The Best Beaches in Hawaii, Picked Island by Island

Asking which Hawaii beach is best is like asking which song is the best song — useful only if you accept that the answer changes with the day. The beach you want at 8 AM with a snorkel mask isn't the beach you want at 4 PM with a mai tai. The beach that's perfect in July is closed in January.

That said, I've spent enough time on enough Hawaiian beaches to have favorites by island, and to have opinions about which famous ones don't earn the hype. Here's the list.

Oahu

Oahu has the most beach variety of any island because it's the most populated — every coast has been developed enough that access is generally good.

Lanikai Beach

Postcard-perfect on the windward side, with the two Mokulua islands offshore framing the view. The sand is fine, the water is calm enough for kids, and the whole thing photographs better than it has any right to. Park in the residential streets nearby. No facilities, no concessions; you bring what you need.

Waimanalo Beach

A few miles south of Lanikai. Longer, wider, less famous, and I'd argue prettier. Waimanalo Beach Park has restrooms and shade trees. Locals in equal measure with visitors. Still feels like a beach, not a tourist attraction.

Kailua Beach Park

Three miles long, broad, easy parking, full facilities. The "easy" choice on the windward side and a totally legitimate one — the beach is genuinely beautiful, just less specifically photogenic than Lanikai.

Sunset / Pipeline (North Shore, summer only)

In summer, the North Shore beaches go flat and you can swim where the world's biggest waves break in winter. It's a strange feeling to swim at Pipeline in flat July water. In winter, watch the surf, do not enter the water.

Skip: Waikiki

I know. But Waikiki Beach itself is small, crowded, and engineered. The water is shallow and warm, which is its own thing, but as a beach experience it's the bottom of the Oahu list. Use Waikiki for the city/restaurant base, not for the beach.

For more on Waikiki dining and where to actually eat, see my Oahu restaurants guide.

Maui

Maui's beaches are arguably the best mix of accessible and beautiful in the state. West Maui (Kaanapali, Kapalua) and South Maui (Wailea, Makena) hold most of the famous names.

Hamoa Beach

Past Hana on the eastern side. Crescent-shaped, half-hidden by lava cliffs, almost empty before 10 AM. Body surfing in the right swell. I called it out in my Road to Hana review too — if I could only swim at one Maui beach for the rest of my life, this is the one.

Kapalua Bay

West Maui. Protected, calm, snorkeling, easy parking. The sand is soft, the bay is gentle, and there's a path that curves around the headland to the next beach if Kapalua gets busy. Adjacent to the Kapalua resort but the beach itself is fully public.

Wailea Beach

South Maui, in front of the Four Seasons / Grand Wailea / Marriott complex. Long beach, wide sand, calm water. The water clarity isn't quite Kapalua but the sunset light is better. The path along the beach connects multiple resorts and beaches; walk it.

Makena (Big Beach)

A 30-minute drive south from Wailea. Long, wide, almost no development behind it. The shore break can be vicious — don't bodysurf here unless you know what you're doing. Worth the drive for the relative emptiness compared to the Wailea beaches.

Skip: Kaanapali Beach in summer crowds

Kaanapali is fine and famous. In summer, it's a parking lot of beach chairs and timeshare salespeople. Stay nearby (the Maui hotel guide covers options) but walk north to Black Rock or south to Hanakao'o for actual swimming.

Kauai

Kauai's beaches are the most wild-feeling of the four main islands. The catch: weather. Many of the best beaches are seasonal — winter surf closes them entirely.

Hanalei Bay

The two-mile crescent on the north shore that James Michener used to describe to friends. The Hanalei Pier is the focal point, the Bali Hai mountains form the backdrop, and the sand is clean and golden. Calm and swimmable in summer. A dangerous, awe-inspiring storm coast in winter.

Tunnels Beach (Makua)

Already in my snorkel piece but also worth mentioning here as a beach. The reef offshore creates a calm lagoon; the sand is pillow-soft. Summer only.

Polihale Beach

The far western end of the island, accessed by a 5-mile unpaved road that most rental contracts forbid (verify yours). Empty, vast, sunset coast, with the Na Pali cliffs rising at the north end. The most remote-feeling beach in Hawaii. Bring everything you need.

Poipu Beach

South shore. Family-friendly, calm, reliable for turtles, year-round swimmable. Not the most spectacular but the most consistent.

Skip: Larsen's Beach for swimming

The hike down is long and the rip currents at the bottom are dangerous. Beautiful from above. Don't get in the water.

For the rest of Kauai, my Kauai beaches and hidden gems piece goes deeper into trails and lesser-known coastline.

Big Island

The Big Island has fewer "world's best" beaches than the others, but the ones it has are weird in a good way — black sand, green sand, a manta ray bay, lava-rimmed coves.

Hapuna Beach

The biggest white sand beach on the Big Island. Crescent shape, easy entry, calm water in summer. Adjacent to the Westin Hapuna and the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel. This is the closest the Big Island gets to a "Maui-style" sand beach.

Mauna Kea Beach (Kauna'oa Bay)

Smaller and more intimate than Hapuna, with the same fine white sand. Public access through the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel — there's a public access lot but it fills early. Worth the effort.

Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach

Southern coast, on the way to or from Volcanoes National Park (covered in my Volcanoes day trip guide). The sand is genuine pulverized lava. Sea turtles haul out on the sand frequently. The water is rough and not great for swimming, but the beach is unforgettable as a stop.

Magic Sands (La'aloa)

Right on Alii Drive in Kona, easy to access from town. The "magic" is that the sand washes away in winter and returns in summer. Great body surfing in summer when the sand is back. A real local hangout.

Skip: Green Sand Beach (Papakōlea)

I know I'm going to lose people here. The hike to Green Sand from South Point is two miles each way over rough terrain, and the unauthorized 4WD shuttles run by locals charge $20-40 round trip. The beach itself is a small green-tinged cove that's less impressive than the photos. Worth doing once if you're a completionist; not worth recommending to most people.

Picking by activity, not by island

If you sort beaches by what you actually want to do:

• Snorkeling: Tunnels (Kauai) → Two Step (Big Island) → Kapalua Bay (Maui)
• Swimming with kids: Poipu (Kauai) → Wailea (Maui) → Anini (Kauai)
• Body surfing: Hamoa (Maui) → Magic Sands (Big Island) → Sandy Beach (Oahu, advanced)
• Sunset: Polihale (Kauai) → Wailea (Maui) → Sunset Beach (Oahu)
• Sunrise: Lanikai (Oahu) → Hapuna (Big Island) → Hamoa (Maui)
• Photography: Wai'anapanapa (Maui) → Punaluʻu (Big Island) → Hanalei (Kauai)

If I could only walk one Hawaii beach for the rest of my life, it would be Hamoa on Maui at 7 AM. The crescent shape, the cliffs, the empty sand — there's nothing else like it. If I could only swim at one, it would be Tunnels on Kauai in July.

Beach etiquette in Hawaii

A few things that aren't just niceties:

• Don't touch turtles. Federal fine. Stay 10+ feet away.
• Don't take sand or rocks home. Beyond the cultural insensitivity, it's illegal in some parks.
• Reef-safe sunscreen. Mineral-based, zinc only. State law and the right thing.
• Respect locked beach access gates. Some West Maui and North Shore Oahu access points close at sunset for a reason.
• Don't leave valuables in the rental car at trailheads. Ever.

What I'd do differently

I used to chase the famous beaches. Lanikai and Hapuna and Kaanapali and Hanalei. They're all beautiful and they're all worth visiting once, but I now think the secret to a great Hawaii beach trip is to pick one famous beach per island and spend the rest of your time at the slightly-less-famous neighbor.

Waimanalo instead of just Lanikai. Mauna Kea Beach instead of just Hapuna. Hamoa instead of just Wailea. The neighbors are usually 80% as photogenic and 20% as crowded, and they're where you'll have the moment that actually sticks.