I always pass by here on my run and it's definitely a smaller low-key spot although it does get a bit crowded during the peak sunset hours. There is literally no parking around here so many people just walk here from the residential area around it. I usually just sit and admire the ocean waves before getting up to continue my route but it's definitely a more chill area to relax as opposed to the more commercialized Waikīkī Beach. read more

Makalei Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Nice low key spot when it's not overcrowded and before the tide comes . I use to go here years ago and loved chillin here with a cooler and friends.. it's still fun but gets very busy. You'll see turtles here a lot too if you go often :) read more

Makalei beach park is one of the more low key beaches in the Waikiki area. I love this end of Waikiki because it is a lot more chill and residential, so you are a little bit away from all the hustle and bustle of the tourism. With that, comes some drawbacks like there is no parking lot. I usually try to find metered parking along Kapiolani park and then walk around 5-10 minutes. This spot is popular with mopedist (if that's the word for them lol) but I have seen some neighbours get the police involved when there were a lot of mopeds parked out front. There also isn't a bathroom, but they do have an outdoor shower to rinse off all the sand. If you're not feeling getting sandy, you can hang out on the grassy area. Same amazing view and great vibe. The beach itself isn't very big and during certain times of the year during high tide, there really isn't any dry sand to set up on. read more

This is a great hidden away and intimate sunset picnic spot. You'll need to park near Kapiolani Park and walk unless you have a moped. But once you get here it's quiet, chill, and beautiful. read more

Makalei Beach Park - peep the moon - Parks Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

Going around the Diamond Head area, we stopped at this beach. It isn't one of the more popular ones as it was pretty quiet. Makalei Beach Park is pretty bare bones, and mostly for the nearby residents. Has nowhere to park close. There are showers but no bathrooms here however. Certainly it's not a hot touristy spot, as it's in a residential area. It's surrounded by a neighborhood of nice houses. The park is most notable for a large hau tree. A few tables are around it. This is in the shade, so it's good for a picnic. A narrow walkway goes between a cliffside wall and the beach. This is as close as you can get to the water. A bad thing is there's no parking lot next to it. To get to the beach you'll have to walk a bit, but it's not really crazy far at least. Has some good things about coming to this beach. It's located off of Diamond Head Road. This is a nice spot if you want to enjoy the scenery without lots of tourists. read more

See all

This little nearby park is rich with history. According to a plaque, the park used to be a family home known as Haumalu (which means quiet). Makalei is a tree branch used to attract fish. The park is shaded by trees including a prominent hau tree. Views of the peak of Diamond Head and the ocean make the park picturesque. A sidewalk runs from the street down to the ocean. There is no nearby parking, making the park accessible to mainly foot traffic and a few scooters. In the evenings, neighbors gather in the park to watch the sunset. A small hidden beach fills with locals. A handful of picnic tables and water fountains are the only amenities. There are no restroom facilities. Animals are not permitted but there seems to always be a dog or two in the park. read more

See all

Nice quaint hidden beach park near Diamond Head residential area if you're willing to do a short walk to arrive. Parked at Kapiolani Park area. Very quiet and relaxing compared to the rest of Waikiki. It was a peaceful experience with less people around. Recommend for a mindfulness beach walk to clear your head and get some sun and movement. There are railway beach access to arrive at the next beach park too. Just be careful as waves will splash up unexpectedly. There is a shower and some benches here, no bathroom though. read more

See all

It is tucked away off the beaten track. Its a quaint little park/beach and the ocean walkway between little parks is really cool to take. Good luck with find parking...super limited nearby. There is no immediate parking next to the park, so you will have to walk a little ways to get here. But it is very relaxing and calm park/beach. There is a picnic table or two, with opens shower. read more

What a great beach to go to! It's kind of secluded as you would have to walk down towards the beach. How do you find it you ask? Well, once you see the first right hand parking lot with the view of the ocean on Diamondhead Road, there is also side parking/parallel parking near the first view parking lot in which you will find the pathway of a few stairs and then just a pathway with railings that starts your walk towards the beach. The beach was very spacious as in less people and more of a tourist hotspot yet it's a great place to surf and swim/snorkel here which is pretty great too! My friend and I had a cute little picnic outing today and it was pretty great, very relaxing read more

See all

This is a great place to come a hangout I would recommend bringing a beach umbrella or some sort of covering because there is no shade on the beach. There are trees in the park area where you can hangout out of the sun if it gets to grueling. read more

See all

Small park, not worth a special trip out but if you are in the area might as well. Small beach and some seating on a concrete area. It is surrounded by private residencies read more

Makalei Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

Nice LITTLE beach at the foot of Diamond Head located at 3111 Diamondhead Road. We were lucky to find a parking spot along one of the nearby residential streets. We packed out waggon knowing it may be a trek. Coolers are a must and bbq's preferred at this family friendly spot. The park offers 6 picnic tables, 4 of which are shaded by a large tree. But watch out for the birds. Been pooped on a couple times, including 5 minutes ago while I was literally writing this review. Seriously. Literally pooped on... again. But it's ok. I washed the pigeon poop in the ocean. Tide was a but high today so we found ourselves chilling at the park and heading down to the water to wade. There's Decent amount of dogs here, all respectful and happy. Police frequent the park randomly so be careful with the drinks. It saying don't. Just saying, be eazy, be alert. Most of all... have fun, clean up after yourself, give aloha and love life. Oh... and smile because they're contagious! read more

See all

Makalei beach park sometimes called secret beach is one of the best little spots on the island. Located on the southeast part of the island, really close to Diamond Head. The only secret here is the parking. Pay attention when driving or you will miss it. This park has a nice grass area all shaded with some picnic tables with beach access. The beach is small but white sands and the water crystal clear. The beach is prefect for just relaxing and enjoying the views. read more

See all

This is an interesting little park. Many, many, many cons but tons of potential. It has an amazing view of the waves. It's a nice escape from the crowded beach parks closer to Waikiki. read more

See all

If you blink while traveling along the southeastern coastline at the base of Diamond Head, you may miss this small strip neighborhood park known as Makalei Beach Park. Makalei Beach is located between Kaluahole and Leahi Beaches. Its entrance is along Diamond Head Road and faces out towards a rail where the ocean waves often splash up and over. To each of its sides, this park is bordered by homes so you must be respectful to not disturb or trespass on these residential properties. There are a couple of park benches and tables where you can picnic, open showers for washing off the sand and salt water and no restrooms. It can be so calming to sit nearby or stand by the rail to look at the beautiful blue Pacific Ocean or watch and listen to the splashes of crystal-clear waves of the salty ocean water. But, when it's high tide or if rough ocean conditions you must take caution as the waves WILL splash over the rail. I'm told that many surfers use this park as an entry to the following popular surfing spots: Tongg's, Ricebowls, Radicals, The Winch, Graveyards, Suicides and Sleepy Hollows. Keep your eyes open and try not to blink as you near this little gem of a park. read more

See all

For sure the nicest and one of the least crowded beaches on the south. Like I said before, I call this Secret Beach 'cause it's really unknown and uncrowded. I guess it's a good thing that parking is super limited around the beach so many people simply don't know this gem of a park/beach exists. The water is generally pretty clear although yesterday it was cloudy from the sand/waves mixing but I still saw plenty of fish while snorkeling. Even with the offshore waves yesterday, the waves over the reefs were about one foot so no worries about getting crashed over the coral. Great place to spot moas and really colorful humu's with brighter, fluorescent-like striping versus their normal orange/black striped version. read more

Every now and then, the beach calls to me and I have to answer it. It is nice to have this semi secluded beach near home and it is quite nice to be near Waikiki also. Makalei beach park is often hidden away from the tourist area and can be described as a beach for the local people. Anybody can come here to relax and enjoy the beach park On any given day. I found myself here on a nice Sunday evening in mid February 2019 after walking around Kapiolani Park and needed a breather. You probably would need to have a map because all you need to do is walk up to Diamondhead Road from Waikiki and you can find it. I spent about two hours here before heading home because it got dark around 7 PM. For the most part though, this beach park is very small, but can hold a bunch of people for small events and beach goers who want to enjoy nature and it's glorious splendors. The beach is self is clean and sports a small restroom facility. There is a couple of benches for sitting and hanging out, as well as branches on the beach as well as candlelit dinner's if you're into that thing. I enjoyed my time here at this small oasis, especially when it is out-of-the-way from Waikiki. You have your own space here and you're not bothering anyone. It's really perfect. The overall experience here at Makalei beach park has been a nice change of pace, a good thrill, and hope to be back sometime soon. It's very positive, spiritual, awesome, and just a way to kill time and jump out of the consistency that we call life. It's almost like an attachment to someone's backyard, but maintained by the good folks at the City and county of Honolulu. The grounds are maintained nicely and you don't see much social problems here, ie homeless encampments, but you never know what goes on here at night. Makalei beach park is located off Makalei Place on Diamond Head Road. It's near Kapiolani Park, so that's a plus. About maybe 1/4 mile from the entrance to the park itself. Since this is a Beach park, admission is very much free. There is no admission fee charged to come here, which is always a good thing. I'm not sure about parking though, because it is located in a residential area. The parking situation is best solved by parking at Kapi'olani Park, Triangle Park along Kahala Avenue, or Kapiolani College, and walking on over. It seems like a far walk but Its possibly the best one for public parking anyway. I'm not sure he can find anything closer than that. If you are like me, Best bet is to find your way towards Kapi'olani park or kapiolani community college and walk towards the beach. It is a walk, but I don't think there's anything closer than those options. If you are like me, bus routes 2, 19, 20, 14 come through Kapiolani Park. Bus route 3 and 9 hit up Kapiolani Community College. Route 14 stops by Triangle Park on Kahala Avenue. It doesn't matter how you get here, but get here. It's definitely also the pulse of beauty and of paradise. It's definitely away from the crowds and you can basically have peace and quiet here, while being close to town and close enough to Waikiki, in the event you need to go and grab lunch after an hour or two of zen moments here at Makalei Beach Park. I really enjoyed my time here at this beach park. My favorite time of day to come here is pretty much before 8 AM. It is generally cooler at that time of day and you probably could see the sunrise if you got there early enough. Likewise during evening hours, you can see the sunset here too. Regardless of why you come here, to come here and enjoy the ocean, nature, and what it feels like to just relax and sing the songs of the ocean. It has definitely gave me a new perspective on life when everything seems to be pretty overwhelming at times. Don't sweat the small stuff and the ocean will help heal your soul. At least that's what I got from coming here on a few occasions. 5.0 stars for the overall experience. Support local! A+ read more

This beach park is a favorite. We BBQ here often. It has great views, close beach access, showers, etc. What more could you want?! .... well, bathrooms and parking, but I mean not every beach can be perfect! There are big trees here so you get lots of shade. The beach is tucked back to the right so it is pretty tourist-free. Occasionally you see a monk seal here too! The water is usually clear and pretty calm, making it easy to paddle out to catch some surf or take a leisurely swim. It's a good beach for kids too! There is a shower and a couple of picnic tables and trash receptacles. Lots of dogs here so make sure to keep yours leashed and pick up after them! read more

Makalei Beach Park - Perfect spot for slack lines and hammocks - Parks Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This is my go-to spot to relax after work. Showers and few picnic tables and trash cans. Plumeria trees and palms. Nice green grass. You can walk along the sea wall for a short stroll or lay on the beach. I have seen the mama monk seal here before too! There isn't really any parking unless you are on bicycle or moped (or segway - they always bring the Japanese segway tours through here... sigh). No bathrooms or vendors around here. read more

See all

Very small strip of beach just off Diamond Head Road. There's also a little walkway along the ocean, that's connected to Leahi Beach Park. Before getting to the ocean, there's a grassy area with some trees and picnic tables, and a shower! Found that to be a plus, as I prefer not to be all salty after taking a dip in the water. Beach itself, like I mentioned, is rather small. Nothing secluded, but there weren't many other people when I went by. Not a ton of sandy spots to tan in, unless you put your towel right up by the bushes! The sand here is lovely, sparkly and swirly...I love it! Not the greatest beach I've been to, but it's certainly better than others I've been to! Would recommend if you prefer a quieter, smaller place. read more

Makalei Beach Park - Beautiful sunny day! Love the swirly, sparkly sand here. - Parks Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

This is a great little park to come and watch the sunset. Don't stand too close to the railing! It's a splash zone! read more

Makalei Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

Love this hidden beach park gem. They have some picnic benches and a rinse off water station. There is a small stripe you can park yourself and enjoy the beach/ocean sans tourists. Be careful of stepping too close to the railing..you might get splashed! read more

See all

Pedestrian/cycle friendly. No parking. Great, quiet park, private security patrolled at night.

This is a lovely little spot!! Important to note that this is not a traditional sand beach - it's an intimate green grass waterfront park with water access. If you lounge with your towel, it will be on the grass as there is a very short 'beach' with waves lapping all the way up to the properties of private homes. So while you can access the water on wet sand, there is no sand to lie on. There are trees, a couple picnic tables and a shower heads. Serene and intimate, nice for a chill and a picnic. read more

A very small pocket park with a little beach frontage and a few picnic tables. Usually pretty empty or one or two homeless guys minding their own business. read more