The Big Island (officially named Hawaii) is the largest island in the United States’ Hawaiian archipelago in the Central Pacific. Less than a million years old, Hawaii is a baby in geological terms.

Here you'll find the Hawaiian Islands' tallest, largest and only active volcanic mountains. Kilauea, on the eastern side, is the world's most active volcano, spewing molten lava continuously since 1983. If you see glowing, red-hot lava, you are witnessing Earth in the making, a thrilling and humbling experience. At 33,000ft tall when measured from the ocean floor, Mauna Kea is the world's tallest mountain, and its significance cannot be overstated – as a sacred place to Hawaiians and a top astronomical site to scientists.

We doubt that it's possible to get 'island fever' on Hawaii. The aptly named Big Island is fantastically diverse, with miles of highways – and, better yet, byways – to explore. Eight of the world’s 13 climate zones exist here, adding sensory variety as you circumnavigate the island.

Gaze at vivid emerald cliffs, swaths of black-, white- and even green-sand beaches, majestic volcanic mountains (possibly snowcapped!), stark lava desert, rolling pastureland and misty valleys, weathered by rain, waves and time. Hawaii is twice as big as the other Hawaiian Islands combined, and its dramatic terrain is ever fascinating. No other island gives you a place to swim with manta rays, horseback ride and whale watch, all on the same visit.