Christmas Day, my son visiting from the mainland and he is looking for some beach time at Kailua Beach Park! However, there is not a parking spot to be found at ou town's most popular beach attraction; Kailua Beach Park! On to the local hang out near the Friendly Sherwood Forest. Plenty of parking, a nice walkway to outdoor showers & a rest room area to change & use the facilities. Plenty of shade near the ocean and the sandy beach makes that toes in the sand feel all so very real! Waves are coming in big today so a little boogie boarding is in order! Word to the wise, no life guards in this particular spot today, so buddying up, is the only safe way! Lots of local folks grilling, chilling and having fun with da two & four legged kids! A great get away with the comforts of all our State taxes provide! Living the Aloha! read more

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This is my favorite beach in the island. I love it for its tranquil waters and the fact that there's small parking right next to it. Theres even stairs to go up when you're already in the water so you can hose your feet down. I would feel confident swimming here. This is quite far from where I live, but it's worth the scenic drive for me. Just a few minutes away is the scenic view of Makapu'u Lookout. 12 minutes away is Kailua beach which is my other favorite beach for its soft white sands and accessibility to parking. I would recommend this beach over all the other beaches in the island. read more

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What a great beach and such a little gem. Located in waimanalo is a little beach park that you probably drove past many times and haven't realized how beautiful it was. There's a little area for parking - probably could fit about 8 cars. Then a park area, and the beach itself. If you walk towards the right of the beach through the waters you could actually find a alcove with a small tide pool because of the rock walls surrounding it. Getting there may be a challenge depending on the tides. We were literally slammed into the walls in waist high water going back and forth. It's a very beautiful and secluded beach once you get there tho, and then you remember you have to walk all the way back lol. Hopefully you can go before the Obama's move in cause there may be a chance that you might not experience this tidepool after that read more

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Water was nice and calm and Shoreline was excellent for 3yr olds. Also a great snorkeling spot didn't have to go far to out to see a lot. Found a rock formation brakewall lagoon kine area if you walk along the perimeter 1/8mile to the right. (It's walkable during low tide, so keep in mind your trip back should be made before tide rises to high and avoid having to wade your way back. I experienced this the hard way.) Parking lot is limited. There is street parking available but also consider there maybe paddling events happening in the area. (Also learned that the hard way). read more

Favorite beach on the island. Small in size. Has a decent amount of parking but go early especially on weekends since it's a favorite spot to host parties. Bathrooms were clean the couple of times I've had to use it. read more

This is on my favorite beach to stop at so far. The clear, white, sandy beaches. You can walk pretty deep end of the water before you end up hitting any type of rocks. read more

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Came here on a recommendation from my friend who frequents Hawaii regularly as we wanted to get away from the highly trafficked and highly commercial Waikiki Beach. 30 minute drive away ain't too bad! Can't speak for other peoples' experiences with how busy the beach is, but when we came on a Thursday it was absolutely perfect. Not too many people, calm waters, smooth sand. It was nice to lay out on a beach and not have to worry about people getting in your way. It also quite nice to not have to share the ocean with tons of people. Bathroom situation is actually not bad for a public beach bathroom. Not the cleanest, but certainly not a complete dump. There's also a shower area outside the bathroom that lets you rinse off. The small parking lot is definitely as described. I would say that there are around 20 parking spots, if that? Everyone just parks on the side of the road anyways if there's no parking spaces available. I can see how this is totally a beach for the locals, pretty sure everyone that was there when we went was a local. Hell, there are houses literally right across the street from the beach so you know it's their beach! Definitely worth the drive from Waikiki for the experience. read more

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Why am I just now reviewing this gem beach! Mostly locals today! And low tide easy to snorkel and or just swim around! My daughter were at the beach today all Morning. Just enjoying the water! I pass by the beach all the time on Kalanialiole highway. It was very calm today, which was nice to see. Lots of locals we had a great time! And really enjoyed relaxing on the beach. Super cute picnic tables that you can use and there is a small grassy area right in front of the beach. There is a small parking lot off to the right of the beach but I'm sure that fills up pretty fast typically people just pull up to the front part of the beach and park. read more

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+ Semi Private Beach, so keep secret + Easy to find location, clean & shady areas + Turquoise blue water, calm and warm +\- Sand was soft, but few branches Our family enjoyed our first beach day at this location, and it was absolutely perfect. The weather was lovely, cool breeze and warm sunshine. Take your family, grab a plate lunch and some snacks and enjoy We highly recommend coming to this beach. read more

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This is a great beach. My boyfriend lives in waimanalo, but won't go to the beach with me. He's okay dropping me off at Kaiona because he thinks it's safer than Waimānalo beach. It can get pretty crowded on the weekends, but now, with coronavirus and the state closing beach parks, it's not crowded at all. There is a small parking lot, which is now closed, but it's usually packed with cars. People also park along the grassy park area. They have picnic tables, bathrooms and showers. Apparently you have to reserve the beach side tables because they're considered state camp sites. On my most recent visit, I passed by a few families laying out on the beach or playing in the sand. I went for a swim. I was a little annoyed that I couldn't shower afterwards, because the state shut off water at the beach parks trying to deter people from hanging out I guess. But it's fine, I get it. I read a review about the microplastics. Yeah, this beach kind of has a lot, but I've seen much worse. read more

Kaiona Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Waimanalo, Hawaii

Man, we must've hit this beach at the exact wrong time. It was a "rainbow sand beach" when we were there. What do I mean by that? I mean it was covered in micro plastic trash. We walked up it for 1/2 mile, bits and bobs of plastic as far as the eye could see. It was really depressing. I'd love to return when it's all washed out to sea...and lands on another beach :-/ read more

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Kaiona is a local family beach. It gets crowded on weekends. So I wouldn't park in the lot unless you know who's rolling in behind you. Otherwise, good luck getting out. The waters are shallow, and visibility is pretty good. There are tons of fish if you have snorkeling gear. Just make sure to have fins or water shoes. read more

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Beautiful secluded beach. Great for kids to swim. Parking is limited but you may park along the fence. Bring umbrella or pop up, this beach have only a few trees for shade read more

I live about an hour from here but it's my favorite beach. They can run out of parking pretty quickly if there are parties, but there are bathrooms and showers so it's a great park! My favorite area is near the old fishponds in front of the Shriners Club. From the parking lot you'd go right around the wall and keep walking as far as you want to go. It's shallow and usually low tide. The water is shallow and calm, and there is a school of fish swimming around. It's great for small kids to learn how to swim! Bringing a floatie would be a nice idea too. People bring their dogs (even though they're not allowed, I see dogs every time I go). There are small areas near the fishponds to put down your stuff and relax. It can get busy but it's always pretty quiet since there aren't really waves. It's a nice relaxing spot. read more

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Nice chill place - when on East side searching for mellow waves- come here! Love the tire awing- be careful of the rocks in the ocean - good place for light swimming. read more

Kaiona Beach Park - Tire swing - Parks Near Me - Waimanalo, Hawaii

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A family friendly beach on the foot of the Ko'olau mountains. Kaiona beach park is a small beach with lots of charm. I've come here several times with my friends and always enjoyed it. This is the perfect beach for families with children and a great beach to just lay out and enjoy the beauty of it. Whenever we stop by there are a few families having picnics, teaching their kids how to swim, or just talking story. There's a grassy area just above the sand too, with coconut trees and more trees down the beach. Love the trees because they give you shade from the hot sun. There's also a really nice breeze from this side of the island, so the sun never seems too hot. There's bathrooms & showers at the park area as well as a large grassy area where people can set up tents or volleyball nets. The only downside is the parking lot is small, so sometimes you'll have to find street parking. This beach is located near the Shriner's beach club towards the beginning of waimanalo if you're coming from makapu'u. If you walk along the beach you'll see an old fishpond too. The sand is nice and soft and there are few rocks too. A great place to kayak and snorkel. I love the calm & relaxing feel of this beach and the family friendly environment. =) #Yelp 365 challenge--- 32/365 read more

Kaiona Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Waimanalo, Hawaii

I come here to photograph the sunrise whenever the conditions such as, tide, placement of the sun in relation to Rabbit Island, time of sunrise, etc. It is a popular beach park with a lot of families, groups and beach goers. This park is very well kept and safe. The ocean is relatively calm most of the time and it is ideal for families with children who want to swim in the clean, clear waters. The caretaker does a great job of keeping the place clean and neat and the trash is emptied on a daily basis. The good folks of Waimanalo town also do their part in the upkeep of Kaiona's and take pride in their neighborhood park. I have a ton of respect for this beach park and it's regulars who are there often. The folks that I've met coming here at the crack of dawn are really friendly and nice. I once came when it was still dark and upon returning to the parking lot an hour or so later it was packed! My car was essentially blocked in, but a nice lady was so apologetic and patient to move her car for me. Needless to say, I was so happy I could give up my stall so she could park her van in it and go back to her gathering! It's so nice to see folks having fun and enjoying all that this park has to offer. I enjoy coming here, it's a beautiful park with a beautiful view, actually almost spiritual witnessing the sunrise behind Rabbit Island!! Out of all the sunrises I've witnessed and photographed over the years, I have to say that The most beautiful and spectacular ones have been here, in Waimanalo. But please, please be respectful of the area and keep it as you found it. Let's all do our part to protect our oceans and beach parks and please respect the good folks of Waimanalo for sharing their beautiful parks with us... Five Beautiful Stars!!! * * * * * read more

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Laid back beach suitable for family or just chillin'. Okay snorkeling - some small fish on the reef. Water is pretty clear and the sand is pretty soft. No suitable waves for body boarding. Grassy area available for picnic. No tents allowed. Small parking lot right off the highway. Faucet/hose available to rinse off. I think the bathrooms are about 100 yards away from the parking lot. read more

Kaiona Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Waimanalo, Hawaii

I'm so glad we saw this beach. It was full of locals and very nice family area. We we're definitely not the only tourists but we got to see some beautiful sights read more

Kaiona Beach Park - Kaiona beach 2 hrs before high tide - Parks Near Me - Waimanalo, Hawaii

Kaiona Beach Park has been one of my favorite places of hang outs whenever I need to watch many beautiful glowing sunrises. About 2.1 miles north of Makapuu Lookout is what I like to call a secret garden or a semi-secret beach open to the public. Located off of the Kalanianaole Highway, Kaiona Beach Park is considered to be of Waimanalo city proper. The turn off is rather hard to find and easy to miss. But when found, there are a few park spots for parking. Depending on the time of day, the lot fills quickly. Others may park at the side of the road if the lot gets overwhelmingly too filled. It's hard for me to look away from the ocean because I fall constantly in love again and again with different hues of blues and turquoise. It's the most inviting feeling being at this beach park. The mountains accompanied behind the stretch of this beach are awe-inspiring and picturesque along the coastline. The vibe of this beach is family friendly and therapeutic. The fenced in area are picnic tables open for anyone looking for a picnic session with friends and family. The large open grassy area is sizable for playing sports and holding fun barbecues. The water hose has been relocated a few times and is either at the back near the lot entry way or next to the bench facing the ocean. Bathrooms are accessible and bike racks are available. From the parking lot, depending on the tides, turn to the right towards Mānana Island. At the time I visited, it was low tide. Timing couldn't be more perfect because the beach is narrow and can be waist line deep. If you walk far enough it can be rocky and the at times can be calm. I've seen dogs of all size accompanied by their owners towards two large fish ponds. Fishermen from all walks of life congregate at any time of the day. One of my favorite times of the day is the early morning for sunrise hunting and the peak of sunset. When the clouds are wispy and the sky is glowing, the landscape is perfect for photographing or gazing. The romantic walk on shore with a significant other is something worth remembering. read more

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Terrible don't go there ;) Just joke. It's like I don't want people to go here cause I love it so much. so I'm giving it a bad review. Suggestions for tourist: 1)if you park in a marked stall, someone will double park & block you in. ((When you leave ask any Hawaiian next to the ROCK memorial and they will be more than happy to track down the owner) 2)the locals will stare at you when you arrive, extend your hand, SMILE and say HI. They will respond with a "howzit" & stop staring. 3) be sure that you don't have anything of value visible in your car-smash & grab is a real thing. 4) when selecting a place to lay be sure to leave at least 10ft from the next family. Unless youre under a tree. Locals need shade(they're not their to tan) 5) if you have beach toys or floatys the local kids will want to play with them. The kids think everyone is their uncle or aunty, so usually they'll just help themselves. 6) if you see a boat coming in GET OUT OF THE WAY!!! 7) if you get there and the parking lot is full- do not double park like everyone else. Find street parking. 8) DO NOT REMOVE OR MOVE ANY ROCKS from the lagoon/fish ponds. The fishpond wall is over 500 years old. 9) if you walk along the wall to get to lagoon be mindful off the tide. It will rise after 1pm and your blanket/towels will be under water. 10) BE RESPECTFUL..I repeat, BE RESPECTFUL! This town is one of the last places where Hawaiians are the MAJORITY and not considered by any means a minority group. Hawaiians respect the ocean, the land, and the people. Which brings me to my last suggestion... 11). DO NOT LITTER, CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF!!! if you leave rubbish the locals will yell at you! Make you feel shame, and bring it to you or leave it on your rent a car. Stick to these things and you'll be fine. It's a gorgeous beach. read more

Kaiona Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Waimanalo, Hawaii

SIMPLE BEACH This is pretty much a locals beach. You'll get a lot of stares by locals as if your invading their turf. Likely so. Luckily I was with locals so I'm pretty much welcomed. But I try not to talk too much to try and "blend" in. It's a simple beach, the locals I hang with like it because there's a bathroom and rinse off shower close by, tiny parking lot, and picnic tables to bbq. It's in Waimanalo which is a local neighborhood. You'll see locals fishing or boating by you. There wasn't a lot of fish even near the reefs, it's just a simple beach to swim and soak in the sun. read more

07/07/14 (last visited) The first thing you notice about this beach is the quiet and the peace that it offers. The beach here is beautiful with great views of the offshore islets (Rabbit island on the left and Kaohikaipu Island State Seabird Sanctuary next to it on the right). Kaiona Beach Park is listed among one of the best beaches in Hawaii for swimming suitable novice swimmers and for families with small kids. The waters are very calm. There is a nice little grassy park area with picnic tables, a bathroom, and showers. In the location used to be an ancient Hawaiian fishpond, Pahonu Pond as it was called, the walls of which can still be seen during low tide. Covers about 4 acres right at the foot of the Ko'olau Mountain on the south end of Waimanalo Bay, Oahu. The other things this beach offers is 2 man made pools that are rows of rocks that were stacked just so in order to make 2 tide pools. There are no waves in these and they are almost like swimming pools. But you would never know they are there because you can't see them from the road. Clearly this is a local secret. You'll find these tide pools to your right and behind a concrete break wall as you face the open ocean. Perfect playplace for children under 3 or that are not used to waves. This is a wonderful park and very family friendly. Truely a hidden Jem. Perhaps the locals want to keep it that way and I don't blame them one bit. This park has everything from some benches over top of grass to sit on to stairs down to the water to shallow tide pools for small children. However, if you walk to the farthest fishpond at Kaiona then you'll be standing in front of the Old Magnum P.I. house, or the "Robin's Nest". Tom Selleck isn't there anymore but it's cool to see and say you were there if you're a product of the 80's. There is a small parking lot and you should be able to find a spot during the week but this place will pack in the locals on weekends so I suggest sticking to weekdays if you want to park. If the lot is full, I'd move on to other beaches and not suffer the crowds. It's also easy to miss this park and drive right by to the larger Waimanalo Bay or Bellows AFB that are only a couple of miles down the road. Most people will drive passed this amazing beach and never even know it was here but it's definitely a hidden gem of a beach and one you should check out. read more

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Our family always come to this beach because it's less crowded and yet beautiful. The turquoise water is so relaxing. The ambiance is phenomenal, you can see the Rabbit Island and Twin Islands. Parking is limited but I'm sure you can find one. There is restroom, showers and picnic tables too. Great for parties. read more

Kaiona Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Waimanalo, Hawaii

Gorgeous in every possible way. I swam with sea turtles! The sand was clean, the water sparkling and gorgeous. Everything was flawless. They can just make postcards here from every instagram picture ever. read more

We seemed to be the only tourist on this one the beach as we were the only ones without those tents one would use for tailgating and everyone was very tan. We were beach hopping along the eastern coast beginning with Hanauma Cove then to Hanalona Cove. We happened upon this beach based from all the cars parked around it for 4th of July activities. Beautiful, clear waters with reef that you could probably snorkel through (not sure if there was fish or not since we didn't have the gear ). read more

Kaiona Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Waimanalo, Hawaii

Absolutely beautiful beach! Found it because I was looking out from the top of the Kamiloiki Ridge Trail and saw people snorkeling down below. I knew I had to go there. For snorkelers there are many turtles here, there isn't much else though. Most of the fish are small here. A good variety of different coral. But it's really all about the turtles, most I've seen in one area. But this beach is more than that, it's so relaxing and pretty here. Just a great place to spend the day. read more

Kaiona Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Waimanalo, Hawaii

This beach is a cool chill spot but I've been to better. Come early otherwise the parking lot will be packed. We had a permit for the benches for a party, but another douchebag put up three pop up tents along the fence line to avoid paying for a permit and blasted his annoying music all day and we had to hear it from about five feet away. If you can't find parking you can park on the grass. Especially if you need to unload heavy things. The bathroom and shower were ok. It's the typical city and county park so no frills but it wasn't nasty either. Now, the beach is a bummer. It's pretty and all but the shoreline is small. It was probably high tide but not much sand. The worst is the coral and rocks in the water. Two of my friends cut their feet open just trying to wade in the water. I also poked my feet. The coral is white which blends into the sand so you won't know where these rocks are. The water also had an oily film of sunscreen floating on top. Main point... Should've gone down the street to Waimanalo Beach Park or Bellows. read more

Kaiona Beach Park - Paragliders. - Parks Near Me - Waimanalo, Hawaii

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One of the most beautiful beaches since Lanikai. There's a wall of rocks around the beach which is good for Keiki or little ones. I saw snorkeling when I was there but April was too cold for me to get onto the water . There's only 14 parking spots do get there early as in around 8:30-9 am . There's a shower to wash off the sand but no bathrooms I don't think. This is where Magnum PI was filmed but has been knocked down. read more

Kaiona Beach Park - Magnum PI's hose and his beach - Parks Near Me - Waimanalo, Hawaii

I had a photo shoot scheduled with a model at 07:00 in the morning and of course while driving there it was pouring down raining. Well by the time we got to the parking lot it stopped raining. I met with my model Kaitlin and we walked down to the beach to get ready to shoot. The water was perfect with that bluish-green and nice sandy beach with great views of the mountains and islands around us. There was only a couple of people on the beach at that hour of the morning but that would soon change. After shooting my photo session with Kaitlin and she left for home, we decided to get in the water since we are here. One thing I did not have on and wish I did was my water shoes, I found out the hard way... there are rocks! A few times a turtle kept popping it's head up about 40-50 feet away. Problem with snorkeling so close to shore is the sand is so fine it mixes in with the waves and visibility is about one foot! One of the local boat clubs was launching a boat, so I shot a few photos with my GoPro. About 30-45 minutes in the water we had to leave and get to the Airport for our flight back to the states. We were probably the only "tourists" on the beach and even though there was maybe about 75 people when we left, it is still a great place to go. read more

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I visited the place yesterday and I really liked it. Panoramic views greet you as you walk onto the beach. There is a little bit of coral reef in the water, but no biggie. There is still a lot of space to move around. To the left is a fence enclosed park area and restrooms. To the right is parking and tide pools. The part I liked the most was the steps and water hose on the right of the beach. You can rinse off and walk on the sidewalk back to your car without tracking sand back to it. read more

I absolutely love this beach. It has clear turquoise water, soft sand, calm water, and the view amazing. This is my favorite beach on the island. read more

Kaiona Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Waimanalo, Hawaii

I was at Sam's Club at customer service and my transactions were taking some time so I asked the friendly gal who was helping me, "Where is a good place I can go snorkeling that's close by where I can see stuff? Hanauma Bay is closed today..." She thought about it for a few minutes, and said, "I grew up near Kaiona and often snorkeled here, I'd really recommend it!" She wrote down the name for me. It was past Hanauma Bay, but that's ok, sure beats driving all the way to the North Shore to my other spot (Shark's Cove) and we didn't have enough time to do that anyways. There's a tiny little parking lot and when we pulled in we saw 2 local families hanging out on the little beach eating and listening to music. Nobody was in the water. I guess it was a tad cold. I tried out my full face snorkel for the first time and went in the water. The reef is mostly dead, but there were still some fish around that was fun to chase. The water is fairly sandy though, so visibility isn't that great, at least not when we went in Nov 2016. After a few minutes...I saw TURTLES!!! Well I'm not sure how many I saw, but I saw at least two. I was so excited b/c I've never seen turtles while snorkeling before. They looked so chill, just flapping away there. So adorable. There are showers and bathrooms here too, so it's a great little local gem! read more

"CHILD FRIENDLY" Everyday here is a perfect day in PARADISE at KAIONA BEACH PARK, one of the hidden GEMS on the island of Oahu. This is a locals beach and they like keeping it that way so respect the beach and the locals that go here. Many tourists and people on vacation just drive right by this beach. So take the time and STOP and spend the day here at Kaiona Beach. You will not regret it. From the beautiful Hawaiian breezes to the Amazing Turquoise Blue waters and coral reefs, this is a beach you wont soon forget. THIS IS A MUST DO on your trip to OAHU! Enjoy the Man made Natural swimming pools (fish/turtle ponds) and snorkel around the entire reef TO THE VERY, VERY far right side of the beach. You actually need to enter the water and walk along the man made rock wall to reach the Lagoons. You can't miss them once you start your journey that way. If you wish to also just snorkel in the swallows right on the beach itself DO IT! THERE ARE SO MANY HONU THAT SWIM HERE and I have done SEVERAL VIDEOS on this location showing them. This is the place to be alone and swim with Honu...for this is HONU HEAVEN! Pass the spirit of Aloha on to the many HONU green sea turtles you come in contact with along your snorkeling adventure. Enjoy everyone , Aloha Nui! read more

Child friendly! Clear waters! Walk your way over to the man made fish pond...you have to wade through the water to get to it a little along a wall but it was worth walking over with the kids :) read more

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This spot has always been a place our families have had parties at or gone to to just swim and cruise. It is not really a popular tourist spot and well, the locals will tell you so. I don't want to discourage tourists, however the many "tan" people that another Yelper described are all the Hawaiians or locals that come here and are so dark from the sun we call it "turning purple." Come tourists, but respect the people and the 'Aina, K? Moving on. The waves here aren't rough at all. On a good day there are even turtles swimming in the reefs not far from shore. You'll get parking if you come by 10. There is more parking along the road as well. There is a hose sometimes available if "Uncle" brings it out (sometimes da last guy when use too much watah so they keep 'em locked up da hose) but remember to use only what you need and pass it on or turn it off...Cuz! Come one, come all but respect the locals who work hard to maintain this beach and smile at them, no goin' broke yo face! read more

I love love love this beach!!! Our family was visiting and wanted to snorkel so I got on here and saw how beautiful all the pictures were. We tried it out and I'm so glad we did. Definitely for beginner snorkelers which is great and we saw a good amount of fish. Some large and small. It was beautiful. The water was very calm and almost no waves which was perfect. The sand was nice and soft but we still wore feet protection in the water so we didn't step on anything sharp! We even saw a sea turtle which was the highlight of the day. Wonderful beach ! read more

Kaiona Beach Park - Beautiful water and awesome coral - Parks Near Me - Waimanalo, Hawaii

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Great beach but gets filled quickly. Mostly locals. If you cross over the wall to the pools, watch out your stuff don't get wet, as the tide rises fast. read more

This is the best beach in Oahu, absolutely beautiful! We came during the weekend when it was packed with parties going on, no worries walk pass the main entrance to the right where the pools are.A locals beach for sure! No waves, so great for the kids. read more

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My nephew was bitten by an eel there. There is reef everywhere. It's definitely a locals beach. Lots of stares if you're not from there. No parking and the bathroom is gross. Not a lot to look at if you're snorkeling. read more