Oahu Beaches
Ala Moana Beach Park
Ala Moana Beach Park, located near Honolulu, is a favorite amongst Oahu locals who want to avoid the bustling crowds at Waikiki Beach. The hundred-acre park is filled with swaying palm and banyan trees and features wide grassy picnic areas, as well as modern amenities, such as a music pavilion, tennis courts, concession stands and showers.
Haleiwa Beach Park
Haleiwa Beach Park, located in the historic town of Haleiwa, offers a few surprises that distinguish it from the other beaches on Oahu’s North Shore. The narrow (250 foot in length by 100 feet in width) strip of beach here is one of the only light brown sand beaches in the area and offers excellent vantages for watching both sunrises and sunsets.
Hanauma Bay Beach
Hanuama Bay Beach Park, located in southeastern Oahu, offers visitors a chance to combine relaxation and education. The park was the first Marine Life Conservation District established in the state of Hawaii and is now aimed at preserving and protecting the 450 varieties of rare tropical fish that live in the bay.
Kailua Beach Park
Kailua Beach Park on Oahu is a stunning mile-long stretch of beach that is a popular destination amongst locals and tourists alike. The park’s pristine white-sand beach, its swaying palm trees and crystal blue waters offer a bit of something for everyone. A world-famous windsurfing spot, Kailua is dotted with surf shops that rent surf equipment and offer lessons for beginners.
Lanikai Beach
Lanikai Beach Park, located on the windward coast of Oahu, has long since been a favorite spot amongst Hollywood celebrities who escape to Hawaii in search of a peaceful getaway. And what better place to escape to than a place whose Hawaiian name means “heavenly sea”?
Shark's Cove
Despite its daunting name, Shark’s Cove is an inviting, must-see destination on Oahu. This lava-rock beach is a part of the 80-acre North Shore Marine Sanctuary, a conservation district that has been vigorously maintained by marine enthusiasts. The result of this vigilance is that a spectacular underwater world has formed at Shark’s Cove, complete with white-tipped reef sharks, schools of tropical fish and sea turtles.
Sunset Beach
At two miles in length and 200-300 feet in width, Sunset Beach is one of the longest and loveliest beaches on Oahu’s North Shore. As the name implies, this unspoiled white-sand beach offers some of the most beautiful sunset views on the island. The park itself includes 18 acres of land from the beach out to Kamehameha Highway and features amenities such as picnic tables, restrooms and shower facilities.
Waikiki Beach
For decades Oahu’s Waikiki Beach has been a mecca for tourists from all around the world. In 1937, Bing Crosby sang tenderly about it in the celebrated film Waikiki Wedding, and even today, this two-mile stretch of beach, perpetually covered with colorful umbrellas and bathing beauties, is still all that it’s hyped up to be.
Waimanalo Beach Park
Vacationers who tire of the crowds and hype of Waikiki Beach can find an alternate reality by taking a quick 20-minute drive along scenic Kalanianaole Highway to arrive at paradise. Otherwise known as Waimanalo Beach Park, this version of heaven includes a five-mile stretch of white-sand beach, ubiquitous swaying palm trees and an endless, crystal clear sea.
Waimea Bay Beach Park
Waimea Bay Beach Park, located off of Kamehameha Highway on Oahu’s North Shore, is home to one of the most famous, thrilling and dangerous surfing locations in the world. During the winters, the term “surf’s up” takes on unprecedented meaning, in which the ocean churns with monstrous 30-foot-high waves and a strong rip current that runs through the center of the bay.