Fort DeRussy Beach()

Located in Honolulu’s Waikiki neighborhood, Fort DeRussy Beach is a wide 1,800-foot-long beach with light brown sand. This beach is a part of a waterfront recreational park named Fort DeRussy Beach Park and is also considered a part of a larger and very popular beach named Waikiki Beach. Fort DeRussy Beach comprises a quarter of Waikiki Beach, and the sand in the south-eastern part of the beach is finer than the sand in its other parts.  

Fort DeRussy Beach Park has also been awarded the Fodor’s Choice award by the Fodor’s travel guide, and the park is usually open to the public between 5 am and 10 pm.

Although Fort DeRussy Beach does not have lifeguards, the beach and the area near it offer many other amenities, including grassy areas, rental facilities for watersporting equipment, a nearby walkway, restrooms, showers, nearby concession stands, and picnic areas.  

Dogs on leash are allowed within the portions below the high tide line.

Fort DeRussy Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, volleyball, fishing, swimming, surfing, kitesurfing, paddle boarding, windsurfing, kitesurfing, skimboarding, bodyboarding, jet-skiing, water-skiing, boating, surf-skiing, kayaking, canoeing, and wildlife watching. This beach usually has gentle waves, making it ideal for less-experienced swimmers. In addition, this beach also occasionally offers fun and manageable surfing waves. In addition, this beach also offers an amazing Fort DeRussy Beach snorkeling experience. 

If you are planning to swim or surf here, we recommend being careful because the water here is known to have dangerous and unpredictable rip currents. In addition, the water here can be colder than other nearby Honolulu beaches that are located to its north-west including Kahanamoku Beach and Ala Moana Beach. If you like birdwatching, you can see many kinds of birds around this beach including parakeets and egrets.  

If you like taking beautiful photos, Fort DeRussy Beach Park and the beach area around it offer amazing views of the Pacific Ocean and the Honolulu shoreline.

Fort DeRussy Beach does not offer wheelchair access to visitors with disabilities. However, you can rent beach wheelchairs from a private organization named Waikiki Shore Beach Service.

Getting to Fort DeRussy Beach is easy – the beach is located near 2055 Kalia Road and multiple paid parking lots are also located nearby. These lots charge $4 for one hour and $1.5 for every 30 minutes after the initial hour. You can also park at the paid and free parking lots at Ala Wai Boat Harbor, which is located near 1651 Ala Moana Boulevard – you can easily walk to Fort DeRussy Beach from the harbor. 

Fort DeRussy Beach Park is named after General Rene Edward De Russy, who was a military officer in the United States Army and he also served as the superintendent of the United States Military Academy. In addition, the area around the beach was initially a military installation that was a part of the local coastal defense system. 

There are many attractions near Fort DeRussy Beach. U.S. Army Museum of Hawaii is set inside a coastal artillery battery near the beach named Battery Randolph and it has many interesting military-related memorabilia and artifacts including armor pieces from World War Two and an AH-1 Cobra helicopter. Ala Wai Community Park is a recreational park which has many amenities including a playground, sitting areas, grassy areas, exercise areas, picnic areas, restrooms, and showers – it also offers many fun activities including softball, kayaking, canoeing, soccer, jogging, biking, and baseball. Lucoral Museum offers a unique insight into Hawaii’s natural and geological history and it also has a vast collection of rocks, fossils, precious stones, and sculptures. The museum also offers interesting jewelry making workshops on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Liliʻuokalani Botanical Garden is a botanical garden that has many Native Hawaiian plant species and it also has a waterfall. The garden’s original site was donated to the city of Honolulu by Queen Liliʻuokalani.  

If you are looking for another attraction near the beach, Honolulu Zoo is the only zoo in the United States to be built by grants from a sovereign monarch – the zoo is home to more than 1,230 animals including birds, tortoises, monkeys, giraffes, tigers, and lions, along with many native and non-native plant species. The zoo also has many interesting animal-themed artworks. Another interesting, popular, and somber attraction that you can visit near this beach is the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, which is a 24-minute-drive away from the beach – this memorial was the site of the United States Navy base of Pearl Harbor, which was attacked by Japan in 1941 and which in turn eventually drew the United States into World War Two.  

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Fort DeRussy Beach. Bibas Courtyard Grill offers amazing fusion dishes with Pacific Rim and American influences for lunch and dinner including sandwiches, salads, seafood, and steaks. Taormina Sicilian Cuisine offers amazing Sicilian-Italian dishes including pastas, Italian-style seafood, chicken dishes, and lamb chop. Duke’s Waikiki is a popular restaurant which serves amazing dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner – the restaurant’s dishes exhibit local Hawaiian and international culinary influences. Blue Water Shrimp & Seafood is known for serving excellent seafood and it also offers steaks, burgers, and pork ribs. If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby restaurant, Sam’s Kitchen offers amazing dishes including fries, steaks, salads, seafood, and rice bowls. If you like dessert, Banan Waikiki Beach Shack offers a unique and refreshing variety of ice cream-like dessert that is made from bananas. 

If you are looking for a hotel near Fort DeRussy Beach, there are many great Fort  DeRussy hotels nearby.  The 5-Star The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach offers many amenities including a spa, multiple restaurants, a 24-hour fitness center, multiple pools, a complimentary beverage at check in, a hot tub, and private cabanas.  The 4-Star Hilton Grand Vacations Club The Grand Islander Waikiki Honolulu is another great upscale hotel that offers many amenities including a pool, a spa, a fitness center, multiple restaurants, and a bar.  Another great upscale hotel is the 4-Star Hale Koa Hotel that offers many amenities including multiple restaurants and bars, multiple pools, a fitness center, a hot tub, rental facilities for beach equipment and water sports equipment, and a spa.  Other great nearby upscale hotels include the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort, the Royal Hawaiian and Moana Surfrider.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Courtyard By Marriott Waikiki Beach – also called Courtyard Waikiki Beach – which offers many amenities including a tropical landscaped pool, a saltwater pool, a gym, a spa, a bar, and a restaurant.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby hotel, the 3-Star Luana Waikiki Hotel and Spa offers many amenities including barbecue areas, pool, a gym, a sundeck, beach gear loaner facilities, and a weekly wine-and-cheese reception.  Another good and affordable accommodation option is staying in a vacation rental property – there are many Fort DeRussy Beach Park rentals nearby.