Oahu Beaches

Oahu Beaches

Oahu has many impressive beaches. Waikiki beach is the most popular in Hawaii with great swimming and fun tourist activities including surfing and outrigger canoeing. Situated on the eastern coast are three of Hawaii's best beaches – Lanikai beach, Kailua Beach Park, and Waimanalo Beach Park. Kailua beach is great for swimming, boogie boarding, kite boarding and windsurfing, kayaking and walking. Lanikai is an excellent beach for children offering reef protection from waves. Waimanalo beach provides nearly 4 miles of sand in a serene and beautiful setting. Oahu’s north shore has miles of nice beaches and is the location of many famous surf breaks. The northwest side also features good beaches but are not as popular among tourists. Oahu doesn’t have as many snorkeling choices as the other islands, Hanauma Bay and Shark’s cove being the most popular.

Kailua Beach thumbnail
The mid section of one of Hawaii's finest. This section is less crowded than the beach park section and has better boogie boarding.

Kailua Beach Park thumbnail
Considered by many to be Hawaii's best beach. Nearly 3 miles long. Swimming, windsurfing, kite-boarding, kayaking and sometimes boogie boarding. This section has fine soft sand and can get crowded...

Kualoa Beach Park thumbnail
Reef protected swimming but poor snorkeling due to cloudy water. Huge lawns perfect for playing frisbee, soccer, football, or flying a kite.

Lanikai Beach thumbnail
One of Hawaii's most picturesque beaches with fine white sand and excellent swimmnig year round. Reasonable snorkeling although the water tends to be murky.

Waimanalo Beach thumbnail
A beautiful, huge beach with lots of sand and few people during weekdays. The ocean is often rougher here than at nearby Kailua beach, making it poor for novice swimmers. But better boogie boardin...

Ehukai Beach Park thumbnail
Wide with lots of sand offering good swimming in the summer. Home of the Banzai Pipeline with expert surfing and boogie boarding during the winter

Goat Island thumbnail
The beaches of goat island are accessible during calm sees by wading or swimming about 200 yards across the channel.

Hukilau Beach Park thumbnail
A fun beach with good swimming

Kahana Beach Park thumbnail
Cloudy water due to runoff from a nearby stream, but features a nice strech of sand

Kawela Bay thumbnail
Very picturesque and quiet (uncrowded) with calm waters most of the year. The water tends to be cloudy, but there may be good snorkeling towards the southern section?

Kokololio Beach Park thumbnail
Good swimming at this pretty beach. Rarely crowded on weekdays

Laie Beach Park thumbnail
A powerful beach break at the south (right in the panorama) end makes for good body surfing for experienced swimmers, while the north features calmer conditions for beginners

Malaekahana State Park thumbnail
Stretching for nearly a mile and never busy on weekdays, the waves at this gently sloping beach are often lots of fun - even for novice swimmers

Mokuleia Beach Park thumbnail
A popular kite surfing spot. The secluded and narrow beach extends for miles in each direction. Swimming may be precarious due to currents and rocks.

Punaluu Beach Park thumbnail
Sitting directly next to the highway, a good place to stop for a quick splash.

Pupukea Beach Park thumbnail
A cute beach with good snorkeling in the summer. The winter often brings rough ocean conditions

Sunset Beach Park thumbnail
A beautiful and popular beach with great swimming and snorkeling during the summer. Winter months often bring large waves suitable for expert surfers only

Turtle Bay Resort Beach thumbnail
The cove area has reasonable snorkeling although the water is often murky. The beach section extending down the coast is rocky but makes for a pleasant walk

Turtle Beach thumbnail
Turtle Beach, also know as Laniakea beach, is famous for the many turtles that frequent the beach.

Waimea Bay thumbnail
Great snorkeling and swimming in the summer when the ocean is calm. During the winter, the bay transforms into a monster generating massive waves suitable only for the most crazed of surfers

Ala Moana Beach Park thumbnail
Good swimmnig and surfing in deeper water around the magic island section of the park. The large park adjacent to the beach offers lots of room to play and picnic. Very crowded on weekends but les...

Hanauma Bay thumbnail
Hawaii's most famous snorkeling destination and of the the few snorkeling options on Oahu. Very popular and crowded. Good snorkeling in a well maintained state park ($5 per person), although not H...

Kapiolani Beach Park thumbnail
A good alternative to the busy sections of Waikiki beach, Kapiolani beach is always less crowded and offers lots of shade in the park. Somewhat ackward swimming due to rocks in the water. Good sur...

Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park thumbnail
A popular surfing and windsurfing spot, rocks make it less suitable for swimming. Good place for a seal to take a nap

Sandy Beach thumbnail
A beautiful and popular beach among boogie and body borders. The beach's tantilizing but vicious shore break is for experts only.

Sans Souci Beach thumbnail
A small beach next to the disrepaired world war 1 memorial pool.

Waialae Beach Park thumbnail
The best section of this beach park is near the Kahala Mandarin Hotel (as in photo), a short walk from parking. The water is murky but calm and good for swimming.

Waikiki Beach Central thumbnail
One section of the 1.5 mile long waikiki beach. Good swimming and surfing year round, but no snorkeling. Always busy and very crowded.

Waikiki Beach South thumbnail
One section of the 1.5 mile long waikiki beach. Good swimming and surfing year round, but no snorkeling. Always busy and very crowded.

Ko Olina Lagoon 1 thumbnail
One of 4 man made beaches in the Ko Olina Resort area offering protected swimmnig

Ko Olina Lagoon 2 thumbnail
One of 4 man made beaches in the Ko Olina Resort area offering protected swimmnig

Maili Beach Park thumbnail
A long beach, uncrowded during weekdays, with large lawns backing the beach (not seen in photos). Boogie boarding close to rocks for experienced riders.

Makaha Beach Park thumbnail
Good swimming and boogie boarding during the summer months. A popular surf location during rougher winter months

Makua Beach thumbnail
A betufiul beach with good swimming when the ocean is calm. Surprisingly empty during week days.

Papaoneone Beach thumbnail
Another surprisingly uncrowded beach on the Waianaie coast. Good swimming in the summer, although the beach break can be rough even in calm waters.

Yokohama Beach thumbnail
Lots of sand and few people. The beach break can be rough and the beach is subject to strong currents, making it less suitable for novice swimmers.

Turtle Bay Resort Beach Malaekahana State Park Goat Island Hukilau Beach Park Laie Beach Park Kokololio Beach Park Punaluu Beach Park Kahana Beach Park Kualoa Beach Park Kailua Beach Kailua Beach Park Lanikai Beach Waimanalo Beach Sandy Beach Hanauma Bay Waialae Beach Park Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park Sans Souci Beach Ala Moana Beach Park Waikiki Beach Central Waikiki Beach South Kapiolani Beach Park Ko Olina Lagoon 1 Ko Olina Lagoon 2 Maili Beach Park Makaha Beach Park Papaoneone Beach Makua Beach Yokohama Beach Mokuleia Beach Park Turtle Beach Waimea Bay Pupukea Beach Park Ehukai Beach Park Sunset Beach Park Kawela Bay Salt Pond Beach Park Kahiliwai Beach Pali Ke Kua Beach Kiahuna Beach Baby Beach Lawai Beach Poipu Beach Park Brennecke Beach Shipwreck Beach Mahaulepu Beach and Trail Kalapaki Beach Nukolii Beach Lydgate Park Waipouli Beach Park Kealia Beach Anahola Bay Aliomanu Beach Molo'oa Bay Larson's Beach Pilaa Beach Rock Quarry Beach Secret Beach Anini Beach Anini Beach West Sealodge Beach Puapoa Beach Hideaways Beach Ke'e Beach Haena Beach Park Tunnels Beach Lumahai Beach West Lumahai Beach Waikoko Beach Hanalei Bay Kekaha Beach Park Polihale Beach Palauea Beach Polo Beach Wailea Beach Ulua and Mokapu Beach Keawakapu Beach Kamaole Beach Park 3 Kamaole Beach Park 2 Kamaole Beach Park 1 Secret Cove Big Beach Little Beach Makena Black Sand Beach Maluaka Beach Poolenalena Beach Hamoa Beach Red Sand Beach Tavares Beach Baldwin Beach Park Mokuleia Bay Kaanapali Beach Black Rock Kahekili Beach Park Napili Beach Kapalua Beach Oneloa Beach DT Fleming Beach Park Pololu Beach Mahukona Beach Park Spencer Beach Park Mauumae Beach Mauna Kea Beach Hapuna Beach Wailea Bay Fairmont Orchid Beach Makaiwa Bay Anaehoomalu Bay Four Seasons Beach Kukio Beach Kikaua Beach Maniniowali Beach Makalawena Beach Kekaha Kai Beach Park Wawaloli Beach Old Kona Airport Beach Park White Sands Beach Park Kahaluu Beach Park Punaluu Black Sand Beach Kehena Beach Kohala Ranch Makaiwa Bay Fish Pond Kiholo Bay Kealakekua Bay Honaunau Bay Place of Refuge South Point Kilauea Crater Kilauea Iki Crater Thurston Lava Tube Chain of Craters Road MacKenzie State Park Ahalanui Warm Spring Kapoho Tide Pools Paradise Park Hawaiian Tropical Botanical Garden Waipio Valley Akaka Falls Sharks Cove Valley of the Temples Lanikai Point Lanikai Hill Pali Lookout Makapuu Lookout Spitting Cave Diamond Head LaPerouse Bay Haleakala Crater Haleakala Backside Seven Sacred Pools Wailua Falls Hana Kahanu National Tropical Botanical Garden Nahiku Road Lower Puohokamoa Falls Iao State Valley Park Olivine Pools Ohai Trail Acid War Zone Trail Honokeana Bay Kapalua Coastal Trail Honolua Bay Pihea Trail Spouting Horn Wailua Falls Opaekaa Falls Okolehao Trail Kilauea Lighthouse Queens Bath Kalalau Trail Napali Coast Waimea Canyon