A hot spot for snorkeling and diving, Tunnels Beach is a wide, horseshoe-shaped fringing reef with fantastic underwater life viewable during calm summer seas. During such conditions, you can start snorkeling near the east point and let the current carry you westward. It's more adventurous (and less crowded) than Ke'e Beach.

In winter, high surf conditions mean a tubular break (hence the name Tunnels) for expert surfers and perilous risk for the rest of us. Dangerous rip currents prevail from October to May. It was here on October 21, 2003 that competitive surfer Bethany Hamilton, then 13, lost her left arm in a shark attack. Undaunted, Bethany resumed her surfing career, wrote a book, made a media splash and continues to dominate at national competitions. See www.bethanyhamilton.com for her remarkable story.

To get here, drive past the 8-mile marker and park at either of two spots around the halfway mark (between the 8- and 9-mile markers). If you cannot find parking, you might try walking along the beach from the Hanalei Colony Resort area.