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Oʻahu

Best beaches & snorkeling on Oʻahu, ranked honestly

Ranked by Reality: whether each one delivers for people who went. The chips show if it lives up to its hype.

Kualoa Park — photo by 박기태Worth itReality 76 +311Kualoa Park★ 4.7Windward · BeachFree waterfront park with big lawns facing Mokoliʻi (Chinaman's Hat) and the Kualoa cliffsBanzai Pipeline — photo by adam klangWorth itReality 73 +482Banzai Pipeline★ 4.8North Shore & Lāʻie · BeachFree beach park fronting the world-famous Pipeline reef break, best for winter surf-watchingAla Moana Beach Park — photo by Jayne CloutierWorth itReality 71 +123Ala Moana Beach Park★ 4.6Honolulu & Waikīkī · Beach119-acre city beach park with a mile of calm, reef-protected water and Magic Island lagoonKailua Beach — photo by Hiroyuki HayafuneWorth itReality 71 04Kailua Beach★ 4.8Windward · BeachLong, soft-sand windward beach with turquoise water, lifeguards and free parking lotsWaimea Bay — photo by Allen HoofWorth itReality 71 +145Waimea Bay★ 4.8North Shore & Lāʻie · BeachFree North Shore bay: glassy swimming and jump rock in summer, 30 ft+ big-wave surf in winterWaimānalo Beach — photo by Idan AdivWorth itReality 71 +246Waimānalo Beach★ 4.7East side · BeachAbout 3 miles of soft white sand under the Koʻolau cliffs, with a local, uncrowded feelLanikai Beach — photo by 영담Worth it if…Reality 66 +137Lanikai Beach★ 4.8Windward · BeachSoft-sand residential beach in Kailua facing the Mokulua islands; no facilitiesTurtle Beach — photo by Shahbaz SalehiWorth it if…Reality 66 +138Turtle Beach★ 4.7North Shore & Lāʻie · BeachNorth Shore beach where Hawaiian green sea turtles often bask, with volunteer turtle guardiansKo ʻOlina Lagoons — photo by mightydoWorth it if…Reality 60 +419Ko ʻOlina Lagoons★ 4.6Leeward · BeachFour calm, man-made resort lagoons in Kapolei with free but limited public parkingMākaha Beach — photo by Anthony WongWorth it if…Reality 60 +2510Mākaha Beach★ 4.7Leeward · BeachWide local west-side beach and historic big-wave surf break; calm in summer, rough in winterShark's Cove — photo by Marcia EovinoWorth it if…Reality 56 +511Shark's Cove★ 4.7North Shore & Lāʻie · SnorkelFree lava-rock tide-pool cove in a marine reserve; good summer snorkeling, off-limits in winter surfSandy Beach — photo by Kammie TangWorth it if…Reality 55 +2712Sandy Beach★ 4.7East side · BeachWide east-side beach famous for expert bodyboarding and a dangerous, neck-breaking shorebreakWaikīkī Beach — photo by Wahab KayondoWorth it if…Reality 54 −2013Waikīkī Beach★ 4.6Honolulu & Waikīkī · BeachTwo-mile strip of linked, hotel-lined city beaches with gentle surf and Diamond Head viewsSunset Beach — photo by Vinny PezzimentiWorth it if…Reality 51 +1514Sunset Beach★ 4.7North Shore & Lāʻie · BeachLong, wide North Shore beach known for winter pro surf, the Sunset Rip and sunset viewsHanauma Bay — photo by Jerry ShinSkip itReality 45 −2915Hanauma Bay★ 4.6East side · SnorkelProtected reef bay in a volcanic crater with reservation-only snorkeling and a beach

The numbers

#PlaceVerdictHypeRealityGapGoogle
1Kualoa ParkWorth it4576+31 · Underrated★ 4.7 (4,021)
2Banzai PipelineWorth it2573+48 · Underrated★ 4.8 (1,243)
3Ala Moana Beach ParkWorth it5971+12 · Underrated★ 4.6 (7,220)
4Kailua BeachWorth it71710 · Lives up to the hype★ 4.8 (13,475)
5Waimea BayWorth it5771+14 · Underrated★ 4.8 (6,694)
6Waimānalo BeachWorth it4771+24 · Underrated★ 4.7 (4,370)
7Lanikai BeachWorth it if…5366+13 · Underrated★ 4.8 (2,189)
8Turtle BeachWorth it if…5366+13 · Underrated★ 4.7 (5,895)
9Ko ʻOlina LagoonsWorth it if…1960+41 · Underrated★ 4.6 (1,144)
10Mākaha BeachWorth it if…3560+25 · Underrated★ 4.7 (2,278)
11Shark's CoveWorth it if…5156+5 · Lives up to the hype★ 4.7 (5,337)
12Sandy BeachWorth it if…2855+27 · Lives up to the hype★ 4.7 (1,626)
13Waikīkī BeachWorth it if…7454−20 · Overhyped★ 4.6 (1,301)
14Sunset BeachWorth it if…3651+15 · Lives up to the hype★ 4.7 (2,458)
15Hanauma BaySkip it7445−29 · Overhyped★ 4.6 (2,118)