Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach
One of Hawaii’s most famous black sand beaches, frequently visited by basking green sea turtles — regional safety guidance notes
Swimming Holes
Wailua Falls (Kauai)
A famous, easily photographed twin waterfall (featured in the opening credits of the original ‘Fantasy Island’ TV show) — regional
Rainbow Falls (Waiānuenue, Big Island)
One of the Big Island’s most photographed and easily accessed waterfalls, named for the rainbows that often appear in its
Waimea Bay (rock jump, Oahu North Shore)
A calm, family-friendly swimming beach with a popular jump-rock feature in summer — but this exact bay produces some of
Sharks Cove (Pupukea, Oahu North Shore)
One of Oahu’s best snorkeling spots in calm summer conditions, within a protected marine life conservation district — but this
Waimea Valley (Oahu North Shore)
A developed nonprofit botanical garden and cultural site with a mile-long path through gardens leading to a waterfall pool with
Venus Pool (Waioka Pond, ʻŌheʻo-adjacent)
A popular, easily reached local swimming hole along the Road to Hana, known for its clear pool and small waterfall.
Twin Falls (Wailele Farm, Road to Hana)
One of the most popular and easily reached waterfall stops on the Road to Hana, with a fruit stand at
ʻOheʻo Gulch / Seven Sacred Pools (Haleakalā National Park)
Long marketed as the ‘Seven Sacred Pools’ (a name NPS itself notes is inaccurate — there are more than seven,
Hanakāpīʻai Beach & Falls (Na Pali Coast)
A stunningly scenic but genuinely hazardous stop on the famous Kalalau Trail — the beach itself has no reef protection