Koko Kai Beach Park(China Walls)

Located in the eastern portion of the Oahu shoreline, Koko Kai Mini Beach Park - also known as Koko Kai Beach Park and Koko Kai Park - is a recreational park that has a rocky beach.  This park is situated below oceanfront cliffs near the southern end of the upscale residential community of Portlock.  The area around the beach is also sometimes known as Portlock Point or “China Walls .” 

Koko Kai Mini Beach Park does not have lifeguards or any other amenities except a grassy area, so plan accordingly. 

Koko Kai Mini Beach Park offers many fun activities including sunbathing, wildlife watching, fishing, swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing, bodyboarding, tidepooling, skimboarding, kayaking, canoeing, jet-skiing, water-skiing, surf-skiing, and boating.  If you are planning to swim or surf in the water near Koko Kai Mini Beach Park has extremely powerful and hazardous waves, along with deadly water currents, especially during summers.  The shoreline around the beach is slippery and rocky, which can also cause grievous injuries to visitors.  In addition, drowning-related deaths have also been reported in the water near the beach.  However, despite unfavorable water conditions, highly experienced surfers frequently surf in the water near Koko Kai Mini Beach Park as it seasonally offers fun and thrilling surfing waves.  In addition, experienced divers and snorkelers also dive in the water near the beach to explore its vibrant marine biodiversity and landscape - the water near Koko Kai Mini Beach Park has a reef and depending on the time of the year, you can see many kinds of marine animals in the water here including eels, shrimp, barracuda, octopus, rays, migrating humpback whales (usually during winters), and rare Hawaiian green sea turtles.  Sea turtles in the United States are protected under a law named the Federal Endangered Species Act of 1973, and harming them can result in a fine of up to $50,000 and possible imprisonment.  The clifftop areas near Koko Kai Mini Beach Park are great spots for watching migrating whales - experienced locals also use these clifftop areas to dive into the water below.  If you are planning to fish in the water near Koko Kai Mini Beach Park, we recommend following the local fishing regulations.  The beach in Koko Kai Mini Beach Park offers fantastic Instagram-worthy views of the eastern Oahu shoreline and the Pacific Ocean.

Getting to Koko Kai Beach Mini Park is easy - from Kalaniana’ole Highway (also known as Hawaii Route 72), you need to turn towards Nawiliwili Street.  From Nawiliwili Street, you need to turn towards Poipu Drive and then towards Hanapepe Loop.  Street parking spaces are available at Hanapepe Loop.  Once you park here, you need to walk to the entrance to Koko Kai Mini Beach Park, which is situated at the end of a nearby road named Hanapepe Place.  Once you reach the entrance, you need to walk towards the edge of the blufftop area via a walking path.  Once you reach the edge of the blufftop area, you then need to carefully scramble down along the slippery, steep, and rocky bluff sides to reach the rocky beach in Koko Kai Mini Beach Park.  We recommend visiting this beach early during summers as it is known to get quickly crowded during this time. 

There are many attractions near Koko Kai Beach Mini Park.  The Spitting Caves are sea caves that are carved along exquisite oceanfront cliffs - these caves “spit” up the ocean water that enters them at high speeds.  The clifftop area above the caves is a dangerous, yet popular cliff diving and cliff jumping spot - a memorial is also present in these caves which pays tribute to cliff-divers and cliff-jumpers who died here.  Japanese Fishing Shrine (Umi Mamori Jizo) is a lava rock shrine that has an image of Bodhisattva Jizo, who was an important saint of Mahayana Buddhism.  The shrine was initially built in the 19th century by Japanese immigrant fishermen seeking divine protection from hazardous waves while fishing - the present-day altar of the shrine was built in 1940 (the image of Jizo was carved by artist Sentaro Otsubo) and priests from the Shingon Shu Japanese Buddhist temple in Honolulu have been continuously organizing annual ceremonies at this shrine since the 1940s.  The Halona Blowhole is a natural blowhole that can shoot up water up to 30 meters/100 feet in the air during high tide and strong wind conditions - this blowhole is one of the most popular rock formations of its kind in the Hawaiian islands.  You can observe this amazing blowhole in action from a nearby observation area - this observation area also offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Pacific Ocean and the islands of Molokai, Lanai, and Maui.  If you are looking for another attraction near Koko Kai Beach Mini Park, Koko Head District Park is a large beautifully landscaped park that has many amenities including baseball fields, walking paths, playground, restrooms, picnic areas, benches, and tennis courts.  A hiking trail named Koko Railway Trail (also named Koko Crater Trail) is also present near the park - this steep uphill trail offers amazing views of the Oahu shoreline and the city of Honolulu.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Koko Kai Beach Mini Park.  Roy’s Hawaii Kai is an upscale restaurant that offers excellent fusion gourmet dishes with Hawaiian culinary influences including seafood, steaks, lamb, and pastas.    Liko’s Tap & Table offers amazing dishes for brunch, lunch, and dinner including salads, sandwiches, tacos, chicken wings, steaks, pastas, seafood, loco moco, and pork chops.  Harbor Village Cuisine offers delicious Asian dishes including peking duck, wonton soup, and fried rice.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Koko Kai Beach Park, Loco Moco Drive Inn offers amazing dishes for breakfast and lunch including eggs, pancakes, loco moco, French toasts, seafood, poultry dishes, pork dishes, and beef dishes.

If you are looking for a hotel near Koko Kai Beach Mini Park, there are many great nearby hotels within a 30-minute drive.  The 5-Star Kahala Hotel & Resort offers many amenities including complimentary surfing and paddleboarding lessons, a  complimentary local shuttle service, bike and beach towel rental facilities, five restaurants, a fitness center, a spa, and a private lagoon that has dolphins.  As another upscale hotel, the 4-Star Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort And Spa offers many amenities including a spa, a fitness center, a hot tub, a pool, a bar, two restaurants, and a kids’ club, along with live entertainment.   A more affordable hotel is the 3-StarCoconut Waikiki Hotel which offers many amenities including a pool, an exercise room, barbecue grills, and a complimentary continental breakfast.  Aloha Guest House is another moderately priced bed-and-breakfast that offers many amenities including complimentary breakfast and multiple common lanais (meaning verandas in Hawaiian) - the hotel’s lanais offer amazing ocean and forest views.  This bed-and-breakfast is also set within a five-acre splendid organic fruit farm.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Koko Kai Beach Mini Park, the 2-StarKuhio Banyan Club offers loaner facilities for coolers, towels, umbrellas, and boogie boards for a resort fee.  In addition, it also offers coin-operated laundry facilities.