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The most beautiful dream beaches in Hawaii

You know them: white dream beaches in advertisements, posters, postcards or on television. In Hawaii they become reality. On Big Island you can find the famous Hapuna Beach State Park.

hapuna beach state park big island Big Island
Just take a break from everyday life | Image: © Anna Abramskaya - shutterstock.com

Every year, it is chosen as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world and it is located at the Cohalo Coast. However, with a length of one kilometre and a width of sixty meters, the popular beach is never crowded. It offers the best conditions for snorkelling or swimming all year round. An absolute postcard idyll, the white sand, the green nature and the black rock in the background - simply dreamlike. Many parking lots are available and lifeguards watch over the beach and waves. Another beach on Big Island, which I can recommend to you, is probably the most spectacular: The Punalu'u Black Sand Beach has black sand. Through years of erosion of the lava that flowed into the sea, the sand got a black colour, madness!

A unique beach | Image: © Mike Brake - shutterstock.com
A unique beach | Image: © Mike Brake - shutterstock.com

The beach is located on the south coast, south of the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Quite often you can meet turtles sunbathing in the black sand. The water is wide and calm, perfect for snorkelling.

On O'ahu, there is the Lanikai beach.It is located in the east of the island. You can see two small islands from Lanikai Beach, the Mokulua Islands (Moku Nui and Moku Iki).

This is a perfect camera motif, which has already been chosen for many calendars, postcards and posters. So definitely think of the camera! The sand here is white and very fine, the sea calm and flowing, a great beach especially if you are travelling with children. "Lanikai" translated means "heavenly sea" and I can only confirm that 😉

Lanikai can be reached via small beach paths along the main road and parking is available at the million-dollar villas along the street. With a kayak, which can be rented on the beach, you can paddle to the Mokulua Islands. Waimanalo Bay Beach is also located in the east of the island. This is the longest beach on the island and it stretches for 5 miles (wow, that's about 8km!). The water is turquoise and the sand is very white. Waimanalo Bay Beach is not overcrowded, like in Waikiki for example. From the beach, you have an excellent view of the Koolau Mountains and can simply relax during a nice walk on the beach. There are restrooms with showers on the beach and a large parking lot is also available. Buses take you directly from Waikiki to Waimanalo Bay Beach, the ride takes about 45 minutes. This beach is great for swimmers because there are hardly any currents.

Paradise begins here | Image: © norinori303 - shutterstock.com
Paradise begins here | Image: © norinori303 - shutterstock.com

Let's continue with Kauai. Here are two of the most beautiful dream beaches in the world. Poipu Beach is one of "Americas best beaches" and Hanalei Beach has the "Dr. Beach" recommendation. Dr. Beach is known worldwide as the beach luminary. He visits, evaluates and describes beaches all over the world and has written several books.

One of Americas best beaches | Image: © Nina B - shutterstock.com
One of Americas best beaches | Image: © Nina B - shutterstock.com

Poipu Beach is located south of Kauai and is very famous. I advise you to leave early because the famous beach is very crowded in the afternoon. However, due to the three small bays, the visitors are well distributed. There are toilets and showers at the beach. A perfect beach for snorkelers because you can observe many fish species within the rocks. However, at high tide, the current can be very strong. The bay is sun-safe and therefore great for family trips. Turtles and also the Hawaiian Monk Seals like to sunbathe on Poipu Beach.

Hanalei Beach is not the typical sandy beach, it is more about the scenery here. The contrast between the sea and the mountains of the north coast is beautiful and the drive to Hanalei Beach feels like a drive through a large garden. The beach is surrounded by two rivers, the Hanalei River and the Waipa River. There are lifeguards, showers and toilets. In winter, this is a popular surf spot due to the high waves. My tip for you: Be sure to check out the Hanalei Pier walk. You think you are walking on the open sea!

On Molokai there is the One Ali'i Beach.A perfect beach for children because the water is very shallow here. Therefore, it is not necessarily suitable for swimming. However, One Ali'i Beach convinces with a beautiful park, with toilet facilities, showers, pavilions and even barbecues that you can use. The beach invites you to have a picnic and relax. My tip for you: You can also camp here. (You can get the camp permit at the Park Department). Popohaku Beach is located at the West End on Molokai and is also called the Three Mile Beach With a length of 4.8 km, it is one of the longest white beaches. From here you can see all the way to O'ahu.

Hello Oahu! | Image: © Malgorzata Litkowska - shutterstock.com
hello Oahu! | Image: © Malgorzata Litkowska - shutterstock.com

There are picnic tables in the enclosed park under trees as well as toilets and if you are lucky, you get to see a small gecko. There is also a campground here.

My recommendation for you on Maui is the most famous beach on the island, the Kaanapali Beach.

kaanapali beach Big Island
Fancy a stroll? | Image: © Jeff White - shutterstock.com

It is located in the west of the island, scores with crystal clear water and a 4.8km long sandy beach. My tip for you: At dusk, something great takes place on this beach. A cliff jumper lights torches that have been set up on the cliff. Little by little, more and more cliff jumpers jump down the Black Rock. It is a recreation of the feat of the king King Kahekili of Maui. What I like about D.T. Fleming Beach Park is that the beach itself borders on a park. You can sunbathe and then barbecue in the park. On this natural beach, you can see tourists and locals, relaxing on the beach, watching turtles or enjoying a sausage in the shade at the great picnic tables in the park.

Natural, simply beautiful | Image: © Photo Image - shutterstock.com
Natural, simply beautiful | Image: © Photo Image - shutterstock.com

My conclusion: A great beach where the waves are calm in summer and huge in winter, but where safety is guaranteed by a lifeguard and there are clean toilets.

lanai offers a gorgeous beach that was named the best beach in America in 1997. And indeed the Hulupoe Beachhas great sand, is very well maintained, there are restrooms, picnic facilities and the sea is perfect for snorkelling. The beach is located on the Manele Bay,

Hulopoe offers postcard panorama | Image: © Joe West - shutterstock.com
Hulopoe offers postcard panorama | Image: © Joe West - shutterstock.com

directly by the Marina. Here you can see large boats and ferries docked during a walk. On the east side of the bay, there is a Tidal Basin which fills with the tide and dries up at low tide. At this basin you can see seahorses, crabs and the Hawaiian Opihi (A limpet) can be observed too. Southeast of the tide pool you can see the Puu Puu and the Sweet Rock,which is the landmark of Lanai. According to the legend, at that time a warrior threw himself 25 m down the rock after the death of his beloved. Contact us for more great tips about dream beaches on your dream island, we'll be happy to show you more.

Welcome to the most beautiful bay. | Image: © Filipe Frazao - shutterstock.com
Welcome to the most beautiful bay. | Image: © Filipe Frazao - shutterstock.com

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