Beaches in Hawaii

Volcanic islands of different ages, and the age is what you see on the beach. Older islands have had time to build wide white beaches from broken coral; the youngest, Hawaiʻi Island, still has black sand and lava entering the sea. Green and red beaches occur here because of specific minerals in specific cinder cones. Two rules apply across the islands. Every beach is public to the high-water mark, including in front of every resort, and marked public access paths with parking exist between properties even where they are not advertised. And the surf reverses by season: north shores take the big winter swell from October to April, south shores take a smaller summer one, and the beach that is calm in July may be closed in January. Reef-safe sunscreen is required by state law. Practicalities: rental cars are effectively necessary, parking at popular beaches fills early, and several sites now require advance booking. Ocean safety varies enormously by island and season, and the state publishes daily hazard forecasts worth checking.

They spread across six beach worlds, the largest group being two coloured-sand beaches. Together they account for 9.4 km of shore. · computed from the 7 records below