Looking for a beach near a variety of shops, restaurants, and bars? Ala Moana Beach Park has all of those things and more. Ala Moana Beach Park is a large park of around 100 acres and half a mile of white sand beach. It’s a great choice for a variety of activities. The calm waters, protected by a shallow coral reef that encloses the water close to the beach, make it ideal for paddleboarding and both distance and recreational swimmers. You’ll find the east end of the water towards Waikiki better for swimming as it doesn’t have as much rock and reef. It’s generally not as crowded as the beaches of Waikiki, but it still gets busy, especially on the weekends or during the Lantern Floating Hawaii event hosted here every Memorial Day. You’ll find the the tourists to locals ratio lower than Waikiki as well.
In addition to the beach, it also has a lot of grassy park area dotted with banyan and palm trees. You’ll also find tennis courts, the McCoy Pavilion (where a variety of events are hosted), and the Honolulu Lawn Bowls Club here.
The beach actually didn’t even exist until the 1950’s, when the Dillingham Dredging Company starting dumping earth and sand on the beach creating what we see today.
You don’t need to end your day here though, it’s also right next to the shopping behemoth Ala Moana Center with a variety of shops and restaurants. You’ll also find Magic Island Lagoon just to the east with it’s own swimming lagoon and plenty of people grilling out.
Excited to explore Ala Moana’s surrounding region? Take a hike through the Makiki Arboretum Trail where you’ll be trekking through lush forests and reaching beautiful waterfalls. Another great place with awesome views is the Puʻu ʻUalakaʻa State Wayside. You’ll be able to drive most of the way, and then take a short hike to reach a 1,048 ft. hill looking out over downtown Honolulu. Many enjoy coming here at night to see the city lit up.
There are a few great options for food nearby for dining in or for grabbing some grub to bring along.
At Ala Moana Beach Park you can find a few different parking lots nearby as well as parking along the street. You also have the option to take the bus to a nearby stop. Bus Accessible (click for bus directions from your current location)
Ala Moana Beach Park offers a great place for fun with your family and friends. Additionally, the surrounding area has many activities for you to explore.
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