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Flagship guide

The best beaches in Hawaii

I have driven the road to Hana, walked into Lanikai at dawn and watched Pipeline rear up in December to settle the only question that matters: which Hawaii sand is actually worth your day. Here are the best beaches across Maui and Oahu, ranked, each with the honest verdict, the access truth and the right hour to go.
30
Beaches ranked
2
Islands covered
Early
For empty sand
Honest
Verdicts
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Photo: 영담 via Google
Published 22 January 2026. Last reviewed 25 March 2026

The verdict

  • Who it is for. Anyone choosing between Maui and Oahu who wants the honest call on which sand is worth the drive, the reservation or the early alarm.
  • The pick. Lanikai on Oahu for the colour of the water, and Kapalua Bay on Maui for the easiest, safest swim.
  • The one thing to know. Waikiki is the name everyone books and the one most often oversold. It is perfect for a first surf lesson and wrong for a beautiful calm swim, for which you drive to Lanikai or Kailua instead.
The brief

Why these made the list

A best beaches list is only honest if it admits that the most famous name is rarely the best beach on its island. I have ranked these the way a traveller actually experiences them: not on how they photograph, but on the colour and clarity of the water, the quality of the sand, the setting, and above all the access truth and the right hour, because a beach you cannot park at or reach at the wrong tide is no beach to you that day.

Two islands carry this ranking. The windward jewels of Oahu and the sheltered bays of Maui take the top, while the great surf beaches earn their places as spectacle, not as swims, and I say so plainly. For the full picture of each island, see the Oahu guide and the Maui guide, and for a day on a sunbed the Oahu beach clubs and Maui beach clubs.

The ranking

The best in Hawaii, in order

Thirty beaches across Maui and Oahu, ranked for the traveller who actually goes, each with the honest verdict, the access truth and the right hour to arrive.

1
The powder sand and mint turquoise water of Lanikai Beach with the Mokulua islets offshorePhoto: 영담 via Google
Kailua, Oahu

Lanikai Beach

Powder sand the colour of caster sugar, water that glows mint over the reef, and the two Mokulua islets sitting offshore like a stage set. It tops this list because nothing else in Hawaii hits that turquoise so reliably, but the access is the catch: there is no real parking, no facilities and no lifeguard, so you walk in through a residential lane and read the surf yourself. Come at sunrise, both for the empty sand and because by mid morning the kayak crowd has claimed the channel to the islands.

TurquoiseReef flatSunrise
Read the Lanikai Beach guide
2
The long soft sand and ironwood shade of Waimanalo Beach on the windward coast of OahuPhoto: 橋場久幸 via Google
Waimanalo, Oahu

Waimanalo Beach

The longest soft sand beach on Oahu and, to my eye, the most underused. It sits one rank below Lanikai only because the water is a touch less postcard and the shorebreak can pick up, but you trade that for genuine space, ironwood shade and a fraction of the crowd. Locals own it on weekends, so go on a weekday morning and you can walk a mile of empty sand.

Long sandShadeQuiet
Read the Waimanalo Beach guide
3
The wide pale sand and bright blue water of Kailua Beach with windsurfers offshore on OahuPhoto: Ali C via Google
Kailua, Oahu

Kailua Beach

The big, generous, family friendly cousin of Lanikai around the headland, with proper parking, lifeguards, showers and a steady trade wind that makes it the windsurf and kite beach. It loses the top two only on intimacy, not on quality, because the sand and water are nearly as good with none of the access stress. Mornings are calmest before the wind fills in after lunch.

FamilyLifeguardTrade wind
Read the Kailua Beach guide
4
The grey gold crescent of Hamoa Beach below a jungle headland near Hana on MauiPhoto: Taylor G via Google
Hana, Maui

Hamoa Beach

Hana's crescent of grey gold sand below a jungle headland, the beach James Michener called the finest in the Pacific and the reason a lot of people drive the road to Hana at all. It ranks this high on pure setting and swimmable water, held back only by the access truth: it is three hours of switchbacks from Kahului, so you commit to the day or you stay in Hana the night before. Reach it by mid morning before the tour vans, and respect the shorebreak when the south swell is up.

CrescentRoad to HanaShorebreak
Read the Hamoa Beach guide
5
The vast golden sweep of Big Beach at Makena State Park on the south coast of MauiPhoto: Andresda Buchanan via Google
Makena, Maui

Big Beach

Makena is vast, golden and undeveloped, a huge open sweep with no resorts crowding the sand, which is exactly why Maui regulars love it. It would rank higher if the water were gentler, but the shorebreak here is famously heavy and dumps hard onto a steep beach, so it is for sunbathing and bodysurfing by the confident, not for a casual swim with children. Park early, the lots fill by ten, and walk over the cinder cone to Little Beach if you want the cove.

VastShorebreakSunset
Read the Big Beach guide
6
The sheltered crescent and calm clear water of Kapalua Bay between two rocky points on MauiPhoto: Jack Twait via Google
Kapalua, Maui

Kapalua Bay

The most swimmable of the famous Maui bays, a sheltered crescent tucked between two rocky points that block the swell and hold the water clear and calm. It earns sixth because it does the one thing the bigger beaches above cannot guarantee: easy, safe entry and reliable snorkelling straight off the sand. Get there before nine for a parking spot and the glassy morning water, because the small lot fills fast.

ShelteredSnorkelCalm
Read the Kapalua Bay guide
7
The tidy curve of Napili Bay backed by low rise condos with turtles on the reef on MauiPhoto: Jack Twait via Google
Napili, Maui

Napili Bay

A neighbour to Kapalua and almost its equal, a tidy curve of sand backed by low rise condos where green turtles graze the reef at either end. It sits just behind Kapalua because the shorebreak can steepen at the shoreline, but for a swim and a snorkel with turtles it is hard to beat. Early morning is the window before the bay fills and the afternoon onshore picks up.

TurtlesSnorkelCrescent
Read the Napili Bay guide
8
The wide bay and jump rock of Waimea Bay calm in summer on the North Shore of OahuPhoto: Allen Hoof via Google
North Shore, Oahu

Waimea Bay

The North Shore's split personality and the most dramatic beach to actually watch turn. From May to September it is a wide, calm swimming bay with a jump rock the kids queue for, then from October the same bay rears into the giant winter surf that made it legend. It ranks here for summer swimming, but the honest note is to check the season, because the winter shorebreak is no place to wade. Summer mornings are best, with parking gone by ten.

SeasonalJump rockWinter surf
Read the Waimea Bay guide
9
The resort fronted gold sand of Kaanapali Beach with Black Rock at its north end on MauiPhoto: Número equivocado via Google
Kaanapali, Maui

Kaanapali Beach

Three miles of resort fronted gold sand with Black Rock at its north end, the snorkel and cliff jump that anchors the whole strip. It is developed and busy, which keeps it out of the top five, but the swimming is easy, the sunset cliff ceremony is genuine and public access with parking is straightforward. Snorkel Black Rock early before the catamarans and the afternoon wind chop arrive.

Resort stripBlack RockSnorkel
Read the Kaanapali Beach guide
10
The clean arc of Wailea Beach in front of the resorts with a paved coastal path on MauiPhoto: FAIRFLIGHT Touristik via Google
Wailea, Maui

Wailea Beach

The polished south Maui beach, a clean arc in front of the big hotels with a paved coastal path linking it to its neighbours. It is calmer and more sheltered than Kaanapali and the water clarity is excellent, but you pay for the setting in crowds and a markup on everything behind the sand. Walk the path at sunrise for the quiet, and reserve any club daybed ahead in peak season.

ShelteredCoastal pathUpscale
Read the Wailea Beach guide
11
The long soft strand of Keawakapu Beach at sunset south of Wailea on MauiPhoto: Taiyaki via Google
Kihei, Maui

Keawakapu Beach

The local's pick just south of Wailea, a long soft strand that most visitors walk past on their way to the famous names. It outranks the pretty resort beaches on value and space: the same warm clear water, far fewer people, and one of the best sunset spots on the island. Park at the south end, bring your own shade, and stay for the green flash.

Long sandSunsetQuiet
Read the Keawakapu Beach guide
12
One of the four calm man made lagoons at Ko Olina ringed with flat water on west OahuPhoto: mightydo via Google
Ko Olina, Oahu

Ko Olina Lagoons

Four man made lagoons on Oahu's dry west side, ringed with calm flat water and grassy lawns, built for exactly one thing: stress free swimming with small children. They rank here, not higher, because they are engineered rather than wild, but for families that is the point and nothing on the island is gentler. Arrive early on a weekend, the limited public stalls go fast.

LagoonsFlat waterFamily
Read the Ko Olina Lagoons guide
13
The quiet clear water of Polo Beach at the south end of the Wailea resort row on MauiPhoto: Georgie Hunter (R)S via Google
Wailea, Maui

Polo Beach

Wailea's quieter sibling at the south end of the resort row, with the same clear water and a fraction of the foot traffic. It sits just below the headline beaches because it is smaller, but that is the trade you want when Wailea is shoulder to shoulder. The morning snorkel off the rocks at the south point is the local secret.

QuietSnorkelSheltered
Read the Polo Beach guide
14
The grassy park and calm swimming water of Kamaole Beach in Kihei town on MauiPhoto: Stephen Chase via Google
Kihei, Maui

Kamaole Beach

The trio of Kihei town beaches, Kam I, II and III, that do the unglamorous job of being reliably good every day of the week. Grassy parks, lifeguards, easy parking and calm swimming put them ahead of prettier but harder beaches for anyone travelling with kids. Kam III has the best sunset and the playground, so come on a weekday to dodge the local weekend crowd.

FamilyLifeguardSunset
Read the Kamaole Beach guide
15
The fine soft sand and ironwood pines of Bellows Beach on the windward coast of OahuPhoto: Annabelle Bronstein via Google
Waimanalo, Oahu

Bellows Beach

A long pine backed beach of fine soft sand and a gentle beginner shorebreak, widely rated among the best on Oahu, with the catch that the public section only opens from Friday noon through Sunday. That weekend only access is the whole reason to plan around it, and the reason it is never overrun midweek. Camp under the ironwoods or come Saturday morning early for the clean sand.

Soft sandWeekend accessCamping
Read the Bellows Beach guide
16
The handsome guarded bay of DT Fleming Beach on the northwest corner of MauiPhoto: Sahar sheikhbahaei via Google
Kapalua, Maui

DT Fleming Beach

A handsome bay on Maui's northwest corner with lifeguards and a reputation for a fun but punchy shorebreak that has caught plenty of visitors out. It ranks for its looks and its guarded sand, but the honest line is to swim only when the surf is small and to watch the flags. Mornings are calmest before the afternoon trades push the chop in.

LifeguardShorebreakBay
Read the DT Fleming Beach guide
17
The broad golden sand of Sunset Beach on the North Shore of OahuPhoto: Vinny Pezzimenti via Google
North Shore, Oahu

Sunset Beach

Two miles of broad golden sand that becomes the centre of the surfing world each winter, when the swell turns the lineup into an arena. In summer it flattens into a fine swimming and sunset beach, which is the version most visitors should aim for. Come in the calm season to swim, or in winter only to watch from the sand, never to enter the water.

SurfSeasonalSunset
Read the Sunset Beach guide
18
The shorebreak at Ehukai Beach Park fronting the Banzai Pipeline on the North Shore of OahuPhoto: Rick Jones via Google
Banzai Pipeline, Oahu

Ehukai Beach

Ehukai Beach Park fronts Pipeline, the most famous and most dangerous wave in the world, and in winter the sand is the best free grandstand in surfing. It makes the list as a spectacle rather than a swim, because the reef that makes the wave makes the water lethal on a big day. Watch in winter, swim only in the flat summer months, and never turn your back on the shorebreak.

PipelineSpectacleWinter only
Read the Ehukai Beach guide
19
The bright sand cove of Makapuu Beach under the lighthouse headland at the east tip of OahuPhoto: Patrick Easterling via Google
Waimanalo, Oahu

Makapuu Beach

A pocket of bright sand under the lighthouse headland at Oahu's eastern tip, the island's bodysurfing beach with a serious shorebreak and no lifeguard at the sand itself. It ranks for its drama and the cliff walk above it, not for easy swimming, which it does not offer. Come for the morning light and the winter whale watch from the trail, and leave the water to the experienced.

BodysurfLighthouseDramatic
Read the Makapuu Beach guide
20
Windsurfers and resting green sea turtles at Hookipa Beach Park near Paia on MauiPhoto: Chris Martin via Google
Paia, Maui

Hookipa Beach

The windsurfing capital of the world and the most reliable place on Maui to watch green sea turtles haul out on the sand at dusk. It is a working wave and wind beach rather than a swimming one, which sets its rank, but as a piece of theatre it is unmatched. Come late afternoon for the turtle haul out and the sailors, and keep your distance from the resting honu.

WindsurfTurtlesWatch only
Read the Hookipa Beach guide
21
The jet black sand and lava caves of Waianapanapa State Park near Hana on MauiPhoto: Troy Teeples via Google
Hana, Maui

Waianapanapa Beach

Hana's jet black sand beach set against green sea caves and lava arches, one of the most photographed spots on the road to Hana. The access truth is firm: out of state visitors must book a timed parking and entry reservation for the state park in advance, and the small black sand cove itself has a strong surge. Book the slot, come for the setting and the caves, and treat the water with caution.

Black sandReservationLava caves
Read the Waianapanapa Beach guide
22
The crowded sand and gentle rollers of Waikiki Beach with Diamond Head behind on OahuPhoto: Husnain Sadiq via Google
Honolulu, Oahu

Waikiki Beach

The most famous beach in Hawaii, and the one most often called overrated, which is half right. It is crowded, built up and far from wild, but for learning to surf in warm gentle rollers with Diamond Head behind you it genuinely delivers, and that is what it is for. If you want beauty and calm instead, skip it and drive to Lanikai or Kailua, but for a first surf lesson and a sunset Mai Tai it is exactly right.

Beginner surfIconicCrowded
Read the Waikiki Beach guide
23
The calm reef flattened lagoon of Ala Moana Beach Park in Honolulu on OahuPhoto: Jayne Cloutier via Google
Honolulu, Oahu

Ala Moana Beach

The locals' swimming beach in town, a long man made strand fronted by a reef flattened lagoon with no shorebreak at all, which is precisely why Honolulu families choose it over Waikiki next door. It ranks here as the calmest city swim on the island, plain rather than pretty but dependable. Early morning laps and a weekday afternoon are the sweet spots before the park fills.

CalmCity beachNo shorebreak
Read the Ala Moana Beach guide
24
The sheltered cove of Little Beach reached over the rocks behind Big Beach at Makena on MauiPhoto: Jon Jones via Google
Makena, Maui

Little Beach

The cove tucked behind Big Beach over a short rocky scramble, long known as Maui's clothing optional beach and a sheltered swim when its giant neighbour is dumping. It ranks for the sheltered water and the scene, with the honest caveat that the scramble and the culture are not for everyone. Go in the morning for calm water and a quieter sand before the afternoon gathering.

CoveShelteredScramble in
Read the Little Beach guide
25
The rock walled keiki pool and gentle surf break at Launiupoko Beach Park south of Lahaina on MauiPhoto: Howie Outerbridge via Google
Lahaina, Maui

Launiupoko Beach

A family park south of Lahaina built around a rock walled keiki pool that holds calm water for toddlers while parents learn to surf the gentle break outside. It is not the prettiest sand on Maui, which sets its rank, but for safe swimming with small children and a first surf lesson it is one of the most useful beaches on the island. Sunset over Lanai from the lawn is the bonus.

Keiki poolBeginner surfFamily
Read the Launiupoko Beach guide
26
The long dune backed strand of Baldwin Beach with its calm Baby Beach pool near Paia on MauiPhoto: Chloe Zimmerman via Google
Paia, Maui

Baldwin Beach

The north shore town beach below Paia, a long dune backed strand with a calm walled section known as Baby Beach at its west end. It ranks for range, a real swimming pocket for families and open sand for everyone else, even if the main beach can see a shorebreak. Mornings are calm and the Paia cafes are a two minute walk for breakfast after.

Baby BeachDunesTown beach
Read the Baldwin Beach guide
27
The quiet sandy pockets and shallow reef flat of Kahala Beach in east Honolulu on OahuPhoto: MAI HMNUE via Google
Honolulu, Oahu

Kahala Beach

The quiet upscale beach behind Honolulu's smartest neighbourhood, a series of small sandy pockets and a shallow reef flat with almost no crowd and almost no facilities. It ranks for calm and privacy rather than drama, the place to swim flat clear water away from the tour buses. Public access is through marked lanes between the houses, so look for the right of way signs.

QuietReef flatUpscale
Read the Kahala Beach guide
28
The remote curve of Yokohama Bay at the end of the road on the wild west tip of OahuPhoto: Jose Estrella via Google
Waianae, Oahu

Yokohama Bay

The last beach at the end of the road on Oahu's wild west tip, a long curve of sand with no shops, no shade and patchy phone signal, which is exactly the appeal. It ranks for solitude and raw scenery, with a firm caveat: winter brings heavy surf and strong current, and there is no easy help out here. Bring everything you need, come on a calm summer day, and watch the water closely.

RemoteWildNo facilities
Read the Yokohama Bay guide
29
The gold strand and heavy shorebreak of Sandy Beach on the southeast coast of OahuPhoto: Andreas-Christian Heidrich via Google
Honolulu, Oahu

Sandy Beach

Oahu's notorious bodyboarding beach, a beautiful gold strand with one of the most punishing shorebreaks in the islands, the kind that sends people to hospital every year. It earns a place for its raw spectacle and its expert bodysurfing, never for a casual swim, and the rank reflects that honestly. Stand on the sand, watch the locals work the wave, and stay out of the water unless you truly know what you are doing.

ShorebreakBodyboardWatch only
Read the Sandy Beach guide
30
The harbour side sand and protected lagoon of Haleiwa Alii Beach Park on the North Shore of OahuPhoto: Clayborn Williams via Google
Haleiwa, Oahu

Haleiwa Alii Beach

Haleiwa's main beach park and the home of the island's big surf contests, a busy harbour side stretch with lifeguards, a gentle swimming lagoon at one end and the wave at the other. It rounds out the list as the most useful North Shore base, calm enough to swim in summer and front row for the contest season. Park at the harbour, swim the protected lagoon, and grab a shave ice in Haleiwa town after.

Surf contestLagoonLifeguard
Read the Haleiwa Alii Beach guide
Honest notes

How I ranked them, and how to enjoy them

Two variables decide whether any Hawaii beach lives up to its reputation: the hour and the season. Almost every beach on this list is at its calmest and clearest in the first hours after sunrise, before the trade winds fill in and the small lots overflow. The single best thing you can do is arrive early and bring your own shade.

Swimmability is the great leveller, and the honest truth is that several gorgeous beaches here are not for casual swimming. The North Shore of Oahu turns from a calm summer swim into giant winter surf you watch from the sand, and the heavy shorebreaks at Big Beach, Sandy Beach and Makapuu injure confident adults every year. I have ranked the sheltered swimming bays above the famous waves on purpose, and I flag every beach where you should stay on the sand.

Plan the access before you plan the towel. Lanikai has no car park and a residential walk in, Bellows opens to the public only from Friday noon, and Waianapanapa near Hana requires a timed reservation for out of state visitors. Conditions are typical rather than guaranteed, so check the current surf, the lifeguard flags and any reservation rules on the day, treat every shorebreak with respect, and take nothing but the photograph.

Questions, answered

Common questions

What is the best beach in Hawaii?

For sheer colour and beauty it is Lanikai on the windward side of Oahu, where the turquoise water and the offshore islets are as good as any photograph. For the easiest, safest swim it is Kapalua Bay on Maui, a sheltered crescent with reliable snorkelling. The best one depends on whether you want the view or the swim.

Are Maui or Oahu beaches better?

Both islands earn the top of this ranking, so it comes down to style. Oahu has the windward jewels of Lanikai, Waimanalo and Kailua plus the winter surf theatre of the North Shore, while Maui has the sheltered swimming bays of Kapalua and Napili and the road to Hana drama of Hamoa and Waianapanapa. If you want one calm swimming base choose Maui, and if you want range and surf watching choose Oahu.

Which beaches in Hawaii are overrated?

Waikiki is the name everyone books and the one most often oversold for what it is, a crowded built up city beach. It is genuinely excellent for a first surf lesson, but if you came for calm clear water and beauty you should drive to Lanikai or Kailua instead. The famous beach is not always the best beach on its island.

Do any Hawaii beaches need a reservation?

Yes. Out of state visitors must book a timed parking and entry reservation in advance for Waianapanapa State Park near Hana on Maui. On Oahu, the public section of Bellows Beach only opens from Friday noon through Sunday, so plan around the weekend window.

Which Hawaii beaches are safest for families and swimming?

The calmest water on this list is at the Ko Olina lagoons and Ala Moana on Oahu, and at Kapalua Bay, the Kamaole beaches and the Launiupoko keiki pool on Maui. These all offer gentle entry and little or no shorebreak. Avoid the heavy shorebreak beaches such as Big Beach, Sandy Beach and Makapuu for casual swimming.

When is the best time to visit Hawaii beaches?

Arrive in the morning everywhere, both for empty sand and the calmest, clearest water before the afternoon trade winds. For the North Shore of Oahu, summer means calm swimming while winter means giant surf to watch from the sand only. Maui beaches are gentlest on their leeward south and west coasts year round.

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