Hawaii, USA: attractions

For many tourists, the best place to vacation in the United States is the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaii - the state of the country, the fiftieth in order of entry into the state. This happened in the summer of 1959. After joining the islands, active economic growth began, as well as an increase in the population, which in 2015 amounted to about one and a half million people.

Location:

Where are Hawaii? The map (photo below) shows that the islands are in the center of the Pacific Ocean, at a distance from the western coast of the USA at 3,700 km. Their area is 28 311 km. Sq. M. On the island of Hawaii there are active volcanoes of Kilaouz and Mauna Loa, as well as the sleeping volcano Mauna Kea (4205 m).

Hawaii is considered the fastest growing section of the Earth, which is a consequence of volcanic activity. Due to the peculiarities of local soils that practically do not retain moisture, there are almost no lakes in the state. Exceptions are Halula, Wauau, and also the Ka-Loko reservoir.

How many islands are in Hawaii?

It consists of 8 large islands in the southeast of the archipelago in the center of the Pacific Ocean:

• Kauai.
• Niihau.
• Molokai.
• Oahu.
• Lanai.
• Kahoholave.
• Maui.
• Hawaii.

This is not all islands of the archipelago, but the state is associated with them, since the total area of the remaining 124 islands is only about eight square kilometers.

The largest island of the archipelago is Hawaii (on the map it can be seen). To avoid confusion with the names it is often called the Big Island. Its area is 10 432 km. Sq. M. Hawaii is the state of the United States (only), which:

• Is not in North America;
• It is completely surrounded by the ocean;
• Is an archipelago;

Capital of the State

Honolulu is a city located on the island of Oahu, part of the archipelago, the capital of Hawaii. This name can be translated as "a secluded bay". In this area the first settlements appeared in 1100 AD. Surprisingly, for a long time European vessels that passed from North America to Asia did not notice the islands and their inhabitants.

Only in the autumn of 1794 the ship Butterworth (Britain), led by Captain William Brown, entered the bay (later it was called Honolulu). At the same time, Brown called it otherwise - "Pure Harbor". Later, it was renamed the Bay of Brown in honor of its discoverer.

Today Honolulu is the center of Hawaii, a modern city with magnificent skyscrapers, convenient infrastructure, numerous offices, restaurants, shops.

On the outskirts of the city is the famous sandy beach of Waikiki. Weak waves create conditions for surfing. Nowadays the popular Sailing Center is located here. The state of Hawaii, whose attractions invariably attract the attention of tourists, annually receives thousands of visitors from all over the world. About some of them we will tell in this article.

State of Hawaii: attractions. Bishop Museum

The building of this museum was built in 1889 on the island of Oahu and is one of its main monuments. The structure is made in the Romanesque style, which in those days was very popular on the islands. A special feature of the building is narrow arched windows located on the facade, and a number of Doric columns that support the passage of the front entrance. At first glance, the museum is very reminiscent of a stone medieval castle.

The museum exposition is the largest collection of scientific artifacts and Polynesian cultural artifacts. In addition, here you can see an exhibition of insects, which consists of almost fourteen million copies. Especially popular is the permanent exhibition of Hawaiiana culture.

On the territory of the museum there is an archive, which contains the results of studies conducted by the staff of this institution in the Pacific basin. These are the most valuable manuscripts, works of art, photographs and commercial maps and sound recordings.

Hawaiian Theater

Today many of our compatriots are buying tours to Hawaii. This is not surprising. Here you can combine perfectly organized beach vacation with sightseeing. And there is something to see here.

For example, the Hawaiian Theater is a beautiful majestic building, built in 1922. It is located in the heart of the capital. The building is included in the National Register of Historic Monuments of the United States. The theater is built in neoclassical style, according to the project of architects U. Emory and M. Webb. The local press calls him "Pride of the Ocean".

This theater was originally built not only for productions and performances, but also for watching movies. After a while he began to lose popularity. As a result, in 1984 it was closed. After five years, it was decided to reconstruct it. After a complete renovation of the interior, the theater opened its doors to viewers in 1996. Now he is again popular and in demand. There are various concerts, performances, shows.

Monument to James Cook

Hawaii is a state that, due to its current status, owes to Captain James Cook, who is considered the pioneer of these lands. As evidenced by historical documents, he became the first inhabitant of the West to set foot on this land.

A monument to the great seafarer is installed in the center of the city of Waimea. He is an exact replica of the sculpture, which is in his hometown of Whitby (England). A memorial plaque indicates the place where he was killed.

Honolulu Zoo

Today almost all travel agencies of our country can offer their clients tours to Hawaii. True, such a trip can not be called a budget one. For example, a trip to Hawaii for 11 days for two people will cost you from 184 thousand rubles. Nevertheless, if you do not mind such a price, safely go on a trip. Surely you will have enough impressions for a long time.

But back to the sights of the state. If you happen to visit here, please visit the Honolulu Zoo. It is necessary to know that this is the only institution of this type not only on the islands, but also in the United States, which was established on the Royal Land. It was officially opened in 1877, on 300 acres of swampy land. The zoo became part of the royal park Kapiolani.

In 1914, Ben Hollinger became the first director of the park, who began actively collecting animals all over the world. Its first inhabitants were a bear, a monkey, an African elephant. Honolulu celebrated its second birth in 1984, when the government developed a plan for a tropical zoo, which included exhibits of three zones: the Asian and American tropical forests, the tropical zone of the Pacific Islands and the African savannah.

Today, there are more than a thousand animals, reptiles, amphibians and birds. You can see tigers and lions, porcupines and giraffes, rhinoceroses and elephants, hippos and monkeys, crocodiles and turtles. On the territory of the modern park, guests can find restaurants, a souvenir shop and even a market.

Diamond Head Crater

Hawaii - the state of the United States, which is famous for its natural attractions. One of them, unquestionably, is this crater. He is in the east of Oahu. Its name translates from Hawaiian as "forehead of tuna". Its English name, entrenched in the late 18th century, when British navigators found here calcite crystals, which they mistakenly mistook for diamonds.

According to volcanologists, the crater Diamond head formed about 150 thousand years ago, after a powerful eruption. Its diameter is 1100 meters, and the maximum height is 250 meters.

In 1898 in the crater there were defensive structures (Fort Rager). A few years later, at the highest point of the crater, a observation post and a team complex (four-level) were installed. Through the wall of the crater a tunnel was dug two hundred meters long. To protect the island from attacks, a cannon battery was built.

National Park "Hawaiian Volcanoes"

Hawaii - the state of the United States, which strikes with the scale and grandeur of natural monuments. An example of this is the famous National Park. There are several volcanoes on its territory, the most famous of which are Loa, Mauna and Kilauea (the latter is the youngest of them, just over a hundred years old).

About this amazing place, people learned only at the end of the last century. Its area is more than 1500 square kilometers. Travelers can see here the frozen lava that accumulated in these places for 70 million years.

Nature in the park is diverse - here tourists will be shown the dead wilderness of Kau and tropical thickets. In addition to volcanoes, there are many caves in this park, which appear due to the movement of lava. For tourists there are organized walking tours, you can visit excursions by car or plane.

Sunset Beach Beach

Despite a huge number of historical and cultural attractions, most famous for Hawaii (US state) for its stunning beach holidays. There are many amazing beaches here. One of them - Sunset Beach - is in the north of the island of Oahu. This is an ocean beach of enormous size. It is known primarily for its huge waves, which appear here mainly in the winter. For this reason, it was chosen by surfers from all over the world.

However, for beginners in this sport, Sunset Beach can be dangerous. This is due to the extensive coral formations that are close to the surface of the water. An inexperienced surfer here can be traumatized.

The climatic conditions on this beach vary depending on the season. The main competitions for surfing are held here only in the winter, since at this time (December and January) the wave height reaches a maximum. The beach is covered with a fine white sand. Nearby is a picturesque park, in which palm trees and curly creepers grow.

Black Beach Punalu

And one more place amazes everyone who comes to Hawaii (US state). This is the famous Black Beach. An amazing place where tourists can see big turtles very close. The beach covers unusual for us black sand. This color is given to it by local volcanoes. They erupt lava, which then falls into the ocean waters and is thrown ashore in the form of basaltic crumbs.

On this beach you can walk, but not everyone will bathe here - the water is pretty cool because of sources with cold fresh water, beating under the ocean. Strictly forbidding sand from the beach. You can not disturb the "local residents" - turtles, which are guarded by the state. One touch to them can threaten you with problems with representatives of state law. Local residents are convinced that anyone who disobeys and takes a turtle in his arms will cause the anger of the volcanic goddess Pele.