Kona Coast
Whether young or old, triathlete or couch potato, everyone appreciates the island's most easy-to-access (and admittedly busy) snorkeling spot. Protected…
Must-see attractions in Hawaii
Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park
Kona Coast
Just north of Honokohau Harbor, on the ocean side of Hwy 19, this 1160-acre national park may be the Kona Coast's most underappreciated ancient Hawaiian…
Pearl Harbor & Leeward O‘ahu
This military aircraft museum covers WWII and the conflicts in Korea, Vietnam and beyond. The first aircraft hangar, number 37, features exhibits on the…
Kailua
Rich in stream-fed agricultural land, fishing grounds and protected canoe landings, Kailua was an ancient economic center that supported at least three…
Pearl Harbor & Leeward O‘ahu
The last battleship built by the US (it was launched in 1944), the USS Missouri provides a unique historical 'bookend' to the US campaign in the Pacific…
Kihei & South Maui
Want to kayak along the coast? Then drop into this pretty bay. There’s no better place on Maui for kayaking – as you might surmise from the collection of…
South Kohala
Don't worry about that tongue twister of an official name; everyone on the island calls this beach 'A Bay.' 'A-plus' is another way of putting it: this…
Waimea Canyon & the Westside
The endless expanse of Polihale Beach is as mystical as it is enchanting. The long slow drive here, along a rutted 5-mile dirt road, brings you to the…
Waikiki
Located on Waikiki’s shoreline, this university-run aquarium recreates diverse tropical Pacific reef habitats. You’ll see rare fish species from the…
North Kohala
It's off the beaten path, but this heiau (temple), near ʻUpolu Point at Hawaiʻi's northernmost tip, is among the oldest (c AD 480) and most historically…
Kona Coast
The gorgeous beaches of Kekaha Kai are all the more memorable for being tucked on the far side of a vast desert of unforgiving black lava. This 1600-acre…
Lahaina
Built in 1834–35, the Baldwin House is the oldest surviving Western-style building in Lahaina. It served as the home of Reverend Dwight Baldwin, a…
Windward Coast
A cultural park owned by the Mormon Church, the PCC revolves around Polynesian-themed ʻvillages’ representing Hawaii, Samoa, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Fiji,…
Kona Coast
Though obviously artificial (a thin layer of sand laid over concrete is hard on the feet), the beach at Kikaua Point Park is also effortlessly beautiful…
Honolulu
Opposite the Ala Moana Center mall, this city park boasts a broad, golden-sand beach nearly a mile long, buffered from passing traffic by shade trees. Ala…
The Road to Hana
The highway cuts right through this delightful 5-acre rainforest park whose name, Puaʻa Kaʻa, means Rolling Pig. Some unlucky passersby will see just the…
Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park
South Kona Coast
Beautiful, historic Kealakekua Bay is scalloped out of the mountains, a deep-blue half moon set against a low lava point to the north, tall reddish pali …
Waikiki
Christened the Moana Hotel when it opened in 1901, this beaux-arts plantation-style inn was once the haunt of Hollywood movie stars, aristocrats and…
North Shore & Upcountry
On a broad hillside with panoramic views of the West Maui Mountains and the Central Maui coast, this charming lavender farm is a scenic place to relax and…
North Shore & Upcountry
Bodyboarders and bodysurfers take to the waves at this palm-lined county park about a mile west of Paʻia. The wide sandy beach is lovely for sunbathing…
Valley of the Temples & Byōdō-In
Windward Coast
It's so peaceful and parklike that it might take you a minute to realize that Valley of the Temples is an interdenominational cemetery. Up at the base of…
Lanaʻi
Perched around the highest sea cliffs on the island (at 1080ft above sea level) is a vast archaeological site home to the largest collection of ruins on…
Windward Coast
An extenuation of stunning Waimanalo Beach, this beach park is only open to civilians on weekends (and national holidays), as it fronts Bellows Air Force…
Kihei & South Maui
Snorkelers should head straight for Ulua, to the south of the point. The coral at the rocky outcrop on the right side of the beach offers Wailea’s best…
Kihei
Covered in a blanket of golden sand, Kamaʻole Beach Park III has full facilities and lifeguards, plus a playground and parking lot. Great spot for a beach…
Waimea Canyon & the Westside
Shortly before the end of the highway, the Kalalau Lookout commands a fabulous overview of Kalalau Valley, sweeping around its towering green-swathed…
Lihuʻe
This sandy beach and sheltered bay is tucked between a marina and the mountains. It's overlooked by the Marriott resort, which faces the bay, and by an…
The Road to Hana
A 10-minute loop path north of the beach parking lot leads to a pair of freshwater lava-tube caves. Their garden-like exteriors are draped with ferns,…
Windward Coast
By the side of the roadway south of the main business area, this sloping strip of soft white sand has little puppy waves that are excellent for swimming…
Kona Coast
This Mordor-esque lava plain of jagged ʻaʻa rock that crinkles to the deep blue coast then drops steeply into the ocean, lives up to its name. To get here…
Haleakalā National Park
Don’t miss this one. Kalahaku Overlook (9324ft), 0.8 miles beyond Leleiwi Overlook, offers a bird’s-eye view of the crater floor and the ant-size hikers…
Pearl Harbor & Leeward O‘ahu
Hidden within Mauna‘olu Estates, a gated residential community in Makaha Valley, this quietly impressive heiau (ancient stone temple) is one of Oʻahu's…
Hana & East Maui
Charles Lindbergh, the first man to fly nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean, moved to remote Kipahulu in 1968. After being diagnosed with terminal cancer,…
Kihei & South Maui
Dubbed ‘Turtle Beach,’ this golden swath of sand behind the closed Makena Beach & Golf Resort is popular with snorkelers and kayakers hoping to glimpse…
USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park
Pearl Harbor & Leeward O‘ahu
Adjacent to the visitor center for the Pearl Harbor historic sites, this park harbors the moored WWII-era submarine USS Bowfin, which you can explore on a…
The Road to Hana
Just after the Hana Hwy's 2-mile marker, a wide parking area marks the start of the trail to Twin Falls. Local kids and tourists flock to the pool beneath…
Hanalei Plantation Road Lookout
Princeville
This spectacular overlook commands views over not only the Hanalei River and its valley, but also the bay and its beaches. To reach it, simply follow…
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
There's plenty packed into this small one-room geology museum including real-time seismographs and tiltmeters recording earthquakes inside the park (and…
Hanalei Bay & the North Shore
Winding along the seashore, fringed by overhanging trees, long ‘Anini Beach is a narrow strip of sand that at several points dwindles to the slenderest of…
Kapaʻa & the Eastside
This long, loamy, golden-sand beach, named after L David Larsen (former manager of the Kilauea Sugar Company), is stunning, raw and all-natural, with a…
