This beautiful, mostly deserted half-mile of sand is backed by a few aging condo buildings, including the Hawaiian Princess. If you’re lucky, you may see green sea turtles in the surf early mornings or late evenings. There are sea caves and rocks they use as a cleaning station offshore. Though the area is protected somewhat by Lahilahi Point to the south, this beach gets excellent surf near the shore, good for bodysurfers, bad for kids.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Stones of Life of Kapaemahu and Kapuni
28.14 MILES
Near the police substation at Waikiki Beach Center, four ordinary-looking volcanic basalt boulders are actually sacred and legendary Hawaiian symbols…
18.27 MILES
This somber memorial is one of the USA's most significant WWII sites, commemorating the Pearl Harbor attack and its fallen service members with an iconic…
23.8 MILES
Hawaii’s version of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC, the Bishop Museum showcases a remarkable array of cultural and natural history exhibits…
25.26 MILES
No other place evokes a more poignant sense of Hawaii’s history. The palace was built under King David Kalakaua in 1882. At that time, the Hawaiian…
25.93 MILES
This exceptional fine-arts museum is among the best of its kind anywhere. The collection is effectively a 'best of' summary of major art movements…
Pearl Harbor National Memorial
18.88 MILES
One of the USA’s most significant WWII sites, this National Park Service (NPS) monument narrates the history of the Pearl Harbor attack and commemorates…
15.98 MILES
With deep-blue waters, a varied coastline and a mix of lava and white sand, Pupukea, meaning ‘White Shell,’ is a very scenic stretch. The long beach…
25.23 MILES
With its vibrant, thought-provoking collections, this public art museum brings together traditional and contemporary art from Hawaii’s multiethnic…
Nearby attractions
0.91 MILES
This beautifully arching beach invites you to spread out your towel and spend the day. Except for weekends and big surf days, you’ll likely have the place…
2.11 MILES
Along the south side of the bay, Kaneʻilio Point is the site of a terraced-stone platform temple, partly destroyed by the army during WWII, then later…
2.13 MILES
Protected by Kaneʻilio Point and a long breakwater, the beach is in need of some maintenance, although the luminescent beauty of the sand is undimmed…
2.77 MILES
Hidden within Mauna‘olu Estates, a gated residential community in Makaha Valley, this quietly impressive heiau (ancient stone temple) is one of Oʻahu's…
3.51 MILES
This attractive beach has the distinction of being one of the longest stretches of white sand on the island. The grassy park that sits adjacent to the…
3.99 MILES
The waves that created this giant stone amphitheater receded long ago. Now the highway passes right outside the cave, about 3 miles north of Makaha Beach…
4.48 MILES
The virescent Makua Valley is wide and grassy near the shore and narrows into a fan of sharply fluted mountains. It's used as a training area for the…
4.98 MILES
Way back in the day, this beach was a canoe-landing site for interisland travelers. In the late ‘60s it was used as the backdrop for the movie Hawaii…