8 Of Hawaii's Most Stunning Secret Beaches You'd Be Thrilled To Find

Saying that Hawaii is a good place to go for a beach vacation is a bit like saying that Grand Canyon National Park has some nice views or the ancient ruins in Rome are nice to look at. It's definitely true, but it doesn't get anywhere near reality. From Big Island to Kauai, Hawaii's beaches are some of the most exceptionally beautiful in North America. If you want amazing surf breaks, Waikiki Beach is one of the best places in the world to learn to surf. If you want gorgeous sugar-soft white sands, Lanikai Beach on Oahu is breathtakingly beautiful. If you want to immerse yourself in the beauty of life beneath the ocean, Honaunau Bay boasts incredible coral gardens that are easily accessible from the shore.

In short, Hawaii is a beach-lover's paradise. However, the most famous beaches in Hawaii do have one drawback: the crowds. Their popularity means that you'll be sharing the sand with plenty of other people. And while for some this is fine, many travelers prefer to enjoy the beach in peace and seclusion, seeking out spots that are a little more off the beaten track. 

So if you are heading to Hawaii and want to find the most stunning beaches that are still free from tourist crowds, even on the most popular islands, we've got you covered. Here are eight of the most beautiful secret beaches in Hawaii that are worth making the effort to visit.

Kauapea Beach is nicknamed Secret Beach, and it very much lives up to its name. Hidden on the north shore of Kauai, it is not the easiest place to reach, and getting there means a steep hike, with no facilities on the beach itself. As a result, you'll likely have the beach mostly to yourself, making it a fabulous spot to relax and enjoy some spectacular views of Kilauea Lighthouse. Keep an eye on the conditions, as swimming can be dangerous when the waters are rough.

Featured in the 1953 film "From Here to Eternity" starring Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr, Halona Beach Cove is a tiny slice of sand that offers adventurous swimming conditions, rock diving, sea caves, and few other tourists. It also overlooks the Halona Blowhole, an oceanic natural wonder formed from cooling lava thousands of years ago. When the waves hit just right, it can fire a column of water up to 30 feet in the air. This makes an excellent addition to an already attractive hidden beach.

One more beach that lives up to its nickname, Pali Ke Kua, or Hideaway Beach, is another excellent choice for anyone exploring Kauai's north shore. This remote, secluded beach is accessed via a steep, narrow path past a block of condos, and is one of the best spots for snorkeling on the island. It is particularly worth visiting this beach during the summer months when the waves are calmer, as choppier waters make swimming harder and reduce the underwater visibility.

As is the case for most of Hawaii's secret beaches, the main reason behind Makalawena's comparative lack of popularity is how tricky it is to get there. Put on your hiking boots and walk 20 minutes across a lava field in Kekaha Kai State Park, and you'll be rewarded with a stunning stretch of spotless, empty white sand lined with swaying palm trees. There's excellent snorkeling to be had off the outcrops of lava, and plenty of shade to be found beneath the palms, making Makalawena well worth the hike to get there.

One of the beaches in Hawaii that holds a colorful secret, Kaihalulu is a one-of-a-kind spot as the state's only red-sand beach, and it makes for a stunning visual spectacle. Framed by forested bluffs, you can only get there via a scrabbly trail that has been severely eroded by landslides over time, which makes it a dangerous proposition and only for people comfortable navigating steep terrain. Once you get there, though, the contrast between the blood-red sands, the lava cliffs, and the pounding surf is incredibly exciting, particularly for photographers, and makes it well worth the trek.

At the end of an unmarked, unpaved road about half an hour north of Lānaʻi City, this gorgeous, remote, 8-mile stretch of sand is a rugged beauty untouched by tourism. While its location is breathtaking enough, what makes it particularly special is the rusting hulk of an oil tanker from the 1940s beached on Kaiolohia Bay's coral reef in front of the beach, one of many casualties of the narrow, shallow channel just offshore. It's a wonderful spot for beachcombing and photography, but the strong currents mean that it's not a great beach for swimming.

With towering waterfalls, dramatic volcanic cliffs, and the stunning Honopu Arch, Honopu Beach on the north shore of Kauai is a truly extraordinary prospect, and one for people willing to take on a serious challenge for total seclusion. While other beaches on this list are remote, Honopu is only accessible by swimming, as there are no trails and boats are not allowed to land. But if you are fit enough to swim along the coast from neighboring Kalalau Beach, then your reward is one of the most beautiful and secluded spots anywhere in Hawaii.

Also known as Three Mile Beach, Papohaku Beach on Molokai is one of the longest white-sand beaches in Hawaii, and because Molokai itself is less visited than some of the other islands, it also tends to be one of the quietest beaches around. It's an excellent place to camp, with great facilities, and walking the endless stretch of pristine, uncrowded beach at Papohaku is a delightfully relaxing experience. The white sand also catches the light at certain times of the day, glowing a blazing orange and adding an incredible visual effect to your experience.