12 Things Hawaii Is Famous For - Updated 2024

1. Aloha shirt

You may have perhaps owned one or two of these in your lifetime, or at least seen one! Also, you may have come across a version of this during your office theme parties or summer family reunions. Often referred to as Hawaiian shirt, this vibrant dress shirt features a collar and buttons, sometimes to the bottom of the shirt, sometimes just down to the chest. They typically don short sleeves and are cut from funky printed cloths. In the state, this comfortable clothing is also worn as informal business attire.

2. Dole Plantation (from USD 122.52)

Hawaii is, arguably, one of the best sources of delicious, succulent, and refreshing pineapples. It is also home to the “Pineapple Experience” that is Dole Plantation. It originally started as a tiny fruit stand in the 1950s and has grown to become a vast plantation that opened almost 4 decades later in 1989. If you’re looking for a fun and unique experience, take a closer look at what this famous Hawaii attraction can offer: the Pineapple Express Train Tour, the Plantation Garden Tour, and of course, the Pineapple Garden Maze.

Oahu: Full-Day Island Highlights Tour with Transfer

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3. Food

Hawaiians take their food seriously, be it the luxury Kona coffee that is grown on the archipelago - and which is among the most expensive coffees in the world - to the simple charms of tinned Spam…with a characteristic Hawaiian fusion twist. Hawaiians really love their Spam musubi. Here, it is enjoyed as comfort food - and in a big way! Some six million cans of the processed pork are consumed on the archipelago every single year - or five cans for every person. Other must-eat dishes in Hawaii include Kalua pig, a roasted pork dish, and poke, which consists of diced raw fish.

4. Luaus

What is Hawaii known for that we perhaps all enjoy as well? Luaus! Besides food, Hawaii is known for its festive luaus, which are celebrated under tents in an outdoor area. They feature ​traditional Hawaiian music and mouth-watering dishes like Kalua puaʻa (roast pig), Lomi salmon, poke (diced raw fish), and beer. However, it might surprise you to learn that until 1819, men and women in Hawaii weren’t allowed to eat together. Luaus started when King Kamehameha II hosted a feast where he ate with the women, effectively starting a new tradition.

5. A vacation spot

What is Hawaii famous for? Vacations, we’re telling you! Hawaii’s location in the middle of the Pacific means it enjoys some beautiful tropical weather. Throw in its stunning volcanic landscape, its picture-perfect beaches, and its surf scenes, and little wonder that the USA’s 50th state is a world-famous vacation spot that has earned itself the nickname “Paradise of the Pacific”. Indeed, its presence in innumerable movies and TV series - from Jurassic Park to Magnum P.I. - has only added to the islands’ allure in recent decades.

6. Beautiful scenery

If there’s one thing a visitor to Hawaii is guaranteed to see, it’s stunning landscapes. The archipelago has drawn legions of visitors to the islands down through the ages - and it’s easy to see why. There are simply so many places to visit. It boasts no fewer than two national parks and three national historic parks and is home to such iconic landscapes as Kualoa Ranch in Oahu, where Jurassic Park was filmed. And this is by no means the only picturesque location to enjoy. Indeed, the second-largest island in the group, Maui, has almost become a byword for paradise locations. And then there are the likes of Mauna Kea on Big Island, which towers 13,796 ft (4,205 m) above sea level and is actually taller than Mount Everest if you measure it from its base on the ocean floor. That’s big!

7. Water sports

It will come as no surprise that an island archipelago like Hawaii is a mecca for water sports enthusiasts. It remains as one of the best non-touristy things to do in the state. Its location amid the trade winds of the mid-Pacific has made it something of a surfers’ paradise - the big waves and turquoise waters having cast their spell on many a visitor. But it isn’t just surfing that brings water sports enthusiasts to flock to the islands. They are naturally a popular sailing spot too. And the reefs and atolls of the archipelago are also a huge draw among snorkellers and scuba divers who are eager to encounter some of the spectacular marine species that call Hawaii their home. Indeed, the islands act as a natural barrier to the ocean’s currents. This has made the local waters exceptionally fertile for sea life - from green turtles to spiny lobsters and much more.

8. Excellent weather

Hawaii’s status as the USA’s most southernmost state and its location within the tropics means it enjoys balmy temperatures year-round. Daily highs typically rise between 28 to 31 degrees Celsius (82.4 to 87.8 Fahrenheit) depending on the time of year, while night-time lows are 18 to 24 degrees Celsius (64.4 to 75.2 Fahrenheit). This remarkable consistency - plus the effect of the trade winds in reducing relative humidity - has made Hawaii something of a paradise for tourists from around the world. You can easily plan your day for some romantic things to do in the island. Of course, while this holds true of the archipelago as a whole, each island has its own climate quirks. Its position in the middle of the largest ocean on Earth means it is no stranger to tropical storms, while the sheer height of the likes of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa means snow is not uncommon on their upper slopes.

9. A diverse culture

Hawaii’s rich and diverse culture is a result of its history as something of a melting pot for different peoples. The native Polynesian influences, which were once suppressed by the authorities, are today embraced by the 1.4 million people who call the islands home. For instance, luaus are a common tradition when celebrating a child’s first birthday, while the Polynesian love of surfing has truly conquered the world. And then there are the cultural influences that have made their presence felt through successive waves of immigration. Hawaii’s love of food is a fusion of all manner of different cuisines from around the world - from American and Portuguese to Chinese and native Hawaiian.

10. Diverse fauna

One of the greater things Hawaii is known for is its fauna. The archipelago’s isolated location in the middle of the Pacific - as well as its diverse range of landscapes and habitats - has made it something of an evolutionary hotspot through the aeons. Dozens of species are unique to the islands. This is especially true of its bird population, which features everything from the critically endangered Laysan duck to the Hawaiian crow, the latter of which is extinct in the wild but is subject to a reintroduction programme. The archipelago also boasts innumerable fish species and invertebrates, as well as two indigenous mammals - the Hawaiian monk seal and the Hawaiian hoary bat - both of which are endangered. Naturally, there have been steps to try to protect Hawaii’s rich wildlife, and there are a number of national parks. And then there’s the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, which covers more than 140,000 square miles (360,000 sq km) of the ocean - larger than all of the USA’s national parks put together.

11. Volcanic activity

Hawaii owes its very existence to volcanic activity, so it’s little surprise that volcanism is one of its most famous characteristics. The archipelago sits above a mantle plume - a magma hot spot that has punched its way through the Earth’s crust to create each island in turn over millions of years, in a process akin to a giant geological conveyor belt. Indeed, this process can be seen in the islands’ very layout - their arrangement in a loose line is the direct result of continental drift over the stationary hot spot. Each island was slowly built up over millions of years of volcanic activity before slowly moving to the north-west and away from the plume. A new island then forms in its place and the whole process repeats again. Naturally, this means that Big Island, which currently sits above the hot spot and is formed out of five different shield volcanoes, boasts some of the youngest rocks in the entire island chain. It is also home to the only currently active volcanoes in the archipelago - including Kilauea, which has been erupting continuously for the past 35 years.

12. The hula dance

No list of things Hawaii is famous for is arguably complete without mention of the hula. This famous thing in Hawaii, which has charmed its way across the world and entered the global consciousness, is actually not one dance, but many different forms. Once suppressed, today this important part of Hawaiian culture is flourishing, thanks to a resurgence in the 20th century when the dance form featured in documentary film footage and sparked a surge in interest. Indeed, it is such a draw for tourists that Merrie Monarch Festival - a week-long hula competition that runs every spring - has been charming tourists from across the globe for more than 50 years.

The Pacific beckons

Hawaii is a destination that features in many traveller’s bucket lists. From fun luaus to unbeatable sunset views, Hawaii’s multitude of charms is out there just waiting for you to discover. Will you heed the call?