Beaches in Oahu
2 beaches · 2 beach worlds
The most populated Hawaiian island, and the one where the beaches are organised by which coast they are on. The south shore has Waikīkī — largely a constructed beach, nourished with imported sand for a century — and the gentle reef break where surfing was taught to the world. The North Shore has the winter swell and the big-wave competitions. The windward east has the calm reef-protected bays, and the south-east corner has Hanauma Bay, a flooded crater run as a nature preserve with capped and booked entry. All Hawaii beaches are public to the high-water mark. Practicalities: parking at the best-known beaches fills early and public access paths between resorts are marked but not advertised. Hanauma Bay requires an advance booking, closes two days a week and charges non-residents. Reef-safe sunscreen is required by state law. The north shore is for watching rather than swimming between October and April, when the surf there reaches heights that close the beaches to all but competitors.
The two are different kinds of shore. The sand is coral sand throughout. Together they account for 3.4 km of shore. · computed from the 2 records below
