Makalei Beach Park

Located near the Diamond Head State Monument, Makalei Beach Park - also known as Mākālei Beach Park - is a recreational park that has a light brown sand beach and a nearby seawall and palm trees.  This park is spread over seven-tenths of an acre and is situated near the eastern end of the neighborhood of Waikiki.  As an interesting fact, the park is named after a legendary tree in Hawaiian Mythology named Makalei, whose branches were primarily known to attract vast amounts of fish and provide an almost-unlimited food source to the ancient people of Oahu.  The narrow and small beach in Makalei Beach Park has a splendid background of upscale oceanfront homes. 

Although Makalei Beach Park does not have lifeguards, it has many other amenities including showers, benches, picnic areas, walking paths, grassy areas, and an observation area.  Dogs are allowed within a portion of the beach in Makalei Beach Park - this dog-friendly portion is situated below the nearby seawall. 

Makalei Beach Park offers many fun activities including sunbathing, wildlife watching, fishing, picnicking, beachcombing, wildlife watching, swimming, surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, bodysurfing, skimboarding, snorkeling, kayaking, canoeing, jet-skiing, surf-skiing, paddleboarding, and boating.  The water near Makalei Beach Park offers a fun yet manageable surfing waves for all kinds of surfers.  The water near Makalei Beach Park has multiple surfing spots that are particularly popular among locals - some of these surfing spots have unsettling and creepy names including Graveyards, Suicides, Sleepy Hollows, and Ricebowls.  The beach is also popular among local surfers as the water here is usually less crowded than some other nearby Oahu beaches.  The water also occasionally has calm conditions for paddle-boarders and snorkelers.  However, if you are planning to swim or surf in the water near Makalei Beach Park, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to have unpredictable rip currents and rogue waves.  The water near this beach also has a reef, which makes swimming slightly difficult here. 

Depending on the time of the year, you can view many kinds of animals in the water near Makalei Beach including dolphins, migrating whales, and many kinds of fish including triggerfish and butterflyfish.  In addition, you can also view Hawaiian green sea turtles in the water – these turtles are protected under a federal law named the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and harming them can result in up to a $25,000 fine along with possible imprisonment.  The beach is popularly known to be a semi-clothing optional beach.  However, if you are planning a semi-clothing optional visit to Makalei Beach Park, please note that any form of public indecency is punishable by local laws.  If you are planning to fish in the water near Makalei Beach Park, we recommend following the local fishing regulations.  Makalei Beach Park offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Pacific Ocean, the southern Oahu shoreline, and a nearby volcanic tuff cone named Diamond Head.  If you like yoga, Mākālei Beach Park also hosts yoga sessions conducted by Diana Ho Yoga on Fridays at 5:15 pm.  If you are interested in attending a yoga session in Makalei Beach Park, you can visit Diana Ho Yoga’s website for more information regarding the yoga sessions

Getting to Makalei Beach Park is easy - the entrance to Makalei Beach Park is located near 3111 Diamond Head Road.  You can park at street parking spaces available on the roads situated to the northwest of the park including Hibiscus Place and Hibiscus Drive, and from there you can easily walk to the entrance to Makalei Beach.  As another parking option, you can drive to a nearby recreational park named Kapiolani Regional Park, which is located a quarter of a mile away from Makalei Beach Park along Kalakaua Avenue - you can park at the metered and free street parking spaces and paid parking lots near this park.  Once you park at Kapiolani Regional Park, you can walk to the entrance to Makalei Beach.  From the entrance, you need to further walk through a grassy area on a walking path that will lead you to the beach in Makalei Beach Park. 

There are many attractions near Makalei Beach Park.  Kapiʻolani Regional Park is a popular waterfront regional park that is present near the beach - this park has many amenities including tennis courts, an archery range, soccer fields, a three-mile jogging course, and picnic areas.  The beautifully landscaped 200-acre park also has the Honolulu Zoo, a popular 42.5-acre zoo that is home to over 1,230 animals.  The park also has bandshell named the Waikīkī Shell - the Royal Hawaiian Band offers free live music performances in this bandshell on Sunday afternoons.  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.  Diamond Head State Monument is a state-managed area which is set in a volcanic tuff cone named Diamond Head (which is named 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. If you are looking for another attraction near Makalei Beach Park, Queen Kapiolani Garden is a garden that has many species of plants from both Hawaii and from various regions of the world - this garden is known for its hibiscus flowers and Lokelani roses.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Makalei Beach Park. 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. Kuhio Beach Grill offers amazing Modern American cuisine, along with amazing breakfast dishes and an outstanding dinner buffet.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Makalei Beach Park, Diamond Head Market & Grill offers amazing dishes for lunch, breakfast, and dinner including eggs, fried rice, pancakes, French toast, steaks, loco moco, burger, salads, and sandwiches.

If you are looking for a hotel near Makalei Beach Park, there are many great nearby options.  The 5-Star The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, Waikiki offers many amenities including multiple pools (including one with cabanas, a saltwater pool, a private beach area), two upscale restaurants, a bar, and a spa.  As another upscale hotel, the 4-Star Queen Kapiolani Hotel offers many amenities including a pool, a restaurant, a spa, a cafe, and a cocktail bar.  A more affordable hotel is the 3.5-Star Waikiki Resort Hotel which offers many amenities including a pool with a terrace, spa services, and two restaurants (including one serving Korean cuisine).  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Makalei Beach Park, the 2-Star Pagoda Waikiki offers a plant-filled central courtyard that has a pool and a sundeck.