Grays Beach(Gray's Beach)

Located in Honolulu, Gray’s Beach - also known as Grays Beach, Halekulani Beach, Kawehewehe, and Grey’s Beach - is an extremely narrow light-brown sand beach with nearby trees.  This beach is located in front of an upscale hotel called the  Halekulani Hotel.  Gray’s Beach is a part of a larger beach area named Waikiki Beach.  This beach has been severely reduced in size due to constant erosion by ocean water.  A sea wall located near the beach has further accelerated this decline.  This beach received its name (Gray’s Beach) because a boarding house named Gray’s-by-the-Sea was present near the beach in the early 20th century - this house was run by a woman named Mrs. LaVancha Gray.  The beach’s Hawaiian name (Kawehewehe) means “removal” - this beach received this name because the water near it was thought to have supernatural healing powers.  In the past many sick members of the Hawaiian nobility came to bathe in the water here - apart from bathing, they would also offer a seaweed lei to the water here as a way of seeking forgiveness for past sins.  This ritual was known as a cure for many illnesses.  The water near Gray’s Beach also has a coral reef and a sand-filled aquatic channel. 

Gray’s Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities except a nearby boardwalk, so please plan accordingly.  If you want a beach with more amenities, you can access another adjacent beach named Royal Hawaiian Beach (also named Waikiki Beach Center). 

Gray’s Beach offers many fun activities including beachcombing, wildlife watching, snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, boating, paddleboarding, surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, boating, jet-skiing, surf-skiing, water-skiing, and swimming.  The water near the beach is popular with swimmers.  Snorkelers and scuba divers often visit Gray’s Beach to explore its vibrant biodiversity - depending on the time of the year, you can see many kinds of animals in the water near Gray’s Beach including migrating whales,  Hawaiian monk seals, sea turtles, and many kinds of fish.

There are multiple ways to access Gray’s Beach – if you want to access this beach, you need to first reach another adjacent beach named Royal Hawaiian Beach - this beach is situated adjacent to The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, Waikiki (which is present at 2259 Kalakaua Avenue).  There is an access path along Kalakaua Avenue from where you can easily walk to Royal Hawaiian Beach.  Once you reach this beach, you need to walk west along the shoreline via a walkway to reach Gray’s Beach.  A parking garage is also available near the Royal Hawaiian Beach at a shopping center named the Royal Hawaiian Center (the center is present at 2201 Kalakaua Avenue, which is a six-minute walk from the Royal Hawaiian Beach).  You can also get your parking validated here by purchasing ten dollars worth of goods from their shops and restaurants - you can visit the Royal Hawaiian Center’s website for more information regarding their validated parking rates.  As an alternative access option for Gray’s Beach- you can also access this beach through the eastern end of Fort DeRussy Beach Park.  The access paths to the eastern end of the park are present along Kalia Avenue, where a parking lot is also available nearby.  Once you get to the eastern end of Fort DeRussy Beach Park, you need to walk further east along a shoreline through a boardwalk to reach Gray’s Beach.  However, we recommend visiting Gray’s Beach during low tide as during high tide this narrow beach is almost completely underwater.  We also recommend visiting this beach early because this beach gets crowded quickly. 

There are many attractions near Gray’s Beach.  The Waikiki Aquarium is the second oldest still-operating public aquarium in the United States and it is home to more than 3,500 animals belonging to more than 400 species including seals, octopus, jellyfish, and clams.  The aquarium also has a gift shop and rain gardens and it also offers many educational programs, along with many fun events including the Ke Kani O Ke Kai Concert Series and the International Koi Show.  Honolulu Zoo is a 42.5-acre zoo that is the only one 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, skinks, snake, gharials, monkeys, giraffes, tigers, lemurs, and lions, along with many native and non-native varieties of plants.  The zoo also has many interesting animal-themed artworks.  If you like theater, Blaisdell Center is an event center that has a performing arts theater named Neal S. Blaidsell Concert Hall – this theater has hosted many musicals including Les Miserables, Cats, and Phantom of the Opera. In addition, this theatre also hosts many other interesting events including symposiums and conferences.  If you are looking for another attraction near Grays’ Beach, Ala Wai Golf Course is an 18-hole golf course that offers a fun and challenging session of golf.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Gray’s Beach.  Hy’s Steak House Waikiki is an upscale restaurant that is famous for its delicious steaks.  In addition, the restaurant also serves amazing soups, salads, and seafood.  House Without A Key is an upscale waterfront restaurant that offers excellent dishes for lunch, breakfast, and dinner including seafood, steaks, poultry dishes, soups, and salads.  In addition, this restaurant is also known for serving outstanding mai tai cocktails and it also hosts live music performances at night.  Paia Fish Market primarily serves excellent seafood for lunch and dinner.  In addition, the restaurant also serves amazing burgers, pastas, salads, quesadillas, tacos, chicken dishes, and salads.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Gray’s Beach, Sam’s Kitchen is known for serving amazing seafood platters that exhibit local and International culinary influences

If you are looking for a hotel near Gray’s Beach, there are many great nearby options.  The Halekulani Hotel is a 5-Star hotel that offers many amenities including three restaurants, two cocktail bars, a pool with a glass tiled floor, a spa with Polynesian treatments, a fitness room that also offers fitness classes, and a complimentary weekly wine reception.  As another upscale option, the 4-Star Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort that offers many amenities including two restaurants, nightly Hawaiian music, access to an exercise room, a pool, hot tub, poolside cabanas, sundeck, laundry facilities, a coffee shop, and a spa.  The hotel also organizes Hawaiian-style vow renewal ceremonies.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star The Imperial Hawaii Resort that offers many amenities including a deli, an ATM, beach rental facilities, hot tubs, laundry, a sauna,  vending machines,  a convenience store, a 24-hour diner, a gym, a salon, a spa, and a rooftop outdoor pool.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Gray’s Beach, The Breakers offers many amenities including coffee in the lobby, a restaurant, and a pool.