Moloka'i
Cascading down the back of the lush Halawa Valley are the mesmerizing twin 250ft Mo'oula and Hipuapua Falls, hidden in a rich valley and reached by a two…
Must-see attractions in Hawaii
Hawaiʻi the Big Island
This legendary beach on Mahana Bay isn't really that green, but it is a rare and beautiful sight. Its color comes from crystals of olivine, the mineral…
Hawaiʻi the Big Island
Ka Lae, the southernmost point of the Big Island, feels palpably unwelcoming, yet hauntingly peaceful. It is mostly an empty grassland fringed by restless…
Maunakea
On an island with a conspicuous dearth of surface water, tiny Lake Waiʻau's existence on a porous lava mountain is something of an enigma. Hawaiian…
Puna
If any place captures the vibe of Puna, it's this beautiful black-sand beach tucked beneath a cliff where all walks of life – hippies, Hawaiians, gays,…
South Kona Coast
A pulpit with a view, gravestones cradled by tropical blooms and a little chapel with floor-to-ceiling 'outsider art' make this church a picturesque side…
Puna
If you believe paradise is sweetest when earned, trek out to this pristine, postcard-worthy black and white sand beach in a protected cove on the Shipman…
Hilo
You cannot understand Hilo without knowing its history as a two-time tsunami survivor (1946 and 1960). This museum encompasses only a few rooms, but they…
North Shore & Central O‘ahu
West of Turtle Bay Resort, a 1.5-mile shoreline trail runs over to Kawela Bay. In winter you might spy whales cavorting offshore. After walking round…
Hawaiʻi the Big Island
Be sure to get your bearings at the Hwy 11 viewpoint perched on a 1907 lava flow. Commanding views take in Paliʻokulani, the ragged cliff edge jutting out…
Hawaiʻi the Big Island
This down-to-earth, someday-to-be hydro-powered coffee farm roasts its own award-winning beans – the wonderful aroma floors you – which some connoisseurs…
Hilo
Ideal for kids, this spacious beach has a broad, shallow, sandy-bottomed pool, protected by a boulder breakwater. The water is only 1ft to 2ft deep in…
Puna
Follow the line of cars turning off Hwy 130 every Sunday morning for this large, festive and diverse farmers market. Offerings include psychic readings,…
Lanaʻi
Running southeast from the pier at Halepalaoa Landing is the reef-protected and shaded Halepalaoa Beach, which seems to have come from desert-island…
Moloka'i
'Ili'ili'opae Heiau is Moloka'i's biggest and best-known heiau, and is thought to be the second largest in Hawaii. It also might possibly be the oldest…
West Maui
Razor-sharp spikes crown rocky Makaluapuna Point, known informally by the nickname Dragon’s Teeth. The formation does look uncannily like the mouth of an…
Kapaʻa & the Eastside
Once unofficially known as a nudists' playground, this scenic beach is rarely swimmable, but the rugged and isolated terrain makes for fun beachcombing…
Poʻipu
An extraordinary tour of this garden, part of the multisite National Tropical Botanical Garden, wanders deep into Lawaʻi Valley. Robert Allerton, a…
ʻIao Valley & Central Maui
Rising straight up to 2250ft, this velvety-green pinnacle is Maui’s iconic landmark. Most people shoot their mandatory photos from the bridge near the…
Hanalei Bay & the North Shore
Yet another too-good-to-be-true North Shore beach. Named for the underwater caverns and lava tubes that pepper the near-shore reef, Tunnels ranks among…
Maui
No trip to Maui is complete without visiting this national park containing the mighty volcano that gave rise to East Maui. The volcano's floor measures a…
Na Pali Coast Wilderness State Park
Hanalei Bay & the North Shore
Pristine and hauntingly beautiful, this 16-mile-long stretch of soaring green-clad cliffs, white-sand beaches, turquoise coves and gushing waterfalls is…
Poʻipu
Part of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens, this gorgeous garden showcases palms, flowering and spice trees, orchids and rare endemic species, plus a…
Kihei & South Maui
Makena State Park should be high on every traveler’s itinerary. Its crowning glory, Big Beach, is the scene that people conjure up when they dream of a…
West Maui
The best things in life are free – that certainly applies to West Maui's magical blowhole, which spurts water up to 100 feet in the air, like a geyser. If…
West Maui
This one-mile pathway between Kaʻanapali's fancy resorts and gobsmackingly beautiful beach offers a gentle stroll, with sunset and people-watching…
Wailua
To ancient Hawaiians, the Wailua River was among the most sacred places across the islands. The river basin, near its mouth, was one of the island’s two…
Hanalei Bay & the North Shore
Built in 1913, the 52ft Kilauea Lighthouse was decommissioned in 1976, though it was shut down during WWII to help the island avoid the attention of…
West Maui
Honolua Bay is an advanced surfer’s dream. It faces northwest and when it catches the winter swells it has some of the gnarliest surfing in the world.
West Maui
Beginner and intermediate surfers head to this beach park, a popular wayside 3 miles south of Lahaina. The park is an ideal spot for families; na keiki …
West Maui
Surrounded by ironwood trees and backed by an old one-room schoolhouse, this sandy crescent looks like an outpost from another era. In keeping with its…
Poʻipu
There are no monster waves or idyllic solitude at the South Shore's most popular beach, but it's a go-to spot with something for everyone. Patrolled by…
Hanalei Bay & the North Shore
The roaring surf was a teacher to those who first practiced the spiritual art of hula, chanting and testing their skills against nature's decibel levels…
Kona Coast
With its pristine turquoise waters and shoreline fringed with coconut trees, Kiholo Bay is an off-the-beaten-track Big Island beauty. It’s more of a…
Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
Kauaʻi
The largest contiguous fully protected conservation in the US, this marine reserve is home to over 7000 species and 14 million seabirds. It covers 139,797…
ʻAhihi-Kinaʻu Natural Area Reserve
Kihei & South Maui
Although scientists haven’t been able to pinpoint the exact date, Maui’s last lava flow probably spilled down to the sea here between 1480 and 1600 CE,…
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
The world's largest subaerial (above water) volcano, Mauna Loa (Long Mountain) is so massive that you feel its presence more than see it. Even when it…
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
Honolulu
Northeast of downtown Honolulu is a bowl-shaped crater, nicknamed the Punchbowl, formed by a long-extinct volcano. Hawaiians called the crater Puowaina (…
Hoʻokipa Beach Park & Overlook
North Shore & Upcountry
Hoʻokipa is to daredevil windsurfers what Everest is to climbers. It reigns supreme as the world’s premier windsurfing beach, with strong currents,…
Honolulu
Beautiful walking trails wind through this highly regarded 200-acre arboretum managed by the University of Hawaiʻi. It was originally founded in 1918 by a…
