For some of the best surfing and the safest swimming on Ouahu and the chance to picnic in the shade of a banyan tree, Ala Moana Beach Park is where you want to be.
Within easy reach of Honolulu city centre, Ala Moana Beach Park offers 40 hectares of sand, parkland, shaded picnic areas and freshwater ponds. The beach here stretches over 750 metres and is one of the safest swimming spots on Oahu. Much quieter than Waikiki, an offshore reef keeps the waters here calm in almost any conditions.
The beach park is where the locals come for their outdoor workouts. With stand-up paddle boarding, tennis, and a deepwater channel along the beach which is perfect for swimming laps, who needs the gym? And, if you are more traditional in your exercise habits, there's plenty of equipment available in the park that you can use for free!
The beach at Ala Moana is one of the best around for surfers, while calmer periods offer ample opportunities for scuba divers and snorkellers to explore the nearby coral reefs. Those who would rather leave the exercise to others have plenty of picnic spots to choose from. Laze beneath the leafy canopy of one of the park's many banyan trees and watch the freshwater turtles go about their business in the scattered ponds.
If you're travelling in May, make sure you're on Ala Moana Beach for the annual Lantern Floating Festival on Memorial Day. This ethereally beautiful ritual involves tens of thousands of people lining Oahu’s southern shores to send thoughts and prayers for their loved ones, inscribed on glowing lanterns, out onto the gentle waters of the Pacific Ocean – an experience you're never likely to forget.
The Magic Island area is located at the eastern end of the park and is a hub of activity and events throughout the year, the highlight being the spectacular fireworks display hosted here each 4th of July. This is also the perfect spot to watch the sun set over Ouahu. From this point, visitors can look out to Waikiki, Diamond Head and Honolulu itself.
