Wailupe Beach Park

Located in the town of ʻĀina Haina, Wailupe Beach Park is a small recreational park with a very narrow rock-and-sand beach with nearby palm trees.  This beach is situated near an artificial peninsula named Wailupe Peninsula - in the early 20th century, the peninsula’s current location used to have a fish pond, which was filled up in the 1930s by a company called Hawaiian Dredging using dredged corals and rocks.  Today, Wailupe Peninsula is a residential area. 

Although Wailupe Beach Park does not have lifeguards, it has many other amenities including restrooms, showers, and picnic tables.  Leashed dogs are allowed in the portions of Wailupe Beach Park that are below the high tide line. 

Wailupe Beach Park offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, picnicking, fishing, swimming, paddleboarding, surfing, kayaking, canoeing, surf-skiing, and boating.  The water near Wailupe Beach Park is shallow and has generally manageable waves, making it ideal for beginner swimmers.  Surfers also enter the water near this beach as it offers fun surfing waves -  the water near Wailupe Beach Park has great surf spots named Kim’s, Suicides, Bones, and Wailupe.  However, if you are planning to swim or surf in the water near Wailupe Beach, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to have unpredictable rip currents.  In addition, the water here also has a reef and a rocky bottom and it is also known to be dirty, making water activities significantly difficult here.  If you are planning to fish in the water near Wailupe Beach Park, we recommend ensuring compliance with the local fishing regulations.  Depending on the time of the year, you can view many kinds of animals in the water near Wailupe Beach Park including sea turtles, migrating whales, and dolphins - sea turtles are protected under a law named Endangered Species Act of 1973, and harming them can result in a fine up to $25,000 and possible imprisonment.  Wailupe Beach Park offers outstanding Instagram-worthy views of the Pacific Ocean and the south-eastern Oahu shoreline.

Getting to Wailupe Beach Park is easy - the park is located near 5005 Kalaniana’ole Highway (which is also known as Hawaii Route 72).  A parking lot is also present near the beach. 

There are many attractions near Wailupe Beach Park.  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.  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. Dolphin Quest Oahu is a private lagoon that has six dolphins - Dolphin Quest Oahu offers fun interaction sessions with these dolphins and offers a unique insight into the lives of these wonderful creatures.  Āina Haina Community Park is a recreational park that has many amenities including baseball fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, walking paths, picnic tables, playgrounds, and restrooms.  If you are looking for another attraction near Wailupe Beach Park, Ala Wai Community Park is a recreational park along the banks of the Ala Wai Canal.  The park has many amenities including a playground, sitting areas, drinking water facilities, exercise areas, picnic areas, restrooms, and showers - this park also offers many fun activities including softball, kayaking, canoeing, soccer, jogging, biking, and baseball.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Wailupe 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 ‘Aina Award’s Silver Prize for the most romantic restaurant in 2019.  Roy’s at Hawaii Kai is another upscale restaurant that offers excellent fusion gourmet dishes with Hawaiian culinary influences including seafood, steaks, lamb, and pastas.  Black Fire Tavern serves amazing pizzas, pastas, salads, and soups.  The restaurant has been featured in many publications including Honolulu and Food & Wine Magazines.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Wailupe Beach Park, La Tour Cafe serves amazing salads, soups, burgers, and sandwiches.

If you are looking for a hotel near Wailupe Beach Park, there are many great nearby options within a 20-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 hotel, the 4-Star Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki Beach offers many amenities including a 24-hour gym, a spa, a pool, a restaurant with a terrace, a cafe, and a bar.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Aqua Aloha Surf Waikiki Hotel which has a surf-themed decor and offers many amenities including an exercise room, a spa, a pool with cabanas and a barbecue grill.  In addition, it also offers many other amenities for a resort fee including a local area shuttle, beach towel and chair loaner facility, and a weekly cocktail reception.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Wailupe Beach Park, the 2-Star Kuhio Banyan Club offers loaner facilities for coolers, towels, umbrellas, boogie boards for a resort fee.  In addition, it also offers coin-operated laundry facilities.