Outdoor Activities

No matter which island you choose, adventure travelers are sure to find a nearly endless number of outdoor activities to satisfy most everyone. When planning your vacation, here is a look at some of the best to consider.Hiking volcanic craters
It’s hard to beat the spectacular panoramic views you’ll get from atop a volcanic crater. The hike to the summit of Mount Leahi is one of the most popular, also known as Diamond Head. Follow the Diamond Head Crater hiking trail on the inside of this famed volcanic mountain. Passing through dry forest up a steep switchback trail you’ll hike through a 300-foot tunnel followed by two long and very steep staircases eventually reaching sweeping views of Honolulu and Waikiki Beach as well as mountain slopes and coastal Oahu.On the island of Maui, enjoy a hike into the moonscape of Haleakala Crater with views of the North and South Shore and sometimes even the Big Island. Along the way you’ll experience the volcano’s power as well as its silence. The Sliding Sands Trail is famous for its incredible giant cinder cones colored with the pinkish hues typically found in the dessert.Biking down Haleakala
A must for cyclists, a bike ride from the 10,000-feet summit of Haleakala provides bicoastal views of Maui that may be the highlight of your vacation. Riders experience a thrilling 27-mile ride downhill with the option to stop at a number of shops, galleries and eateries along the way. A sunrise tour provides unparalleled views while taking a self-paced tour allows for adding adventures along the way like swimming off of Paia’s gorgeous white sand beaches or viewing the many towering falls.Surfing
Of course, Hawaii is known for being a surfing mecca, with some of the world’s best found on the North Shore of Oahu. Experts can ride monster waves or even experience the world-renowned Banzai Pipeline where the shallow water and coral shelf combine, creating powerful tubular waves resembling pipes. Beware, even the most experienced surfers find the full strength of The Pipeline to be rather unforgiving.For those who just want to try their hand at surfing without risking life and limb, the gentle rolling waves you’ll find at Waikiki Beach are ideal. They offer long rides in an easy going atmosphere and a chance to learn in the home of surfing with boards available for rent and lessons offered through a number of surfing schools.Waves are good year round, but the best time to go specifically for surfing is from June to August with more consistent south swells.On Kauai, experienced surfers will enjoy Hanalei Bay, while Kalapaki Beach at the Nawiliwili Harbor offers a shallow left and right sandbar break and an easy paddle-out great for beginners.

Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Malibu. Partly out of its own imagination, a city never did much posing as Los Angeles (LA) in magazines and TV screens. Birthplace of the American dream, the city is as no other, with its 22 suburbs in search of a center, and it is a patchwork city, where the traveler thinks that it is difficult to conquer. Judged as fascinating or artificial, Los Angeles cannot be ignored.The Los Angeles International Airport, generally known by three letters of the code (LAX) is the third busiest airport in terms of traffic. You will see that it is very easy to find a flight or a connection to the rest of the United States.Greyhound buses serve Los Angeles from all the towns in the north. The main bus station in LA is located east of the center and south of Little Tokyo. You can also stop in Hollywood, Santa Monica and Anaheim.Amtrak, the national railway, has a line connecting the northern and southern California coast. Trains arrive at Union Station in downtown LA. The Coast Starlight makes rejoinder from Seattle and San Francisco several times a week. There is also a regular service from Los Angeles to Phoenix, New Orleans and beyond. In addition, several daily services are serving San Diego.Los Angeles has a number of highways and roads. If you have a vehicle, you will have plenty of routes. Since the San Francisco Bay Area, Interstate 5 is headed south through the spectacular scenery of the San Joaquin Valley. More circuitous but more picturesque, the U.S. 101 along the coast and joined the I-5 at the center of LA. I-5 is required if coming from San Diego or Mexico.The speed limit is 90 km per hour on the highways of Los Angeles and its suburbs, and 105 km per hour outside this area. Most motorists roll 15 km per hour faster than the speed limit, beyond that you might be arrested by the police of the California Highway Patrol (CHP).North of Santa Monica Bay, the beach lovers will be delighted by all the activities it offers: hiking on the coast, swimming, surfing, diving, and fishing. The cliffs of Point Dume are ideal for climbing, while Escondido Beach is the best dive site in the bay.A platform for whale watching has been installed near Westward Beach and a path leads to Zuma Beach County Park, a few kilometers north. Zuma is the largest sandy beach open to the public in the county of Los Angeles and it is a popular surfing spot.The best ski slope is Big Bear in the San Bernardino Mountains, 90 minutes drive east of Los Angeles. The season runs from mid-December to March or April. Big Bear is especially enjoyable for its weather: sunshine and maximum temperatures set to tee shirt in the spring.The surrounding mountains are ideal for day hikes. Try the steep paths of the Santa Monica Mountains or Topanga State Park, both in the interior, starting from Malibu, or Griffith Park, a few miles northwest of downtown.Although smog (pollution cloud) of LA is not really recommended for cyclists, the county has more than 300 km of cycle paths. The best of all is the South Bay Bicycle Trail, which runs 35 km from Santa Monica to Torrance Beach.