Honolulu and Oahu Beaches - The Ultimate Paradise

Ala Moana Beach Park surf, swim, bodyboard, park
1201 Ala Moana Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96814
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Ala Moana - which is Hawaiian for the "Path to the Sea" is a beautiful 76 acre park located along the south shore just west of the famous Waikiki beach area and directly across the street from the Ala Moana Shopping Center. This beach is noted for its excellent swimming. Surfing and body boarding are also popular on the outer areas of the beach and the waves tend to reach their full height in the summer. There are also lovely shaded picnic facilities and grassy areas perfect for family outings.

Ali'i Beach Park surf, swim
66 Haleiwa Rd, Haleiwa, HI 96712
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This beach is noted for its swimming and surfing. Swimming is the best in the small protected bay area on the South side of the beach. Surfers frequent this beach as it has some of the best waves in Oahu as it is on a very shallow reef. The deeper waters around the breakwater often have very strong rip currents that run seaward into Waialua Bay - please be careful.

Bellows Beach Park
41 Kalanianaole Hwy, Waimanalo, HI 96795

One of the more popular ocean recreation areas on O'ahu. This beautiful beach has shallow water and small consistent shore break making it perfect for swimmers and beginner surfers.

Canoes Surf Break Surf Break
Kalakaua Avenue

This is possibly one of the best spots to learn how to surf in the world. Rental surfboards and friendly instructors are plentiful, and so are the gently rolling waves, especially in the summer.

Ehukai (The Banzai Pipeline) Beach Park
59 Ke Nui Rd, Haleiwa, HI 96712

This beautiful North Beach is the home of the famous Bonzai Pipeline. When the surf is pounding, this beach can be the most spectacular and the most dangerous in the world. When the waves are steep and powerful they break furiously on the shallow reef. In calmer (usually spring and summer) swimming is good with some of the best sand bar type surf on O'ahu.

Fort DeRussy Beach
Waikiki

This is Waikiki's widest stretch of beach and consequently the least crowded. It fronts the Fort DeRussy Park and the Hale Koa Hotel. Several volleyball and racket-ball courts. Picnic benches and barbeque grills are available to the public.

Hanauma Bay
7455 Kalanianaole Hwy, Honolulu, HI 96825 | Phone: (808) 396-4229

Pristine Hanauma Bay was declared a protected marine life conservation area and underwater park in the late 60's. The bays ever expanding coral reef and vibrant wild life make it ideal for the novice snorkeler. There is a token parking and admission fee to enter the bay and all newcomers to the bay are required to view a short film on protecting the reef and wild life of the area.

Kaena Point State Park
Farrington Highway - Waianae - Hawaii

Kaena Point State Park is the last beach along Farrington Road which ends at Kaena Point. This West Coast beach has a beautiful vantage point of the coast and the most northwestern point of O'ahu.

Kailua Beach Park
450 Kawailoa Rd, Kailua, HI 96734

One of Oahu's most beautiful beaches with excellent swimming and wind surfing. It has a very nice, fine sandy beach perfect for enjoying recreational beach activities. This is a world-class wind surfing destination and there are several shops in Kailua that offer rental gear and can arrange for lessons.

Kualoa Regional Park
49 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe, HI 96744

Never crowded, this is the perfect site to just enjoy a relaxing day at the beach. The water is calm and warm. The location is stunningly beautiful with the Kualoa Mountains in the background. This area was considered sacred by the ancient Hawaiians as whalebones used to wash up on the beach. The bones were then made into valuable tools and jewelry.

Ma'ili Beach Park
21-87 Farrington Hwy, Waianae, HI 96792

This beach is named for the numerous pebbles (ili'ili) found nearby. In ancient times these stones had many uses, such as fish sinkers, game pieces, and musical percussive instruments. Today this is a popular site for surfers. There is good swimming in the summer months when the surf is calm but the coral reef drops off suddenly so beware. The sandy beach is large during the Summer but erodes away during the Winter.

Makaha Beach Park
84-369 Farrington Hwy, Waianae, HI 96792

This West Shore beach is named for the area surrounding it where years ago an infamous band of bandits terrorized the area. Today the beach is renowned as a superb surfboarding site with waves averaging fifteen feet in height. This is not a site for novice boarders and swimmers should stay out of the water when the surf is high.

Makapu'u Beach Park
41-095 Kalanianaole Highway, Waimanalo, HI 96795

This beach is located below Makapu'u Point, a projection of land marking Hawaii's easternmost point. This is a very popular beach for bodysurfing.

Nanakuli Beach Park
86-269 Farrington Highway, Waianae, HI 96792

This beach park is in an area where it had been customary to name places after a body part - Nanakuli literally means "to look at the knee." This is an interesting beach and offers a diversified recreational activity menu. Principal ocean activities are swimming, snorkeling, SCUBA and skin diving. Swimming is generally safe during the Summer months, but becomes very dangerous during Winter high surf season. Snorkelers and divers should watch out for Winter's strong currents and turbulence.

Pokai Bay Beach Park
85-037 Waianae Valley Road, Waianae, HI 96792

This beach is named after the legendary Hawaiian chief, Poka'i. This West Shore beach area is well protected even during the winter months when other areas are experiencing high surf. Its coral reef slopes gradually downward making it great for swimming year round. It has a beautiful and stable sandy beach area.

Sandy's Beach
8808 Kalanianaole Hwy, Honolulu, HI 96825

When the surf is calm, this is a superb beach for swimming. However, when the surf is up, this beach can be treacherous due to the shorebreak and rip tide currents. Experienced bodysurfers find that the waves here have no equal any where else on the island.

Sunset Beach Park
59-104 Kamehameha Highway, Haleiwa, HI 96712

One of the longest sand beaches in Oahu running two miles in length and 200-300 feet wide. In the Summer when the ocean is calm, this beach has crystal clear water and beautiful white sand. The area is great for swimming and snorkeling. There is also wonderful tide pools great for collecting shells and observing the wonders of nature. During the Winter months this beach is one of the best for surfing with waves often between fifteen and twenty feet high making it perfect for yearly international surfing competitions.

Waikiki Beach
2600 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815

This is one of the most famous beaches in the world. The two mile stretch of white sand coast is fronted by hotels and tourist facilities. The area is excellent for swimming, surfing, boogie boarding, catamaran and outrigger canoe rides.

Waimea Bay Beach Park
61 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa, HI 96712

During the summer months the water is calm and great for swimming with a large sandy beach area. But watch out during the winter months when the waves can reach heights of thirty feet. This is the home of the largest, most dangerous and spectacular surf in the world.