Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park

Located adjacent to a volcanic crater named Diamond Head, Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park - also called Diamond Head Beach Park - is an 11-acre park with a narrow sandy beach with some rocky portions.  This beach is situated below densely forested oceanfront hillsides in the Oahu shoreline's south-eastern part.  While the sand on the beach in Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park is primarily light brown in color, it also has a sparkling greenish hue - this greenish hue comes from the sand having small calcite crystals.  The nearby volcanic crater named “Diamond Head” also received its name from these crystals - in 1825, visiting British sailors noticed the crystals in the sand and named the nearby crater “Diamond Hill” - this name was then eventually changed to the crater’s present name “Diamond Head.” 

While Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park does not have lifeguards, it has a few other amenities including observation areas, drinking water fountains, and showers.  Dogs on leash are allowed in the portions of Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park that are below the high-tide line. 

Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, picnicking, fishing, snorkeling, swimming, surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, bodyboarding, skimboarding, surf-skiing, water-skiing, jet-skiing, paddle boarding, and boating.  The water near Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park is a great surfing spot and offers thrilling and consistent surfing waves.  The beach also gets occasionally windy, making it ideal for windsurfers.  However, if you are planning to swim in the water near Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park, we recommend being careful as the shallow water here has a reef, making swimming difficult.  If you want to swim in the water near Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park, we recommend doing so in the water near the southern end of the beach, as it is significantly deeper there.  The water near Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park also has unpredictable rip currents and rogue waves.  Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park is ideal for visitors looking for a quieter beach experience as this beach sees fewer visitors than other nearby Oahu beaches.  Depending on the time of the year, you can view many kinds of animals in the water near this beach including migrating whales, dolphins, and many kinds of fish - you can also view rare Hawaiian monk seals and sea turtles in the water near Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park.  These rare animals are protected under a law named the Endangered Species Act, 1973, and harming them can result in a fine up to $25,000, along with possible imprisonment.  If you are planning to fish in the water near Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park, we recommend following the local fishing regulations. 

The observation areas on the hillsides above Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park offer amazing Instagram-worthy views of the southern Oahu shoreline and the Pacific Ocean, particularly during evenings.  The Amelia Earhart Marker is also present above this beach - this historical marker was installed to commemorate aviatrix Amelia Earhart’s feat as the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to the mainland United States.  The memorial was created by Kate Kelly, one of Hawaii's leading sculptresses in the 1930s

Getting to Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park is easy - the access trail to this beach is present near 3540 Diamond Head Road.  Free street parking is available along Diamond Head Beach Road near the access trail.  Once you park, you must walk along the steep access trail leading down to Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park.  We recommend visiting this beach at low tide as during high tide the narrow beach can get completely submerged. The beach is open between 6 am and 7 pm. 

There are many attractions near Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park.  Diamond Head State Monument is a state-managed area which is set in a volcanic tuff cone named Diamond Head (which is called Lē‘ahi in Hawaiian) that was formed due to volcanic activity around 300,000 years ago - this monument is spread over 475 acres and you can explore this unique geological wonder via the hiking trails present here.  The hike is one and a half miles long, and it will take you approximately two hours to the crater, so come prepared with water.  In addition, this site also has many prominent military installations including a Fire Control Station, which was built in the early 20th century to direct artillery fire from nearby coastal batteries.  Diamond Head State Monument also has a lighthouse and a bunker, and Diamond Head’s summit also offers Instagram-worthy views of the Pacific Ocean and the Oahu shoreline.  Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design has interesting exhibits that offer a unique insight into the global diversity of Islamic culture and art - you can explore the museum’s premises via guided tours.  These tours are held on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. If you are looking for another attraction near Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park, 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 KeKani O Ke Kai Concert Series and the International Koi Show.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park.  Hoku’s At The Kahala is an upscale restaurant that offers a variety of amazing gourmet Hawaiian-inspired dishes.  This restaurant has been awarded a four-diamond rating from the AAA and it has also been awarded Wine Spectator Magazine’s Award of Excellence and Honolulu Magazine’s Hale ‘AinaAward’s Silver Prize for the most romantic restaurant in 2019.  Hau Tree offers amazing Hawaiian-inspired dishes for brunch and dinner including seafood, steaks, pork dishes, salads, pupus, eggs, toast, and pancakes.  Uncle Bo’s Pupu Bar & Grill offers amazing seafood, steaks, salads, pupu platters, soups, pastas, and pizzas.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park, Rainbow Drive-In offers amazing dishes for lunch and breakfast including sandwiches, burgers, salads, loco moco, pancakes, eggs, and it also offers amazing lunch platters.

If you are looking for a hotel near Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park, the 5-Star  Espacio The Jewel of Waikiki offers many amenities including a Japanese-French restaurant, a spa, an infinity pool, a rooftop area, a sundeck, a barbecue, complimentary car loaner facilities (subject to availability), and airport transfer facility.  As another upscale option, the 4-Star Lotus Honolulu at Diamond Head offers many amenities including morning coffee, evening wine tasting sessions, bike loaner facilities, and beach gear loaner facilities, along with a restaurant.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach which offers many amenities including a 24-hour cafe, a fitness center, a pool, a laundry service, lei making sessions, complimentary breakfast, and beach equipment and water sporting equipment rental facility.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park, the 2-Star Waikiki Grand Hotel offers many amenities including a restaurant, a nightclub, grocery delivery service (available for a fee), a pool, and a sundeck.