Spring
Hāpuna refers to a spring or water source. Fresh water emerging near the shore is common along this coast, where rain that fell on Mauna Kea travels underground for decades before surfacing.
On an island made largely of young black lava, a half-mile of white sand is unusual enough to be notable — most of Hawaiʻi Island's beaches are small, dark, or both.
The Kohala coast
Hāpuna sits on the leeward Kohala coast, the driest and sunniest part of the island, which is why the resorts are concentrated here. The beach itself is a state park.