Maui's black sand beaches

If you make it to mile marker 32 on the Road to Hana, then hike down a narrow trail in the Wainapanapa State Park – through lush foliage and tucked far beneath a craggly alcove of lava cliffs – you will stumble upon a secluded black sand beach, Maui's unspoiled baby. It is not littered with the usual sunbathers or gaudy flocks of tourists, only the occasional hiker or couple in love.

The black sand at Honokalani Beach is actually made up of small, smooth, lava pebbles. I collected a bunch to bring home – my favorite memento from this trip (besides the tan, of course) – which no doubt tipped our luggage over the weight limit. We went exploring in the sea caves and seaside lava tubes which offered up more lovely views, and for a leisurely while, delighted in the exotic beauty of black sand – to me, far more remarkable than even Miami's famed white sand beaches.