It's a crisp, clear Hawaiian morning, and I'm coasting through a cloudless blue sky hundreds of miles over the northwestern shore of Oahu. Strapped into a glider, there's nothing between me and the heavens above but a Plexiglas bubble resembling a giant snow globe, and nothing to keep me aloft--no propeller, no engines--but invisible currents of air. With the sound of the howling wind filling the narrow cockpit, this feels like the closest mankind has come to taking wing since Icarus' voyage towards the sun.

Our tiny glider assumed its place in the cosmos courtesy of a small tow plane, which tugged it aloft from the tarmac at Dillingham Airfield. The pilot, Sean Mackinter--a Gilligan doppelganger with his shaggy brown hair and floppy beach hat--released the tether when we gained enough altitude, freeing the tow plane and sending our glider on a momentary plummet that felt like the first drop on a rollercoaster.

Now, Mackinter, myself and one other passenger, who is shoehorned beside me like Cinderella's slipper on her evil stepsister's foot, are soaring over white sand beaches and the Waianae Mountains. Neat rows of coffee and alfalfa stretch out in carefully cultivated fields below us, and a vast network of coral is clearly visible just below the surface of the clear coastal waters.

The 20-minute flight is an awe-inspiring introduction to an unexpected side of Oahu. Like many people, I had assumed that there wasn't much to see on this 595-square-mile Hawaiian isle beyond the ritzy boutiques of Waikiki, the sun-eclipsing skyscrapers of Honolulu, and, of course, the moving USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. But not far from the civilized outpost that commands Oahu's southern coast lies a largely unexploited realm of rainforest, sparsely populated beaches and watersports that range from snorkeling and scuba-diving to world-famous surfing.

Here's a look at seven reasons to get out of the city and get wild on Oahu.

Go gliding. While the concept of flying without engines seems scary, "It's actually much more dangerous to drive out to the airfield than to fly in a glider," insists "Mr. Bill" Star, who co-founded The Original Glider Rides at Dillingham Airfield in 1970. Choose from a scenic experience, an acrobatic flight, a “hands-on” mini lesson, or a combination of all three. $59-$268 per person, depending on length and type of flight. 808-637-0207. www.honolulusoaring.com.

Windsurf or Kayak Kailua Bay. With Northeasterly trade winds blowing almost year round, Kailua Bay is a world-class windsurfing destination. Local outfits offer lessons, but the equilibrium-impaired might prefer to rent a kayak and explore the coast instead. Just offshore lies Flat Island, a low coral formation populated by frigate birds, whose eerie howls are reminiscent of a herd of angry, wet cats. Fleeing the mewling frigates, paddlers will find sanctuary among the white sands and tepid, teal waters of Lanikai Beach, about 20 minutes south by kayak. Contact Kailua Sailboards and Kayaks, Inc. Rates start at $39 for ½ day kayaking or windsurfing. 808-262-2555. www.kailuasailboards.com.

Swim with the dolphins. Mingle with Hawaiian Spinner dolphins off Oahu's Leeward Coast with Wild Side Specialty Tours, an eco-friendly “mom and pop” operation under the care of marine biologist Tori Cullins and her naturalist husband, Armin. Sailing from Waianae on a 42-foot catamaran, you’ll snorkel the reef and, conditions permitting, swim amongst pods of dolphins frolicking on the coastal fringes. Keep your eyes peeled for turtles and, from December through April, whales, as well. $95 per person. www.sailhawaii.com.

For a more intimate experience, check out the Dolphin Quest program at the Kahala Mandarin Oriental, where instructors allow swimmers to pet, smooch and feed four Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins that live in this resort's 28,000-square-foot lagoon. $150-$330. 800-248-3316. www.dolphinquest.org.

Hike Diamond Head State Monument. Though the trail is quite steep, it’s less than 1.5 miles long, and hikers who summit this 760-foot-high extinct volcanic cone are greeted by a picture postcard panorama of the Pacific Ocean and nearby Waikiki. At one point, the path passes through a couple of old tunnels. Lights were recently installed inside the tunnels, but you might want to bring a flashlight just in case—and perhaps pack a picnic lunch to eat in the crater meadow after your hike. $1 admission on foot. $5 per car. Open 6 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily. 808-587-0300.

Surf the North Shore. Hang ten at the "Surfing Capital of the World," Oahu's rugged North Shore, boasting infamous wave action like the Banzai Pipeline. But be forewarned, surfer dudes. In the winter, raging waves 25 to 50 feet high can pose a lethal hazard. Hotshot grommets and hodads can also wade into the surf scene with a visit to the North Shore Surf and Cultural Museum in Haleiwa, featuring a kitschy collection of one-of-a-kind boards, rare surf memorabilia, and vintage Hawaiian shirts. Open 11 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Closed on Tuesdays. 808-637-8888. http://www.captainrick.com/surf_museum.htm

Snorkel in Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve. Located in a palm-fringed cove sheltered by the slopes of a volcanic crater, this natural marine preserve on Oahu's southeastern coast offers some of the best snorkeling and scuba-diving on the island. Open 6 a.m. - 6 p.m. Closed on Tuesdays. $5 entrance fee non-residents 13 and older. $1 parking fee per car. 808-396-4229.

Explore the rainforest. Oahu's rainforest, encompassing 110,000 acres along the Koolau Mountain range, is awash in dramatic waterfalls and brimming with indigenous species. Oahu Nature Tours offers a guided "Hawaiian Waterfall Hiking Adventure" that follows an ancient horse and cart path up a slippery slope forested with rattlesnake heliconia, gnarled mangos, and ti, whose leaves are used to make hula skirts. Trudging through squelching red mud, bamboo walking stick in hand, you're rewarded with a view of a cascading waterfall flowing into a creek flanked by wildflowers. $42 per person, including transportation from Waikiki. Other tours also available. 808-924-2473. www.oahunaturetours.com.

IF YOU GO

Where to stay: The Kahala Mandarin Oriental is a 6.5-acre, oceanfront AAA Five-Diamond resort located just fifteen minutes from Waikiki. But with tiki torch-lined pathways threading past a dolphin-filled lagoon and ponds populated by sea turtles and stingrays, it feels like a posh jungle oasis. Treat yourself to a Hawaiian-inspired service like a Lomi Lomi massage at the spa, which debuted in 2002. 800-367-2525. www.mandarin-oriental.com.

The Sheraton Moana Surfrider, with its grand white-columned façade, is one of Waikiki's most elegant hotels…and, at 105, it’s one of the oldest. Arts and crafts 9 a.m.-2 p.m. daily in the lobby. 800-782-9488. www.sheraton-hawaii.com.

Another historic in-town option, also managed by Sheraton, is the Royal Hawaiian, dubbed "The Pink Palace." This rose-colored structure, with its distinctive Spanish-style architecture, dates to 1927 and was once favored by the likes of Clark Gable and Douglas Fairbanks. 800-782-9488. www.sheraton-hawaii.com.

Information: Oahu Visitors Bureau, 1-877-525-6248, www.visit-oahu.com.

All photos courtesy of Amy Laughinghouse