South Point: Land's End

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Back to Big IslandSouth Point: Land's End

At the end of 11 miles of bad road that peters out at Kaulana Bay, in the lee of a jagged, black-lava point, you'll find Land's End -- the tail end of the United States. From the tip (beware of the big waves that lash the shore if you walk out there), the nearest continental landfall is Antarctica, 7,500 miles away.

It's a 2 1/2-mile four-wheel-drive trip and a hike down a cliff from South Point to the anomaly known as Green Sand Beach.

Back on the Mamalahoa Highway (Hwy. 11), about 20 miles east, is the small town of Pahoa; turn off the highway and travel about 5 miles through this once-thriving sugar plantation and beyond to the Wood Valley Temple and Retreat Center (tel. 808/928-8539; www.nechung.org), also known as Nechung Drayang Ling ("Island of Melodious Sound"). It's an oasis of tranquillity tucked into the rainforest. Built by Japanese sugar-cane workers, the temple, retreat center, and surrounding gardens were rededicated by the Dalai Lama in 1980 to serve as a spiritual center for Tibetan Buddhism. You can walk the beautiful grounds, attend services, and breathe in the quiet mindfulness of this serene area.