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    Point Panic Beach Park

    4.3 (24 reviews)

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    Body surfing only...
    Nadine C.

    Cool spot for body surfing! Located at the end of Kaka'ako Waterfront Park, this beach has free parking, a paved walkway, an outdoor shower, feral cats, a stairway down to the water, no sand (just rocks), and a spectacular view of the ocean and Diamond Head! People sit on the wall and watch the ebb and flow of the water, the spectacular sunsets, the brave surfers, and the curious cats. It's a calm, relaxing atmosphere with fresh air, cool breezes, and rhythmic sound from the waves. Caution: visit with friends at nighttime Enjoy Hawaii Nei!

    Picturesque!
    Feb W.

    Located on a former landfill site, Kaka'ako Waterfront Park is sometimes referred as Point Panic Beach Park because of its bodysurfing site popularity located offshore at the east end of the park which is called Point Panic. Basically this place is popular diving location, strictly for bodysurfers only! But if you're not into that kind of sport, Kaka'ako is a perfect place for family gatherings & picnics because of the park's shaded & spacious grassy area. Most people who come to visit the area want to just relax & do some shoreline fishing. I've also seen old people come in here to do their daily jog & stretching. ~ You've also notice on the east part that there were plenty of cats hangin' around the rocks which on the other hand, people do take snaps and so fond of staring at them. This beach park is so clean too and peaceful most of the time. The park's shoreline doesn't have a sandy beach though. Instead, a seawall along the water's edge & large boulders is what you will see. Indeed! This is a perfect place for bandit's juander-time. ~ For sure, we will be coming back in here with a big box of pizza & diet ginger ale! (insert excited face) ~ Mahalo & HAPPY JUANDERING fellow yelpers! www.juanderbandit.world

    Austin H.

    This is an amazing spot and I normally would give this a five out of five but the parking is crazy bad. There's one little small parking lot for the beach? Seriously? They need to make more or do something about that issue. Other than that amazing spot!!!!!

    Good place for fishing. Wish I didn't come here hanging tho cause all I want to do is "SLEEP" my other half dragged me to do something cause I seriously slept more then half of my day away lol. We came here yesterday for have a few & I guess he wanted for see if we can catch something here. The kids love it cause they can ride their bikes & scooters here. The place is clean, I think they cleaned up the homeless people!!!!! Ps! Choke flies tho

    Scott B.

    Point Panic is part of Kakaako Beach Park. It is located on the west side of the Kewalo Basin channel. The surf break is primarily for body boarding, but many surfers access the stairway down to the water then paddle across the channel to get to the breaks on the other side. I come here mostly for SCUBA diving. From Point Panic, you can swim out to Horse Shoe reef which is a popular dive spot with many of the dive boats that operate out of Kewalo Basin. To find Horse Shoe reef, swim out about fifty yards past and west of the second big green buoy. Look down for the horse shoe shape at the end of a finger reef. There are other reefs to the west of Horse Shoe reef as well. There are always green sea turtles and plenty of moray eels along with all the reef fish. Keep an eye out for octopus as well. This is the same dive spot that the dive boats charge "big bucks" to get to. With a pleasant fifteen-minute swim, you can dive there for free.

    Nanea L.

    I love the view. It's a good surf spot when the waves are big. But it's supossed to be a "ALL BODYBOARDS ONLY" spot. The cops occasionally come through to check. But they really don't do anything. It seems kind of ghetto because there's bum's that live there and kakako park which is right next to it. But hey can't help it, the bums aren't going to harm you. The parking lot is small. But there's always plenty of street parking. Not a lot of people know this spot, it's kind of a local one. But it's a hella good place to burn and chill out. Maybe even have a little picnic. I honestly love it here. SHHHH* don't tell anybody tho:)

    Little D.

    We are not a regular here. Very nice small beach park with clear blue water, without sand nor lifeguard. We saw surfers, spear fishers, and snorkelers. No shades, but nice place to picnic by the ocean. PS. I thought beach needs to have sands, but I guessed wrong.

    Summer swell in June!!!!
    Jameson I.

    I love surfing at this spot and the parking lot is so confident as I can watch the waves while sitting in your car. The locals that hangout in the parking lot are very friendly and if you have any questions they are more than willing to help out as best as possible. The surfing is prioritized for the body surfers as they have the right away to all the rights. Surfers can go left. If they do go right I was told that they get a citation and their board taken away. So I wouldn't chance it and plus it's disrespectful to all the locals. There are not too many places that gives the body surfers the right away so let's respect this spot for them. Other than that just remember in Hawaii respect is a big part of our culture n people will feed off of that energy whether positive or negative so let's all keep the vibes good and the times better.... yeeeeeee aloha

    Point Panic by night
    Alicia T.

    Really scary at night. Lots of homeless line the streets down here. I brought my DSLR for some night shots and was legitimately scared for mine and my cameras life lol. Lucky I had my big Tongan friend with me so I felt a little safer but he was even a little worried for us. Lol. A lot of people chill and fish on the rocks. It's really dark so very peaceful. Oh lots of cats (meow) haha. Very beautiful though. Got some stellar shots!

    Full moon over Waikiki from Point Panic
    Tim L.

    Meh. I don't know why this beach gets such high marks. Sure, it's clean and protected. But the water is kinda murky until you get out a ways. And the sand is just okay. Funny that we saw so, so many Japanese couples having wedding pictures taken there. There are so many other nicer beaches... While this beach is a five minute walk for us, we've only been there once. I prefer to drive to nicer beaches especially on the windward side.

    Zippys tray!
    Neil G.

    Despite the taste of the ocean due to the gasoline from boats/ship engines and trash from inconsiderate people, I give this surf spot a 4/5 stars just because of how beautiful the waves are to BODYSURF. This spot is for the purest form of wave riding without the use of a board. Majority of board riders that surf at this break usually get scoldings from old uncles or if you're lucky, a police may spot you and instruct you to get out of the water so he can give you a citation and confiscate your board. Trust me, I've seen it happen multiple times and it's hilarious.

    Kumu D K.

    OK - so here's the deal ... I come here to drop off my son! That's the truth - I would not "choose" to just come down here as often as I do, but my boy loves the water, and its a great place to body surf. The view is 5STARS all by itself ... and every single time I am here - I see the wonders of my Creator in a whole new way ... as it is revealed in clouds, mountains, tides and waves and, most of all - the sunsets! Yes - I must admit, I've had my breath taken away by many of the sunset views I've witnessed while waiting for my son to swim in from the surf. Its a nice place to just take a walk along the water -- the stone walkway is different than many walkways ... and then there are large sidewalk areas through the adjoining Kaka'ako Park that you can enjoy by skates or a bike. If you are looking for a "beach" that comes up along the cement wall ... no sand, no dirt - just a rock wall and a rock walkway ... with gorgeous views of the ocean and mountains ... especially Leahi ... then this is a wonderful place to be!

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    9 years ago

    spacious walk , beautiful view of Waikiki and Diamondhead- and upper valleys. True aloha - don't miss the sunset

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    Review Highlights - Point Panic Beach Park

    If they do go right I was told that they get a citation and their board taken away.

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    Halona Beach Cove - Dawn patrol

    Halona Beach Cove

    4.7(96 reviews)
    12.1 mi

    With the famous blowhole behind, this is the famous cove used in many movies and TV shows. This is…read morea gorgeous spot to enjoy the scenery and think about the celebrities who have visited! Hey, you can join their ranks! I opted to not join the crowd, so my face is not in the photo.

    Take a drive south past Waikiki along the shore and you will eventually see the signs for this…read morebeach. There is free parking at the blowhole lot and you will see this cove along the east side of the island. The view may look familiar as it was the site for filming in "From Here to Eternity" and it has also been used for a few other movies and TV shows since then. The view is beautiful and waters are usually a pale turquoise. It is a bit of a tortuous hike to climb down the cliff to get to the beach for this cove. Definitely wear water shoes or foot protection as there are sharp volcanic rocks that create the cove. The water can be rough. The depth of the water steps down quickly, so I wouldn't recommend it for weak swimmers or small children. Nevertheless, it is beautiful scene of another Oahu beach. If you walk to more to the southside of this area you will have the fun to see the natural blowhole as the tides come in and out. Once again, make sure to have decent shoes to get there. Makes for some great photos or videos so it is definitely worth the adventure. For those that are not physically able to make the hike or climb, the vista is beautiful by itself. There are definitely a fair share of tourists and locals who come here, but it is much less than the Waikiki crowd. You will need a car to get here from Waikiki. I recommend you experience this spot at least once on your visit to Oahu.

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    Cromwell's Beach - Sunset on the beach

    Cromwell's Beach

    4.0(55 reviews)
    5.0 miKahala

    Such an amazing little sneaky spot that my friend took me too, to enjoy a Poké bowl and a quick tip…read morein the ocean. This place, definitely feels like a local hangouts, but during our visit, it was relatively busy. Depending on the time of day, the water could be all the way up to the seawall or out enough for ample beach lounging and tide pool exploring. There's a great little spot near the cove for swimming, but it is a little treacherous getting there. Watch your step on the slippery algae covered rocks. Beyond that, have fun, respect the ocean, and whatever you bring with you make sure it comes back with you. Mahalo!

    Cromwell's is one of my favorite beaches that I wish I frequented more often! It's a little…read moreneighborhood spot that is nearby but separated from the bustle of Waikiki. It's a bit rocky and there isn't a ton of sand but lots of tidepools and the most beautiful views. Keep your eye out for little fish, sea anemones, and turtles. Pro tip: you do have to walk on the seawall to get to the sand patch where you can swim. It is a bit of a trek that you need to be careful on, but I do think just about anyone can do it. Parking is street parking that you can find in the neighborhood, but don't park on that main straight that the beach is on -- I saw someone that parked there get a ticket but there are also signs that you will be towed. I see lots of local fisherman here too, it looks like they walk along the rocks and there's a point that they all go fishing.

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    Hunakai Beach

    Hunakai Beach

    4.1(31 reviews)
    5.5 mi

    Peaceful and secluded. Definitely not the prettiest beach in the world, but in a place where the…read morecrowds seem to take over pretty much everything, it's nice to find some solace in the sand. And the reason why it's so peaceful?! It's tucked behind a residential neighborhood. Parking is on the street only and there's not much of it. So, it'll be a short journey to get there, but this is what also deters the big crowds. The sand isn't the softest and the views aren't amazing, but the sunsets are pretty and the water feels good. There are no facilities here either (except for one large garbage can near one of the entrances). You gotta pack it in, pack it out, and use the restroom before you go unless you're a local who lives in the area. Had a little picnic here and it was really enjoyable. The few people that I come in contact with were really friendly. Most of them were walking their dogs on the beach, so I feel like this is the local dog beach in town. There's a nice breeze on this side, so it's a great beach to come to when that hawt Hawaii heat attacks. It's also really clean. If you're looking to escape the crowds and don't mind a longer trek, Hunakai Beach will do you right.

    Hunakai beach was our third destination to go to a couple of weekends ago. My daughter wanted to go…read moreto the beach. First we went to Ala Moana beach park but there was some paddling competition so there was no parking. Then we drove to Waikiki and there was a craft fair at the park so there was no parking there either. So we just yelped a place closer to home and found Hunakai beach. You just park on the side of the road and walk down a beach access road. It was surprising because there were quite a few people there. People were all spaced out so that was good. The beach itself is very beautiful. There was just a lot of coral and rocks. Not really the best place to go swimming. That didn't stop my daughter though, she just took her floatie and pulled it in the water and kicked her legs so she floated down the ocean. She had a great time. Great for parking and sunbathing but if you want to swim, you should probably try to find a new place.

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    Hunakai Beach
    Hunakai Beach
    Hunakai Beach

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    Point Panic Beach Park - beaches - Updated May 2026

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