Oahu’s
Best Beaches
 There
is no shortage of beaches on Oahu. Many
maps show dozens of beaches in a ring
around the entire island. A number of the
"beaches" that appear on these
maps or in many guidebooks are, however,
little more than mere strips of sand less
than 10 yards from major roads, with
little or no parking and even fewer
amenities. The following are the beaches
on Oahu that we recommend. Note that we
have listed them in geographic order,
starting on the South Shore, east of
Waikiki.
Hanauma
Bay
Once the playground of Hawaiian
royalty, beautiful Hanauma
Bay is now a nature
preserve with restricted access –
get there early in the morning or you
might not get in at all (the gates are
closed once the relatively small parking
lot is filled to capacity, which
doesn’t take long, especially on
weekends and holidays).
Hanauma is, without doubt,
our favorite beach in all of Oahu. The
steep hills that surround the bay provide
breathtaking views of
the sandy beach and the crystal-clear
water below. You will have excellent
views from the hillside parking area
prior to descending the trail that leads
to the beach. Hanauma
Bay is especially
popular for snorkeling and scuba diving
– a coral reef in the bay makes the
water exceptionally calm and clear. The
fact that fishing has been prohibited for
years assures an abundance of tame and
friendly marine life. For those who would
rather walk than swim, rock ledges extend
around the perimeter of the shore,
allowing an interesting vantage point
– but be careful since sudden
changes in the current can sweep you off
the ledge and out to sea.
Amenities include restrooms
(we advise you to wait to use the
facilities on the beach, rather than the
more crowded and dirty ones closer to the
parking lot), outdoor showers, a picnic
area and concession stand (that sells
sodas, hot dogs, chips, etc.), public
phones, snorkeling equipment rentals
(mask, fins, and snorkel tube can be
rented for $6) and lifeguards on duty. No
smoking, alcoholic beverages, fishing, or
pets are allowed on the beach.
Hanauma Bay is located on
Kalanianaole Highway (Route 72), about 10
miles east of Waikiki. Look for the
entrance on your right. Hours are 6 AM to
6 PM every day but Wednesday, when the
beach is open from noon to 6 PM. Note
that there is a suggested donation of $5
per person for entry to the beach.
Sandy
Beach
As the name implies, 1,200
foot-long Sandy
Beach has an abundance of
sand. There is also a reef of volcanic
rocks on the eastern portion of the
beach. Because the currents in this area
can be very
strong, swimming and
surfing are not recommended for novices,
although many regulars consider Sandy
Beach the best spot for bodysurfing on
Oahu. Amenities include restrooms,
changing facilities, public phones,
outdoor showers, vending trucks with a
nearby picnic area, and lifeguards (who
are believed to make more rescues each
year than lifeguards on other Oahu
beaches because of the beach’s
intense waves and undertow).
Special bonuses offered by
Sandy Beach include the landing area for
colorful hang gliders and views of a
nearby "blow hole" (where water
rushes into underground caverns and
escapes through an opening in the top,
much like the blow hole of a whale).
Sandy Beach is located right
off Kalanianaole Highway, just north of
the scenic viewing spot for the blow
hole.
Kualoa
Park
Kualoa Park makes the perfect
setting for a family outing, and indeed,
is frequented by local families. The park
features a large grassy area with plenty
of picnic tables and room to barbecue (if
you bring your own grill, as many people
do). A narrow strip
of sand runs along the
ocean, which is calm and shallow –
just right for young children. Restrooms
and shower facilities are available;
lifeguards are on duty daily only during
the summer; at other times of the year
they take their posts only on weekends.
One of this beach’s
most striking features of this beach is
its proximity to Mokolii Island, which is
often called Chinaman’s
Hat (the resemblance
is hard to miss). If you take binoculars,
you may even catch a glimpse of hikers
climbing the hill that makes up the
"hat."
Directions: Kualoa Park is
just off Route 83, north of Waikane. You
will catch several glimpses of
Chinaman’s Hat from the road prior
to reaching the beach entrance.
Malaekahana
State Recreation Area
Be on the lookout or you will
drive right by the entrance to this
wonderfully secluded
spot. Not long after
you pass the Hawaiian Temple going north
on Route 83 on the windward coast of
Oahu, you will see a driveway on your
right with a stop sign at the end of it:
this is the park’s entryway. In
addition to being hard to find,
Maleakahana’s dirt roadway can be a
bit on the muddy side and there are no
lifeguards available, but these are small
complaints in comparison to the
beach’s charms.
From the parking lot, you
will pass through an attractive wooded
picnic area to sets of steps that lead to
the sandy beach below. Maleakahana is
situated in a large cove, with gentle
waves that allow for some body-surfing
while still keeping the water calm enough
for floating around on a rubber raft or
inner tube. The beach is fairly spread
out, allowing joggers, folks with dogs
(technically not allowed), swimmers and
sunworshippers to enjoy their favorite
activity without bothering others.
Just off Maleakahana’s
shore is Mokuauia Island – a
state-owned bird sanctuary which you can
wade out to during low tide.
Maleakahana’s gates
open at 7 AM daily and remain open until
the park closes at 6:45 PM. Restrooms are
available.
Sunset
Beach
Located in another
gentle cove, Sunset
Beach’s long, wide stretch of sand makes it one
of our favorites. Lifeguards are on hand
to watch the twenty-somethings who
frequent the area. Good surfing
conditions are available in the waves
that break 200-300 yards from the shore;
boogie boards are the equipment of choice
in the water closer to the shore. The
houses that line much of the edge of the
beach ensure a local
crowd, so if going to
the beach with the other tourists from
Minnesota is not your cup of tea, this is
a good place to come. Note that there are
no restrooms, showers, or public phones
nearby.
Sunset Beach is located on
Kamehameha Highway (also called Route 83
here) on Oahu’s North Shore.
Ehukai
Beach
If you have always wanted to see what the
famous Bonzai Pipeline is like, head
beyond Sunset Beach on Kamehameha Highway
to Ehukai
Beach. Ehukai’s
waves are the biggest we’ve seen on
Oahu, making swimming and surfing
dangerous for novices. There are
lifeguards on duty, however.
The excitement of some of
the best surfing anywhere attracts a
younger crowd and makes the beach popular
with local teenagers and
twenty-somethings. The beach usually hums
with all kinds of activity, from
volleyball to kayaking to musicians with
ukuleles.
Ehukai is equipped with
outdoor showers and restrooms. We’ve
found the bathrooms to be rather
disagreeable and dirty, however, and
recommend that you cross the street to
use the facilities at the Sunset Beach
Neighborhood Park instead. Incidentally,
Ehukai can be a bit tough to find, so use
this park as a landmark, or simply look
for the crowds of cars along the side of
the road – Ehukai’s popularity
can often making finding a place to park
problematic.
Makaha
Makaha Beach features 1,000 feet
of white sand made famous by the love
scene in the movie From Here to
Eternity. Restrooms, showers, picnic
facilities, and lifeguards can all be
found here. This beach is Oahu’s
surfing capital and it was the site of
the first professional surf meet in 1952.
Today, board surfing is prohibited by
state law in deference to Makaha’s
popularity as a hot spot for bodysurfing.
Makaha Beach is located off
Farrington Highway (Route 93), about 2
miles north of Waianae.
Waikiki
Beach
Just three miles east of
Honolulu is Waikiki
Beach, which is probably
the world’s most famous beach. The
area called Waikiki is actually a
two-mile-long series of beaches beginning
at Diamond Head and ending at Ala Wai
Canal.
Waikiki offers a plethora of
activities: excellent swimming, surfing
for beginners, catamaran and outrigger
canoe rides, diving, sailing, picnicking,
snorkeling, pole fishing, and, of course, sunbathing.
The hotels that line much of the beach
make almost every conceivable food and
beverage choice available. But our
favorite activity at Waikiki continues to
be people watching: you will see
everything at Waikiki with a crowd that
ranges from models of both sexes in
skimpy bathing suits to out-of-town
tourists wearing black socks and sandals.
If meeting the opposite sex is your goal
at the beach, Waikiki is your best bet
because of the large number of people
with the same mission.
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