Lapakahi State Historical Park
Hawi, HI
Lapakahi State Historical Park preserves the low stone walls of a 600 year old fishing village along North Kohala's dry, windswept coast, and the trail through it ends at Koaie Cove, a marine reserve with barely any sand but water clear enough to see butterflyfish and the occasional turtle from the surface.
The history and the snorkeling are genuinely worthwhile, but there's so little sand and the gate hours are strict enough that it's more of a planned outing than a spontaneous beach day.
How we score beachesGo early. The park gates lock at 4pm sharp, and the walk through the village ruins alone takes a good twenty minutes before you even reach the water.
A free gravel lot sits at the entrance, open roughly 8am to 3:30pm, with the gate locking at 4pm.
A flat, sun exposed dirt trail leads about a half mile to the cove. There's very little actual beach once you arrive, just a narrow rocky entry into the water.
Calm summer conditions make the cove far safer for snorkeling. Winter surf and stronger currents outside the reserve can make the water dangerous even when the cove itself looks calm.
More Hawaii beaches
Waikiki Beach
Honolulu, HI · Hawaii
4 access points
The beach that put Hawaii surfing on the map, with gentle, forgiving waves for beginners, Diamond Head crater as a backdrop, and a reef that keeps the water calm most of the year.
Lanikai Beach
Kailua, HI · Hawaii
A quiet, residential-neighborhood beach on Oahu's windward side, with powder-soft sand, turquoise water, and two small offshore islets (the Mokulua) as a paddling destination.
Poipu Beach
Koloa, HI · Hawaii
A sheltered, sunny south-shore beach on Kauai split into a calm swimming lagoon and a livelier surf side, with a good chance of spotting Hawaiian monk seals resting on the sand.