What is the Big Island best known for?

The Big Island is best known for its active volcanoes. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park contains Kilauea, one of the world's most continuously active volcanoes, where lava has been flowing since 1983. The island is also famous for manta ray night dives off Kona — one of the world's top marine wildlife experiences. Kona coffee, grown on the island's volcanic slopes, is globally recognized as a premium single-origin coffee. Astronomy is another distinction: Mauna Kea at 13,796 feet hosts 13 major observatories and some of the world's clearest skies. The Kohala Coast has some of Hawaii's best luxury resorts and ancient fishpond archaeology. Green sand, black sand, and white sand beaches coexist within a few hours' drive. For sheer geographic diversity, no other island comes close.