Papaoneone Beach

Located in the small town of Waianae, Papaoneone Beach has a long, narrow, and rocky white sand beach situated south of Mauna Lahilahi, a beautiful small mountain.  Papaoneone Beach is also known as Laniakea Beach (in Hawaiian) and Turtle Beach after the fact that many green sea turtles come here to feed on the seaweed that grows on the reef. Papaoneone Beach is adjacent to a marine conservation area which is home to many animals including tiny fish, black-and-yellow triggerfish, eels, and turtles making it popular for swimming and fishing during the summer season.  Papaoneone Beach is also a great diving spot as there is an 80-feet-deep sea cave called Ulua Cave located offshore.

Although Papaoneone Beach does not have lifeguards, it offers a few amenities including rock arches and a sea cave.

There are many fun activities at Papaoneone Beach including swimming, scuba diving, surfing, fishing, and beach walking.  Please note that getting into the waters here during winters can be very dangerous because of strong currents and huge surf. 

Getting to Papaoneone Beach is very easy – the beach’s free small dirt parking area is located at 84 Lahilahi Street and is within walking distance to the beach.

If you are looking for attractions near Papaoneone Beach, you can drive 35 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 Papaoneone 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.

If you get hungry, you can drive 12 minutes to many restaurants near Papaoneone Beach. Restaurant 604 is an American restaurant that offers Portuguese Paella, tavern sandwiches, mac and cheese, ribs, steaks, salmon, desserts, and drinks. El Mariachi features many Mexican food items including tacos, burritos, machaca, menudo, and chilaquiles.  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 Papaoneone 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 Papaoneone Beach, there are many options within a 20-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 Papaoneone Beach, the pet-friendly 2-Star Best Western The Plaza Hotel has a nice pool and American restaurant.