Popular Hawaiian Beaches

Hawaii beach vacations, put simply, miles of Hawaiian coastline are pristine sandy beaches and sunny shores. The number one reason visitors travel to the islands is to experience the wonderful beaches and cool oceanic waters. For people on a limited stay in Hawaii, selecting the best beaches might be one of the hardest decisions to make. Lanikai Beach, a small stretch of thing white, sandy beach on the windward side is known for its two spectacular and gorgeous offshore islands, known as the Mokuluas. Sunset Beach, named so for its beautiful sunsets, has one of the island’s longest running white sand beaches and is one of the best surfing spots on the island. Perhaps the most well-known beach in Hawaii is Waikiki Beach, literally “sprouting water.” Often filled with tourists, the beach is known for its exciting catamaran rides, beach boys, calm surf, and shallow waters that are perfect for first-time and experienced beachgoers.

Kailua Beach Park is located on the windward side of Oahu and is famous for its excellent swimming, wind surfing, kayaking, and relatively calm waters to enjoy. Kahana Bay Beach Park is across from Ahupua’a O Kahana State Park on the windward side and is quite popular with those beachgoers who’d like to avoid the crowds. The secluded beach cove is one of Oahu’s best kept secrets for its calm waters and plenty of sandy beach. Ehukai Beach Park is home to the famous Bonzai Pipeline on the North Shore and in the winter months hosts some of the best surfing competitions.

Big Island

Although Oahu is the more commonly known Hawaiian Island and the more popular tourist destination (with Honolulu and Waikiki being located on Oahu), the island of Hawaii, also known as the Big Island, is another popular destination for those who wish to experience the paradise of Hawaii.

The Big Island is the largest and youngest of the eight major islands that make up the Hawaiian archipelago.

According to Hawaiian legend, the island was named for Hawai’iloa, the legendary Polynesian navigator who was believed to be the first person to discover it. With a population of about 200,000, the Big Island is located in the County of Hawaii, and the county seat is Hilo, the Big Island’s largest town located on the eastern coast.

For most of it’s history, the Big Island’s main economic force was sugarcane, but today, like the rest of the State of Hawaii, tourism is the backbone of the island’s economy.

The island is most famous for its volcanoes and black sand beaches, with Hawaii Volcanoes National Park being home to the active volcanoes of Kilauea and Mauna Loa. Kailua-Kona and Hilo are the two major communities on the island, both of which offer great dining, shopping, and entertainment opportunities to residents and visitors.

Other popular attractions throughout the island include Hulihe’e Palace, Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii, Onizuka Space Center, Pacific Tsunami Museum, Pana’ewa Rainforest Zoo, and Rainbow Falls State Park.