Chosen by Dr. Beach as America’s best beach of 1999, Wailea is located in South Maui, at the Grand Wailea and Four Seasons Resorts.

Wailea offers good swimming, snorkeling in calm waters, and bodysurfing on a shore break that is not as punishing as Wailea’s other beaches. The sandy bottom remains shallow inshore, and drops off slowly to deeper water.

While most would choose Hulopo’e Bay as their pick for best beach on Lanai, Shipwreck Beach is far more interesting. Not a swimming beach, Shipwreck is made up of boulders, lava rock, washed-up timber and sand.

Shipwreck offers spectacular views of the nearby islands of Moloka’i and Maui, the abandoned hull of a World War II Liberty Ship ship, green sea turtles and whales, and the nearby the Po’aiwa Petroglyphs.

How about miles of long, straight white sand beach, hundreds of feet wide, completely empty except for skittering crabs and soaring sea birds? Papohaku Beach is as close as you can get to the deserted tropical island of your dreams.

Located on the west end of Molokai, which itself is between Oahu and Maui, Papohaku Beach also offers swimming, snorkeling, body surfing, body boarding, and surfing. This is the beach where you leave your troubles behind and get away from the world. On this remote beach on this remote island, the only footprints in the sand may be your own.

The most popular beach on Kauai’s south shore, Poipu Beach is ideal for families. A small boulder breakwater creates a protected pool-like area where children and parents can play and snorkel. Outside the swimming area, the ocean bottom slopes gently to overhead depths.

The south shore’s bays create year-round ideal wave conditions for body boarders and surfers. The beach is a pretty curve of white sand about 1,000 feet long and 50 feet wide, with plenty of room for sandcastle building or strolling. Sunbathers are occasionally joined by endangered monk seals that come up for a snooze on the shore.

Formerly known as the “Pineapple Island,” where for decades the fruit was grown by the Dole Company, Lanai is now a remote and secluded vacation destination. Hulopoe Beach Park is an exquisite pocket beach at the head of Hulopoe Bay. The shoreline is quite steep, making it fine for swimming.

Hulopoe has some of the best snorkeling in all of Hawaii due to the rich variety of colorful fish and stunningly clear water. The waters of Hulopoe Bay are part of the marine life conservation district, so fishing is limited to hook and line from the shore. For romance and intimacy, you won’t find a better beach than Hulopoe.