Ala Moana Beach Park
Honolulu, HI
Ala Moana Beach Park runs nearly a mile along Honolulu's south shore between Waikiki and downtown, a man made lagoon protected by an offshore reef that keeps the water flat almost every day of the year. Joggers use the perimeter path at dawn, families claim the grass under the ironwoods by mid morning, and the swimming channel stays calm enough for laps.
One of the only genuinely calm, current free swimming spots this close to downtown, but it's also the default meeting spot for half of Honolulu, so weekends get packed.
How we score beachesEnter from the Ewa end near the canoe hālau if you want a shorter walk to open water. The Diamond Head end draws the bigger weekend crowds.
A large free lot lines the park along Ala Moana Boulevard, plus more parking on the mall side. It fills for weekend gatherings and holidays but usually has space on weekdays.
Paved paths run the length of the park from every lot straight to the sand, flat the whole way, good for strollers and wheelchairs.
The reef keeps the swimming channel calm most of the year, so there's no real bad season here, though summer trade winds pick up in the afternoon and cool things off.
More Hawaii beaches
Waikiki Beach
Honolulu, HI · Hawaii
4 access points
The beach that put Hawaii surfing on the map, with gentle, forgiving waves for beginners, Diamond Head crater as a backdrop, and a reef that keeps the water calm most of the year.
Lanikai Beach
Kailua, HI · Hawaii
A quiet, residential-neighborhood beach on Oahu's windward side, with powder-soft sand, turquoise water, and two small offshore islets (the Mokulua) as a paddling destination.
Poipu Beach
Koloa, HI · Hawaii
A sheltered, sunny south-shore beach on Kauai split into a calm swimming lagoon and a livelier surf side, with a good chance of spotting Hawaiian monk seals resting on the sand.