Hawaii’s tropical islands lie in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The eight main islands are roughly between 19° and 22° north latitude, while the archipelago extends much further northwest. The state capital is Honolulu, on Oahu: it is the largest city and home to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), Hawaii’s main airport and the arrival point for many visitors.
The Hawaiian islands and places to discover
Besides Oahu, the archipelago has seven other main islands:
- Maui
- Kauai
- Hawaii, also known as the Big Island
- Molokai
- Lanai
- Niihau, a private island with access limited to authorised activities
- Kahoolawe, once used for military exercises and now a reserve where access requires permission.
The islands have enchanting places such as:
- the cliffs of the Na Pali Coast on Kauai;
- the lively shores of Waikiki Beach on Oahu;
- the miles of pale sand at Papohaku Beach on Molokai;
- the waters of Hulopoe Bay on Lanai, where dolphins can be seen;
- the summit of Haleakala volcano on Maui;
- the primal energy of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island.
At luaus, traditional Hawaiian celebrations, you can get a taste of local culture and watch the art of hula. The possible itineraries in Hawaii are endless: from romantic adventures to family fun, from whale watching to walks on volcanoes. You can do everything, or simply sit back and do nothing.
Read more about the history of Hawaii. For local time, see the Hawaii time zone guide.
Photos of Hawaii
Beautiful pictures of Hawaii: blue ocean, green mountains and the islands’ landscapes.
Airports, flights and journey times
Hawaii is a very long way from Italy! Travelling from Italy involves connecting flights, and the total journey can exceed 20 hours when waiting between flights is included. The duration depends on your departure airport, route and connections: for example, you can travel via the continental United States, sometimes after an initial connection in Europe.
Major airports include:
- Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, Honolulu (HNL), on Oahu;
- Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA), on the Big Island;
- Kahului Airport (OGG), on Maui;
- Lihue Airport (LIH), on Kauai.
The Big Island is also served by Hilo Airport (ITO). Airlines serving Honolulu include American Airlines, Delta, United, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines. The airport’s official directory lists carriers and links to their websites.
You can compare flights on Skyscanner; check the airlines’ websites too, paying attention to total journey time and connections.
Hawaii videos
Videos of the Hawaiian islands: Oahu, Maui by helicopter and an encounter with a whale.
The island of Oahu
Besides hosting the main airport, Oahu offers wonderful landscapes combining the blue ocean with green inland mountains. The video explores the Kualoa area through moving shots of the coast and valleys.
Kualoa Adventure — Oahu Hawaii · devinsupertramp.
A helicopter flight over Maui
A spectacular video filmed from a helicopter over Maui, showing the valleys of the West Maui Mountains, Iao Needle, Haleakala’s volcanic scenery, Manawainui and the rainforest around Hana.
Maui from a helicopter — Blue Hawaiian Helicopters · DCblueceo.
A whale encounter on Maui
Maui’s waters are famous for whale watching. This video captures a very close encounter with a humpback whale swimming beneath a kayak. When watching wildlife, give the animals space and follow the marine sanctuary’s guidance.
A humpback whale swims beneath a kayak on Maui · Hawaiian Paddle Sports LLC.
Films and TV series
Two famous series made Hawaii recognisable on the small screen too: Magnum, P.I. and Hawaii Five-O / Hawaii Five-0, filmed mainly on Oahu.
Magnum, P.I.
The original series launched in the United States in 1980 and continued until 1988; it reached Italian television in 1982.
The main character is private investigator Thomas Magnum, played by Tom Selleck. Living on a beautiful seaside estate, he drives around the island in a Ferrari 308 GTS. The green grounds of the estate and his swims in the open ocean reveal the island’s beauty.
Magnum, P.I. opening theme · Madman Films.
Magnum followed in the television footsteps of the earlier hit Hawaii Five-O, which aired from 1968 to 1980.
Hawaii Five-0
In 2010, Hawaii Five-0 launched as a reimagining, or reboot, of Hawaii Five-O.
Hawaii Five-0: opening credits from all ten seasons compared · Geach Tanaka.
Larry Manetti provides a connection between the two series: Magnum’s Rick appears in Hawaii Five-0 as Nicky “The Kid” Demarco, a singer and the fictional owner of the Tiki Lounge.
Other famous TV series with filming in the archipelago include:
- Charlie’s Angels, with some episodes set in Hawaii;
- Baywatch, originally set in Los Angeles before moving to Hawaii for its final seasons;
- Lost, filmed mainly on Oahu.
Since the early twentieth century, more than a hundred films have been shot, at least partly, in this American paradise. Here are some of them, alongside a famous animated film set in Hawaii:
- 50 First Dates (released in Italy as 50 volte il primo bacio, “50 times the first kiss”)
- Big Eyes
- Blue Crush
- Blue Hawaii
- Girls! Girls! Girls!
- From Here to Eternity
- The Revolt of Mamie Stover
- Godzilla (2014)
- Hawaii
- The Hidden Pearls
- It Happened in Honolulu
- Lilo & Stitch (2002): an animated film set in Hawaii
- Forgetting Sarah Marshall
- The Descendants
- Paradise, Hawaiian Style
- Pearl Harbor
- A Perfect Getaway
- Aloha
- Tora! Tora! Tora!
- Black Widow
Ironman in Kona
Hawaii is the birthplace of one of the world’s best-known triathlons: the first Ironman took place on Oahu in 1978, and the race moved to Kona in 1981.
The full distance comprises approximately a 3.86 km swim, a 180.2 km bike ride and a 42.195 km run.
Kailua-Kona hosts the Ironman World Championship: from 2026, men and women return to racing on the same day. Athletes come from around the world through the circuit’s qualification and slot-allocation procedures; winning a race is not the only way to qualify.
2025 Ironman World Championship in Kona: women’s race highlights · IRONMAN Triathlon.
The swim takes place in the open waters of Kailua-Kona Bay. The bike leg crosses Hawaii’s lava landscape to the turnaround at Hawi and back. The concluding marathon takes in Alii Drive, Queen Kaahumanu Highway and the Energy Lab before the finish in Kailua-Kona. For the route and race information, consult the official Kona course.
The triathlon world also includes Ironman 70.3, over half the distance, and XTERRA, a separate off-road triathlon circuit combining swimming, mountain biking and trail running. XTERRA began on Maui in 1996; both circuits have brought races to Italy too.
Hawaii travel diaries and stories
Useful travel diaries collected from the web. These accounts are in Italian:
How do you pronounce Hawaii in English?
The name of the archipelago is often mispronounced by Italian speakers, for example as “euai”. To clear up any doubt, here are the phonetics and audio.
The English pronunciation is /həˈwaɪ.iː/, approximately “huh-WY-ee”, with an aspirated H at the beginning. In practice, start as though you wanted to fog up your glasses with your breath :-)
Listen to the English pronunciation of Hawaii
You can also compare it with the Cambridge Dictionary pronunciation.
Poke bowls, inspired by Hawaii
Poke is a traditional Hawaiian dish of fish cut into pieces and seasoned. The poke bowl, also popular beyond Hawaii, serves it with rice and other ingredients.
One common version contains marinated raw tuna, white rice, vegetables, avocado and seaweed. There are many variations, including salmon instead of tuna.
A bowl resembles a substantial salad and can be served as a starter or a complete main course, depending on the portion.
Poke has also become widespread in Italy, appealing to a taste for raw-fish dishes and combinations familiar from Japanese cuisine. Its nutritional profile depends on the ingredients, sauces and quantities.
Here are two recipes to try, both in Italian: