Pick Your Favorite Hawaiian Island

This article was originally published on June 6, 2016, and was updated March 25, 2026.

Hawaiʻi conjures the feeling of relaxation, lush rainforests and the smell of plumeria. But Hawaiʻi isn't just one place, it's eight islands — six that you can visit — each with its own personality. Which should you visit? That depends on your interests, lifestyle and budget.

Are you chasing the energy of world-class restaurants and legendary surf breaks? Craving the kind of solitude where you won't see another soul on the trail for hours? Dreaming of a honeymoon resort where someone brings you a mai tai before you even have to ask? Hawaiʻi has all of this and more, spread across the archipelago.

This guide will walk you through what makes each major island unique, so you can stop Googling "best Hawaiian island" and start planning the trip that's actually right for you. Whether you're a first-timer or a returning visitor ready to explore somewhere new, consider this as a matchmaker between you and your ideal Hawaiian island.

The most populated island across Hawaiʻi is Oʻahu, home to the state capitol and exciting city life. History buffs will enjoy the museums and memorials of Pearl Harbor and downtown Honolulu. Surfers can watch pro surfers take on the death defying waves of the North Shore or paddle out to famous surf breaks throughout the island for all skill levels. Foodies will love Honolulu's food scene with everything from world-class high-end dining to Hawaiʻi's best poke and plate lunch. Kids will love playing in the calm waters of Waikīkī Beach or Ko ʻOlina lagoons, as well as Polynesian Cultural Center, Sea Life Park and Kualoa Ranch – all loaded with fun activities for the whole family. Hang out on the streets of Waikīkī if you're into shopping, snacking, people watching, live entertainment and festivals. Oʻahu offers city lovers the best of both worlds — unlimited things to do within walking distance with Hawaiʻi's natural beauty unfolding in hikes and ocean activities.

With its luxury resorts and abundance of hotels spread out across the island, Maui is the island that tends to top everyone's list. On the West Side and South Shore, you'll find the sunny resort towns of Kā'anapali and Wailea, packed with excellent restaurants and calm, swimmable beaches. Drive an hour in any direction and the scenery shifts dramatically. The Road to Hāna winds through 64 miles of rainforest, waterfalls and black-sand beaches — best explored with a Road to Hāna tour guide. On the East Side, Haleakalā volcano rises more than 10,000 feet above sea level with visitors waking before dawn to come watch the sunrise above the clouds. Maui also has a robust food scene full of food trucks, institution pop-and-pop spots, high-end farm-to-table restaurants and casual eateries. There are thriving art community in Wailuku, Pāʻia and Makawao, a variety of farm tours from agave spirits to lavender and chocolate, and some of the world's most celebrated windsurfing at Ho'okipa Beach. Maui is particularly suitable for honeymooners, families, adventure seekers, and lovers of slow-travel.

Kauaʻi is the oldest and northernmost island in Hawaiʻi. Called the Garden Isle, Kaua'i is known for miles of lush green landscape, rust red soil and dramatic geological sites. The Nā Pali Coast — accessible only by boat, helicopter or a grueling 11-mile trail — is one of the most breathtaking stretches of coastline on earth. Waimea Canyon, nicknamed the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific." soars nearly 3,600 feet down into the island's interior with a network of hikes, streams and waterfalls to explore. If you are a lover of hiking, kayaking, biking and being in nature (and don't mind getting a little muddy), Kaua'i is where you want to be. It's quieter than Maui and O'ahu and there are no buildings taller than a palm tree by law. The North Shore town of Hanalei is charming and low-key. The South Shore offers sunnier weather and calmer waters year-round. The East Side has the most affordable accommodations, plus the Wailua River and Kapaʻa bike path. The West Side is where you will hike all day at Waimea Canyon and visit the historic town of Hanapēpē. If your ideal vacation involves getting outdoors to revel in nature. Kaua'i will feel like heaven on earth.

Hawaiʻi Island is larger than all the other Hawaiian islands combined, therefore earning its nickname Big Island. In a single day, you can stand at the edge of an active lava flow, drive through a snow-dusted landscape near the Mauna Kea summit, wander through a rainforest dripping with ferns and end the evening snorkeling with manta rays in the dark of night. This is the youngest island geologically, and due to Kīlauea — one of the world's most continuously active volcanoes — it is still forming. See the volcano in action at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Visit the Kohala Coast on the northwestern side of the island for dryer, sunnier conditions, calm beaches, black lava fields and luxury resorts. The eastern Hilo side is lush and rainy, quieter, and favored by those who prefer farmers' markets, hiking, waterfalls and botanical gardens. Hawaiʻi Island is best for curious, independent travelers who don't mind driving a fair distance to explore everything the Big Island has to offer. Although there is more driving and planning involved, this island has experiences you won't find on any other Hawaiian Island.

Lāna'i is Hawaiʻi's most quiet, yet luxurious island thanks to the private investment of co-founder of Oracle, Larry Ellison. With a population of just over 3,000 and only two world-class resorts — the Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Mānele Bay and the more secluded Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort — the island is small enough to traverse in a few days and with its exclusivity it's a privilege to visit.

The beaches here, particularly Hulopo'e Bay, rank among the finest in the Hawaiʻi with clear water, resident spinner dolphins and almost no crowds. Beyond the resort bubble, Lāna'i reveals a rougher, more surprising character. Keahiakawelo, also known as The Garden of the Gods, is a haunting, wind-sculpted red and orange rock garden, unlike anything else in Hawaiʻi. Dirt roads crisscross the interior, passable only by four-wheel drive, leading to remote overlooks and abandoned pineapple plantation ruins. The island was once the world's largest pineapple producer, transformed into an island of Dole pineapple monoculture. Lāna'i is good for travelers who want seclusion, exceptional service and natural beauty without the stimulation of a busier island. It's a place for deep relaxation, long beach walks and the particular pleasure of having nowhere else to be. Budget accordingly — this is Hawaiʻi's most expensive island experience by a considerable margin.

Moloka'i is not for everyone, and locals will tell you that plainly. One of the least-developed of Hawaiʻi's main islands, Molokaʻi has no traffic lights, no resort hotels, and a population of around 7,000 people who have made a deliberate, collective choice to keep it that way. There is no Costco, no Starbucks, no chain anything. What Moloka'i has instead is an authenticity that the other islands — however beautiful — can't quite replicate. This is where you come to understand what Hawaiian life actually looks like away from the tourist circuit. Here, there is fishing, farming, the value of 'ohana and a fierce cultural pride rooted in the island's history. The north sea cliffs are the tallest in the world, dropping 3,000 feet into the ocean, and the Kalaupapa peninsula below — once a leprosy settlement — is now a national historical park accessible only by private tour. The snorkeling along the southern reef is spectacular and almost entirely uncrowded. Moloka'i will frustrate travelers who want convenience, choice and entertainment on demand. But for those who approach it with humility and patience — who want to slow down, disconnect and experience Hawaiʻi as a living culture rather than a backdrop, it offers something genuinely rare. Visitors to Molokaʻi should be invited by someone who lives there or visiting for a specific community-based purpose.

There are actually over 100 different islands in the Hawaiian Archipelago. The islands described above, Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi, Hawaii Island, Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi, are well known Hawaiian Islands because of their size, population and accessibility, there is also the 11-mile long, uninhabited island of Kahoʻolawe which sits just off shore from Maui and Lānaʻi. In 1993 it became a reserve, restricting all commercial use. The privately-owned island of Niʻihau, which sits to the west of Kauaʻi, is known as the “Forbidden Island.” Its population of less than 200 people speak Hawaiian as their first language.

So where are the other 100 or so islands? To the west of Niʻihau, there is a long string of tiny islands and atolls that extend west and north of the eight major islands. They are known as the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, uninhabited except for research scientists. These islands are home to thriving marine ecosystems and in 2006 were incorporated into the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

All Hawaiian Islands were formed by a hot spot emitting magna through the earth’s crust and sea floor. As the tectonic plate of the earth’s crust shifted slowly over time, the older islands moved to the northwest and began to erode as new islands formed to the southeast. Kilauea volcano on Hawaiʻi Island is where we see the hot spot activity today.

There is one more island in Hawaiʻi. To the southeast of Hawaiʻi Island, growing below the ocean’s surface, is the newest Hawaiʻi Island. It’s name is Loihi, meaning “long.” Still technically a seamount rather than an island, Loihi is not expected to surface for at least another 10,000 years.

Local Tip: Because the Hawaiian Islands are close in proximity, visitors and locals alike enjoy island hopping and can do so fairly affordably by plane. Lānaʻi can also be accessed by ferry from Maui.

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