Only real crazy buggahs would swim at windy, rugged Laupahoehoe, where the fierce surf sometimes crashes over the rocks and onto the parking lot. But it's strikingly pretty, with a scenic breakwater and fingers of lava rock jutting out of the waves. It's popular with local families for picnics and camping (full facilities available).
The 1.5-mile scenic drive, off Hwy 19 between the 27- and 28-mile markers, to the point winds through dense tropical jungle and past longstanding plantation houses. Stop to view the memorial for the students and teachers who died in the 1946 tsunami. The school stood around the colossal banyan tree toward your left when facing the ocean.
