Portlock Beach

Located in Hawaii Kai, Portlock Beach - also known as Portlock Road Beach - is a narrow beach with light brown sand and some pebbly portions, along with nearby palm trees.  The beach also has a wonderful background of upscale oceanfront houses. 

Portlock Beach does not have lifeguards or any other public amenities, so plan accordingly.

Portlock Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, fishing, picnicking, swimming, surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, paddleboarding, kayaking, canoeing, jet-skiing, surf-skiing, and boating.  If you are planning to swim or surf in the water near Portlock Beach, we recommend being careful as the water here has unpredictable rip currents.  If you are planning to fish in the water near Portlock Beach, we recommend ensuring compliance with the local fishing regulations.  The beach is ideal for visitors looking for a quiet beach experience as it sees fewer visitors than other Oahu beaches.  This beach offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Pacific Ocean and a distant volcanic cone named Diamond Head, especially during sunsets.  Depending on the time of the year, you can see many kinds of animals in the water near Portlock Beach including migrating whales, dolphins, and sea turtles - sea turtles in the United States are protected in the United States under a law named the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and harming them can result in a fine up to $25000, along with possible imprisonment.

Getting to Portlock Beach is easy - the access paths to Portlock Beach are present along Portlock Road. Portlock Road is easily accessible from Kalaniana’ole Highway (also called Hawaii Route 72). Street parking is also available along Portlock Road.  It is important to note that the widest portion of Portlock Beach is situated between 240 Portlock Road and 280 Portlock Road.   

There are many attractions near Portlock Beach.  WaiʻalaeIki Neighborhood Park is a recreational park that offers many amenities including a large grassy area, a baseball field, a soccer field, benches, a playground, and a restroom.  Makapu’u Point Lighthouse Trail offers amazing views of the southeastern Oahu shoreline including the nearby Koko Head and Koko Crater - the trail ends at a headland named Makapu’u Head, which has an observation area from where you can view an early 20th-century lighthouse.  You can also view many kinds of birds and animals from this observation area including frigatebirds and tropicbirds, along with migrating humpback whales (between November and May).  Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve is six minutes away by car and is set in a bay named Hanauma Bay - this bay is an extremely popular snorkeling spot and you can view many kinds of animals in the water near this beach including sea turtles, octopus, migrating whales, and more than 400 kinds of fish including reef triggerfish (which is also the state fish of Hawaii), eels, and yellowfin goatfish.  Hanauma Bay also has a beach named Hanauma Bay Beach that offers amazing Instagram-worthy photos of the Hawaiian shoreline and the Pacific Ocean and it also has a Marine Education Center which offers interesting exhibits on the local biodiversity and it also has a theater and a gift shop.  Sea Life Park Hawaii is home to many kinds of aquatic and semi-aquatic animals and birds including sea lions, dolphins, penguins, seals, and many kinds of native fish species - the park also offers interesting educational programs, interactive animal encounters, and exciting animal shows.  If you are looking for another attraction near Portlock Beach, Lanai Lookout is a popular observation area that offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Pacific Ocean and the south-eastern Oahu shoreline.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Portlock Beach.  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 Honolulumagazine’s Hale ‘Aina Award’s silver prize for the most romantic restaurant in 2019.  Assaggio Hawaii offers amazing Italian dishes including pasta and chicken alla parmigiana.  The restaurant also serves amazing steaks, salads, seafood, veal, salads, and soups.  La Tour Cafe serves amazing salads,soups, burgers, and sandwiches.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Portlock Beach, Boston’s Pizza Hawaii Kai offers a variety of amazing pizzas.

If you are looking for a hotel near Portlock Beach, 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 Aston Waikiki Sunset offers many amenities including a pool, a convenience store, laundry facilities, a sauna, a tennis court, a picnic area with barbecue grills, and a complimentary DVD library.  A more affordable hotel is the Aloha Guest House which 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 Portlock Beach, the 2-Star Pagoda Waikiki offers a plant-filled central courtyard that has a pool and a sundeck.