Oahu Beaches Hawaii
Oahu is a veritable Hawaiian paradise of beaches, outdoor activities, and luxury hotels settled in stunningly beach resorts. It features different types of beaches, from sandy horseshoe shaped coves to areas with rocky reefs.
Any beach guide of Oahu should include:
Mokuleia Beach Park
This is a great spot for windsurfing, but is recommended only for expert surfers.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, picnic tables, showers.
Haleiwa Alii Beach Park
It is a small bay bordered by an offshore reef that has a large sandy channel where can be enjoyed excellent swimming and snorkeling. It is also a popular surfing area and features excellent amenities for other vacation activities from October to April.
Amenities: community center, parking, restrooms, showers, lifeguards.
Haleiwa Beach Park
It is a 13-acre beach park with many recreational facilities, including a long sandy beach, excellent for swimming. It is located not far away to Haleiwa Boat Harbor and a few hotels and beach resorts.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, picnic tables, showers.
Laniakea Beach
This beach features some of the best waves along the North Shore. It is not very good for swimming due to the strong currents that are present even on calm days.
Chun's Reef Beach
It is one of the most popular surfing areas on the North Shore. Swimming is not very good because the very shallow reef 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, lifeguards.
Pupukea Marine Life Conservation District
This area consists of a marine preserve located along a beautiful section of shoreline. It allows great scuba diving and snorkeling at Shark's Cove area and Three Tables Cove during summer, when the Pacific Ocean is calm. It is extremely dangerous in winter!
Amenities: parking, restrooms, showers, 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, lifeguards.
Sunset Beach Park
It is a famous spot for professional surfing contests. In winter the surf reaches there heights of 20 feet!
Amenities: parking, restrooms, showers, picnic tables, lifeguards.
Bay View Beach (Kuilima Cove)
It is a sandy inlet, great for swimming and snorkeling. It is one of the few safe swimming beaches on the North Shore during winter.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, showers, food concession.
Malaekahana State Recreation Area
It is 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, camping.
Laie Beach Park (Ponders Beach)
It is one of the most popular surfing beaches in Oahu.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, picnic tables, showers.
Ahupuaa O Kahana State Park
Allows swimming year-round and is great for many other beach activities.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, picnic tables, showers, camping.
Kaaawa Beach Park
It is a narrow strip with shallow waters protected by a coral reef. It is a pleasant and safe vacation spot in Hawaii, very popular amongst campers during summer.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, picnic tables, showers, camping.
Kualoa Regional Park
It 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, lifeguards.
Kailua Beach Park
It is 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, lifeguards.
Lanikai Beach
It is a white sand beach, offering safe swimming and snorkeling due to the sandy ocean bottom. 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, lifeguards.
Waimanalo Bay Beach Park
It is a beautiful, secluded, white sand beach that offers safe swimming and great surfing.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, picnic tables, showers, camping, lifeguards.
Makapuu Beach Park
It is the most famous surfing beach in Hawaii! It consists of a sandy area about 1,000 feet long and features extremely dangerous currents between September and April.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, picnic tables, showers, lifeguards.
The Sandy Beach
It is known as a top surfing spot. Still, it is one of the most dangerous beaches on the island, with strong rip currents.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, picnic tables, showers, lifeguards.
Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve
It is a marine preserve located into a beautiful bay, home to hundreds of tropical fish. It is an ideal snorkeling spot for novices.
Amenities: food concessions, gift shop, parking, restrooms, picnic tables, showers, shuttle service, lifeguards.
Kahala Beach
It is a long and narrow stretch of sand with a shallow offshore reef. This spot is not very good for swimming, but offers ideal conditions for snorkeling.
Diamond Head Beach Park
It is situated beyond the eastern end of Waikiki Beach. Swimming and scuba diving are good there 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, who is considered the inventor of the modern surfing.
Amenities: food/equipment concessions, restrooms, showers, picnic tables, lifeguards.
Waikiki Beach
Waikiki Beach is famous worldwide ! It is a two miles long stretch with splendid waves for surfing; and excellent white sand.
Amenities: equipment rental concessions, parking, showers, restrooms, lifeguards.
Fort DeRussy Beach
It is one of the longest sections of sand near Waikiki Beach, part of Fort DeRussy, but opened for public.
Amenities: food, parking, restrooms, picnic tables, showers, lifeguards.
Ala Moana Regional Park
It is the most popular beach park in Honolulu, providing facilities for numerous vacation activities and being not so crowded as Waikiki Beach. It is safe year-round for water activities.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, picnic tables, showers, lifeguards.
Ewa Beach Park
It is a very popular park, with good swimming conditions.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, showers.
Nimitz Beach
It is located at Barber's Point, offering good swimming amenities despite to the coral reefs. The offshore area is excellent for surfing.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, showers.
Ko Olina Lagoons
It is the most picturesque lagoon in Oahu and allows great snorkeling and swimming.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, showers, lifeguards.
Pokai Bay Beach Park
It is the safest swimming spot on the entire coast.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, picnic tables, showers, lifeguards.
Makaha Beach Park
It is a paradise for surfers and site of many international competitions. There are good conditions for swimming and snorkeling, but only in summer. Scuba divers frequent the Makaha Caves - a spectacular series of aquatic arches and caverns.
Amenities: parking, restrooms, showers, lifeguards.
Yokohama Bay Beach Park
It is a secluded white sand beach, good for surfing, but recommended only for experts.
Amenities: restrooms, lifeguards.
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