Hanauma Beach runs about 533m (0.5km) along the Oahu coast — a mid-sized beach by Hawaiian standards. It faces east so it catches the morning sun. There are 12 mapped parking areas nearby, the closest about 168m from the sand. On-beach facilities mapped here include toilets.
Getting there & parking
Closest mapped parking is about 168m from the sand, with 12 parking areas within 600m.
Distances are to the nearest point of the beach. Only formal, mapped parking areas are counted — informal roadside and verge parking is common in Hawaii and is not recorded in OpenStreetMap, so there may be closer options than shown.
What's there
| Toilets | yes nearest 23m |
| Showers | not mapped |
| Drinking water | not mapped |
| Changing rooms | not mapped |
| BBQ | not mapped |
"Not mapped" means OpenStreetMap has no record — it may still exist on the ground.
Places to eat nearby2 within 1km · nearest 174m
- Taco Bell · 989m
- Bay Rock Cafe · 174mWe-Su 08:30-15:00; Mo,Tu off
Details from OpenStreetMap tags — hours and offerings change, so check before relying on them.
Where it is
Who it suits
- Families and long days — toilets nearby and parking close to the sand
- Early starts — sunrise is over the water year-round, from 5:49am in June
- Arriving without a car — 1 bus stop is mapped within 500m
Derived from mapped features, not opinion.
When to go
Driest months are June, July, August. Warmest are September, August, July.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Rain in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78.2 | 64.8 | 4.8 |
| Feb | 78.0 | 65.4 | 4.5 |
| Mar | 78.5 | 66.7 | 5.4 |
| Apr | 79.9 | 68.9 | 3.3 |
| May | 81.4 | 70.1 | 2.4 |
| Jun | 83.3 | 72.7 | 1.3 |
| Jul | 84.4 | 73.7 | 1.9 |
| Aug | 85.0 | 74.3 | 2.0 |
| Sep | 85.3 | 73.7 | 2.6 |
| Oct | 84.1 | 72.6 | 3.5 |
| Nov | 81.6 | 70.5 | 5.4 |
| Dec | 79.1 | 67.8 | 5.5 |
30-year normals (1991–2020) from NOAA NCEI station WAIMANALO EXP F 795.1, 7.4km away.
Sunrise & sunset at Hanauma Beach
In June the sun is up at 5:49am and down at 7:14pm — 13h 25m of daylight, the longest days of the year here. By December that shrinks to 7:01am–5:51pm, 10h 51m.
This beach looks east (106°). The sun sets behind the land from here, not over the water. Sunrise is the one over the water — every month of the year — so this is a morning beach rather than an evening one. The sunrise point itself swings about 50° across the year, from ENE in June to ESE in December.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Sun sets toward |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7:11am | 6:10pm | 10h 59m | WSW 248° |
| Feb | 7:01am | 6:29pm | 11h 28m | WSW 257° |
| Mar | 6:39am | 6:40pm | 12h 01m | W 268° |
| Apr | 6:11am | 6:50pm | 12h 39m | W 281° |
| May | 5:52am | 7:02pm | 13h 09m | WNW 291° |
| Jun | 5:49am | 7:14pm | 13h 25m | WNW 296° |
| Jul | 5:58am | 7:16pm | 13h 18m | WNW 293° |
| Aug | 6:10am | 7:01pm | 12h 51m | WNW 285° |
| Sep | 6:18am | 6:34pm | 12h 16m | W 273° |
| Oct | 6:27am | 6:06pm | 11h 40m | W 261° |
| Nov | 6:42am | 5:49pm | 11h 07m | WSW 250° |
| Dec | 7:01am | 5:51pm | 10h 51m | WSW 245° |
Times are for the 15th of each month in Hawaii Standard Time. Hawaii does not observe daylight saving, so these hold all year.
Calculated from this beach's coordinates using the NOAA solar position algorithm and checked against US Naval Observatory tables (agreement within a minute). Which direction the sun sets is worked out from the shoreline's orientation, not from the skyline — a headland, an offshore island or high ground behind the beach can hide the last few degrees.
Photos
Where to stay
No lodging is mapped within 1.5km of this beach.
Find places to stay near Hanauma Beach →Booking link is an affiliate link — it costs you nothing extra.
Things to do nearby
Attractions & galleries1 within 1.5km
- Spitting Cave · 1451m
Shops nearby3 within 1.2km
- Hawaii Kai Community Bookstore · 920m
- Local Motion · 1072m
- Mikinola · 1110m
Rentals & dive shops1 within 2km
- Reef Pirates Diving · 1126m
OpenStreetMap rarely records gear rental, so bookable activities are searched via GetYourGuide (affiliate link).
Where Hanauma Beach ranks
- Family beaches on Oahu — ranked #11
Positions come from mapped facilities and shoreline orientation, and each list explains exactly how it is ordered.
Other beaches on Oahu
- Sandy Beach · 3.0km · 608m long · faces south
- Alan Davis Beach · 5.3km · 95m long · faces north-east
- Makapuu Beach Park · 5.9km · 269m long
- Makapu‘U Beach · 6.0km
- Waimanalo Beach · 7.4km · 1,391m long · faces north-east
Safety
A lifeguard station is mapped at this beach. Staffing and hours vary by season and can change without notice — confirm on arrival and follow posted signs, flags and lifeguard instructions.
Rip currents cause around 100 drownings a year at US beaches and account for over 80% of beach rescues, yet only 44% of beachgoers know it. If caught in one, the National Weather Service advises: flip, float and follow.
Safety guidance from the National Weather Service. Beach Beast is not a safety or rescue service. Conditions change rapidly — always check on arrival, obey posted signs and flags, and follow lifeguard instructions. The absence of a warning here does not mean a beach is safe or patrolled.