7 Places In Hawaii That’ll Make You Wish You Lived Underground

Throughout the Hawaiian Islands, you will find beautiful caves carved on the seaside. Though it’s obviously not very practical – and probably pretty dangerous – I can’t imagine a better view than the one from this Kauai sea cave to wake up to every morning.

These cavernous limestone caves, which sit below the Oahu neighborhood of Moilili, are dark, cramped, full of water, and unbelievably cool, especially in this light. The caves’ limestone base was formed from an old coral reef, and rainwater caused erosion, creating the caves.

Kaumana Cave is actually a skylight in a 25-mile long lava tube created by an 1881 flow from Mauna Loa. Unfortunately, exploration within the lava tube is forbidden due to it being on private property. You can, however, drop into the tunnel through a skylight via metal ladder.

Located deep underground, Red Hill is a fuel-storage facility, one of Hawaii’s most audacious engineering feats. Twenty reinforced concrete fuel tanks – holding approximately 252 million gallons of diesel and jet fuel – were built here as a fuel reserve for the military during World War II. The existence of Red Hill was a state secret from 1943 until the early 1990s when it was declassified.

Perhaps the most luxurious cave you could ever find, The Vintage Cave’s brick walls are covered with artwork by Pablo Picasso, Anton Molnar, and others, valued at more than $1 billion. 29-year-old chef Chris Kajioka sources the most unusual ingredients found on the island, and the wine cellar is what dreams are made of. I can’t determine if the Vintage Cave actually sits underground, but it definitely looks like it does – and I would live here in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, it is the most expensive and exclusive club on Oahu – with $295 meals, and membership fees starting at $5,000.

Located on Maui’s Road to Hana within Waianapanapa State Park, are these magnificent sea caves with a sinister past – it is the site of the ancient murder of Popu’alaea by her husband, King Ka’akea. I don’t know about you, but I might not want to live in this particular underground location.

What if, instead of living underground, you were able to live under the water? Well, you can get a taste of underwater living at the Maui Ocean Center’s "Open Ocean," a 54-foot acrylic tunnel that offers 360-degree views of marine life, including manta rays, sharks, sting rays, and tropical fish.