Maipalaoa Beach

Located in the small town of Waianae, Maipalaoa Beach has a long and narrow white sand beach situated south of Surfer’s Beach Park. Maipalaoa Beach is adjacent to a marine conservation area that is home to many animals including tiny fish, black-and-yellow triggerfish, eels, and turtles making it popular for surfing, snorkeling, and fishing during the summer season.  

Although Maipalaoa Beach does not have lifeguards, it offers a couple of amenities including restrooms, showers, and picnic tables. 

There are many fun activities at Maipalaoa Beach including swimming, surfing, snorkeling, fishing, beach walking, and sunbathing. Please note that getting into the waters here during winters can be very dangerous as the surf can be huge. 

Getting to Maipalaoa Beach is very easy – the beach’s free parking area is located at 87-849 Farrington Highway and is within walking distance to the beach.

If you are looking for attractions near Maipalaoa Beach, you can drive 30 minutes to the Honolulu Museum of Art, the largest art museum in the state of Hawaii that is home to more than 5,000 works of art including Hokusai, Vincent Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso, as well as Asian and Hawaiian art. Spread across 10 acres, Iolani Palace is the only royal palace in the United States and features a set of archives with all the kingdom records. Ke’ehi Lagoon Beach Park is an awesome waterfront park that is very popular among paddlers and families picnicking – it offers a playground, an open field, and tennis courts. Another great attraction near Maipalaoa Beach is Pearl Harbor, an American lagoon harbor that is the main base for the US Pacific Fleet - it features the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center that draws more than 1.7 million visitors each year. Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese Navy December 7, 1941, which led to the United States detonating two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which ended the World War II.

If you get hungry, you can drive 15 minutes to many restaurants near Maipalaoa Beach. Restaurant 604 is an American restaurant that offers Portuguese Paella, tavern sandwiches, mac and cheese, ribs, steaks, salmon, desserts, and drinks. If you like Italian food, Ricado’s Italian Restaurant serves classic Italian dishes like Chicken Parmigiana and Fettuccine Alfredo, pasta, chicken, and beef dishes. Another good restaurant near Maipalaoa Beach is Dixie Grill, a barbecue restaurant with a nice menu that includes beef brisket, chicken quarters, kielbasa sausage, beef ribs, and pork ribs.

If you are looking for a hotel near Maipalaoa Beach, there are many options within a 22-minute drive. The Kahala Hotel & Resort is an upscale 5-Star hotel with a spa, fitness center, dolphin lagoon, five restaurants, as well as surfing and paddleboarding lessons. The 4-Star hotel Embassy Suites by Hilton Oahu Kapolei features a pool, lounge, gym, restaurant, and has beautiful mountain view rooms and suites. Harbor Shores Apartment Hotel is a 3-Star hotel that welcomes pets and offers a pool. If you are looking for a budget-friendly hotel near Maipalaoa Beach, the pet-friendly 2-Star Best Western The Plaza Hotel has a nice pool and American restaurant.