75°F
Cloudy
Location: Pahoa, HI, US
Wind: 7 mph NE
Humidity: 71%
Visibility: 0.1 mi
Pressure: 30.04 in rising
Sunrise: 6:31 am
Sunset: 5:40 pm Fri
Hi: 78°F
Low: 68°F
Showers
Sat
Hi: 79°F
Low: 68°F
Showers