Beaches in Oahu HawaiiOahu is a veritable Hawaiian paradise of beaches, outdoor activities and luxury hotels settled in stunning beach resorts. It features different types of beaches, from sandy horseshoe shaped coves to areas with rocky reefs.
Beach Guide of OahuSome of the best beaches included in any beach guide of Oahu are:
Mokuleia Beach Park
This is a great spot for windsurfing, but is recommended only for expert surfers.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, picnic tables and showers.
Haleiwa Alii Beach Park
It's a small bay bordered by an offshore reef that has a large sandy channel where can be enjoyed excellent swimming and snorkeling. There is also a popular surfing area and features excellent amenities for other vacation activities from October to April.
Amenities: community center, parking, restrooms, showers and lifeguards.
Haleiwa Beach Park
It's a 13-acre beach park with many recreational facilities including a long sandy beach, excellent for swimming and being located close to Haleiwa Boat Harbor and a few hotels and beach resorts.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, picnic tables and showers.
Laniakea Beach
This beach features some of the best waves along the North Shore. Isn't very good for swimming due to the strong currents that are present even on calm days.
Chun's Reef Beach
It's one of the most popular surfing areas on the North Shore. Swimming conditions aren't very good because the very shallow reef which comes right up to the beach.
Waimea Bay Beach Park
This beach is a paradise for surfers offering high waves during the winter months. Swimming or snorkeling is recommended just in summer.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, picnic tables, showers and lifeguards.
Pupukea Marine Life Conservation District
This area consists of a marine preserve located along a beautiful section of shoreline. Allows great scuba diving and snorkeling at Shark's Cove area and Three Tables Cove during summer, when the Pacific Ocean is calm, but it's extremely dangerous in winter!
Amenities: parking, restrooms, showers and pavilion.
Ehukai Beach Park
This beach offers excellent views of the famous "Banzai Pipeline", where the top surfers disappear inside the waves and appear a few seconds later!
Amenities: parking, restrooms, picnic tables, showers and lifeguards.
Sunset Beach Park
It's a famous spot for professional surfing contests. In winter the surf reaches heights of 20 feet!
Amenities: parking, restrooms, showers, picnic tables and lifeguards.
Bay View Beach (Kuilima Cove)
It's a great sandy inlet for swimming and snorkeling, being one of the few safe beaches for swimming on the North Shore during winter.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, showers and food concession.
Malaekahana State Recreation Area
It's a magnificent white-sand beach, containing also a bird sanctuary. Reaching this beach on shore can be dangerous because of the strong currents that appear when the tide is changing or the surf is high. On the ocean bed are sharp corals!
Amenities: parking, restrooms, picnic tables, showers and camping.
Laie Beach Park (Ponders Beach)
It's one of the most popular surfing beaches in Oahu.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, picnic tables and showers.
Ahupuaa O Kahana State Park
Allows good swimming year-round and is great for many other beach activities.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, picnic tables, showers and camping.
Kaaawa Beach Park
It's a narrow strip with shallow waters protected by a coral reef, being a pleasant and safe vacation spot in Hawaii, particularly popular amongst campers during summer.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, picnic tables, showers and camping.
Kualoa Regional Park
Offers a spectacular view of Koolau Mountains and Mokolii Island. It's listed in the "National Register of Historical Places" due to its importance for the native Hawaiian people.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, picnic tables, showers, camping and lifeguards.
Kailua Beach Park
It's one of the best windsurfing and kite-surfing spots in Oahu - a white-sand beach with good swimming conditions and gentle surf year-round.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, picnic tables, showers and lifeguards.
Lanikai Beach
It's a white-sand beach offering safe swimming and snorkeling conditions due to the sandy ocean bottom and the fact that the waters are well protected by the offshore reef.
Bellows Field Beach Park
Settled into a military reservation, it is open to public only in weekends and national holidays and is a popular recreational area for novice surfers.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, showers, camping and lifeguards.
Waimanalo Bay Beach Park
It's a beautiful, secluded, white-sand beach that offers safe swimming and great surfing.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, picnic tables, showers, camping and lifeguards.
Makapuu Beach Park
It's the most famous surfing beach in Hawaii, consisting of a sandy area about 1,000 feet long and featuring extremely dangerous currents between September and April.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, picnic tables, showers and lifeguards.
The Sandy Beach
It's known as a top surfing spot, but is one of the most dangerous beaches on the island because of the strong rip currents.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, picnic tables, showers and lifeguards.
Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve
It's a marine preserve located into a beautiful bay, home to hundreds of tropical fish and therefore is an ideal snorkeling spot.
Amenities: food concessions, gift shop, parking, restrooms, picnic tables, showers, shuttle service and lifeguards.
Kahala Beach
It's a long and narrow stretch of sand with a shallow offshore reef. This spot isn't very good for swimming, but offers ideal conditions for snorkeling.
Diamond Head Beach Park
It's situated beyond the eastern end of Waikiki Beach. Swimming and scuba diving conditions are good and is also one of the most popular windsurfing spots in Oahu.
Kuhio Beach Park
It has two famous surfing areas and features the statue of Duke Kahanamoku, considered the inventor of the modern surfing.
Amenities: food/equipment concessions, restrooms, showers, picnic tables and lifeguards.
Waikiki Beach
Waikiki Beach is famous worldwide! It's a two-miles long white-sand stretch with splendid waves for surfing and swimming.
Amenities: equipment rental concessions, parking, showers, restrooms and lifeguards.
Fort DeRussy Beach
It's one of the longest sections of sand near Waikiki Beach, part of Fort DeRussy, yet opened to public.
Amenities: food, parking, restrooms, picnic tables, showers and lifeguards.
Ala Moana Regional Park
It's the most popular beach park in Honolulu providing facilities for numerous vacation activities and being less crowded than Waikiki Beach. Safe year-round for most water activities.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, picnic tables, showers and lifeguards.
Ewa Beach Park
It's a very popular park with good swimming conditions.
Amenities: parking, restrooms and showers.
Nimitz Beach
It's located at Barber's Point, offering good swimming amenities despite to the coral reefs. The offshore area is excellent for surfing.
Amenities: parking, restrooms and showers.
Ko Olina Lagoons
It's the most picturesque lagoon in Oahu and allows great snorkeling and swimming.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, showers and lifeguards.
Pokai Bay Beach Park
It's the safest swimming spot on the entire coast!
Amenities: parking, restrooms, picnic tables, showers and lifeguards.
Makaha Beach Park
It's a paradise for surfers and site of many international competitions. There are good conditions for swimming and snorkeling, but only in summer. Scuba divers frequenting the Makaha Caves - a spectacular series of aquatic arches and caverns.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, showers and lifeguards.
Yokohama Bay Beach Park
It's a secluded white-sand beach good for surfing, but recommended only for experts.
Amenities: restrooms and lifeguards.
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