Maunalua Bay Beach Park

Located in the residential community of Hawaii Kai, Maunalua Bay Beach Park is a recreational park that has a light-brown sand beach with a few rocky parts.  This beach is situated along the shores of a bay named Maunalua Bay.  The middle portion of this beach is extremely narrow compared to its eastern and western ends.  The middle part of the beach also has a water inlet - this inlet has a boat launch area that is used for launching watercraft.  The name of this beach park and the bay (Maunalua) literally means “two mountains” in Hawaiian - this name refers to the Koko Crater and Koko Head, two mountainous peaks near the beach park.  Maunalua Bay Beach Park was built by renowned industrialist Henry J. Kaiser around the mid-20th century - Kaiser donated the park to the City and County of Honolulu in 1960.  The beach used to consist of more than 49,700 feet of coral that was dredged from Maunalua Bay and was then placed along the surrounding shoreline. 

Although Maunalua Bay Beach Park does not have lifeguards, it has many amenities including restrooms, showers, picnic tables, benches, and kayak storage facilities. 

Maunalua Bay Beach Park offers many fun activities including sunbathing, wildlife watching, beachcombing, picnicking, swimming, fishing, boating,jet-skiing, snorkeling, surf-skiing, parasailing, waterskiing, kayaking, canoeing, and paddleboarding.  The water near this beach is usually calm and shallow, making it ideal for beginner swimmers.  The water near this beach is also popular among kayakers and canoers - the water near this beach is often used for practice and races by the Hui Nalu O Hawai'i Canoe Club.  However, if you are planning to swim in the water near Maunalua Bay Beach Park, we recommend being careful as the water near this beach is known to have a rocky bottom, which can inflict injuries to swimmers.  In addition, it is also known to be frequently dirty.  The water near Maunalua Bay Beach Park also has sand bars and coral reefs - you can wade in the water near Maunalua Bay Beach Park and explore these interesting sandbars and coral reefs at low tide.  Depending on the time of the year, you can view many kinds of animals in the water near this beach including jellyfish, migrating humpback whales (usually during winters), and many kinds of fish including bluefin trevally and Crevalle jack.  You can also view Hawaiian green sea turtles in the water near this beach. These turtles are protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and harming them can result in a fine of up to $25,000, and possible imprisonment.  If you are planning to fish in the water near Maunalua Bay Beach Park, we recommend ensuring compliance with the local fishing regulations.  Maunalua Bay Beach Park also offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Maunalua Bay and the southeastern Oahu shoreline.

Getting to Maunalua Bay Beach Park is easy - this park is located along Kalaniana’ole Highway (which is also known as Hawaii Route 72).  A parking lot is also available near the park.  An overnight parking facility is also available in this parking lot.  However, if you are planning to park your vehicle in Maunalua Bay Beach Park, we recommend avoiding leaving any valuables in your car as burglary attempts have been known to occur in this area. 

There are many attractions near Maunalua Bay Beach 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 also popular and dangerous – it is a popular cliff diving and cliff jumping spot, and there’s a memorial in these caves which pays tribute to cliff-divers and cliff-jumpers who died here.  Koko Head District Park is a large, beautifully landscaped park with 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 near the park - this uphill trail offers amazing views of the Oahu shoreline and the city of Honolulu.  If you are looking for another attraction near Maunalua Bay Beach Park, Kuli’ou’ou Ridge Trail is a steep hiking trail that offers a challenging and fun hiking experience. This trail also offers a unique insight into Oahu’s vibrant landscape and biodiversity and amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Hawaiian shoreline.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Maunalua Bay Beach Park.  Roy’s at 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.  Greek Marina Restaurant is a waterfront restaurant that offers amazing Greek dishes for lunch and dinner including gyros, souvlaki, and moussaka, along with sandwiches, soups, salads, and fries.  The restaurant also offers Greek music.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Maunalua Bay Beach Park, Koa Pancake House offers amazing dishes for lunch and breakfast with Hawaiian culinary influences including burgers, sandwiches, waffles, French toasts, eggs, and loco moco.

If you are looking for a hotel near Maunalua Beach Park, there are many great nearby options within a 25-minute drive.  If you are looking for an upscale hotel, 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 option, the 4-Star Queen Kapiʻolani Hotel Waikīkī Beach offers many amenities including a spa, a cafe, a poolside cocktail bar, a pool, and a restaurant with a terrace.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-StarAston at the Waikiki Banyanwhich offers many amenities including a cafe, and a picnic area with barbecue facilities.  The hotel also offers many amenities for a resort fee including access to a recreation deck with a pool, two hot tubs, sports courts, a putting green, and a playground.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Maunalua Bay Beach Park, the 2-Star Waikiki Monarch Hotel offers many amenities including a jacuzzi, a pool, a sundeck, barbecue area, a fitness center, coin-operated laundry facilities, and an ATM.