Mākaha Beach runs about 493m (0.5km) along the Oahu coast — a mid-sized beach by Hawaiian standards. It faces south-west so it takes the afternoon sun and faces the sunset. There are 2 mapped parking areas nearby, the closest about 81m from the sand. No toilets, showers or drinking water are mapped at this beach — bring what you need.
Getting there & parking
Closest mapped parking is about 81m from the sand, with 2 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 | not mapped |
| 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.
Where it is
Who it suits
- Sunset — the sun sets over the water here in 10 months of the year, as late as 7:04pm in May
- Coming prepared — nothing is mapped here — no facilities, no food
- Arriving without a car — 9 bus stops are mapped within 500m
Derived from mapped features, not opinion.
When to go
Driest months are July, August, June. Warmest are August, July, September.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Rain in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78.7 | 64.8 | 3.2 |
| Feb | 78.4 | 64.4 | 2.3 |
| Mar | 78.8 | 65.1 | 2.7 |
| Apr | 80.2 | 66.3 | 1.4 |
| May | 81.8 | 67.5 | 1.6 |
| Jun | 83.4 | 68.9 | 0.8 |
| Jul | 85.0 | 70.2 | 0.5 |
| Aug | 85.6 | 70.2 | 0.7 |
| Sep | 84.5 | 70.4 | 0.9 |
| Oct | 84.5 | 70.3 | 1.9 |
| Nov | 82.1 | 68.7 | 2.5 |
| Dec | 80.2 | 66.8 | 3.2 |
30-year normals (1991–2020) from NOAA NCEI station MAKAHA CTRY CLUB 800.3, 2.6km away.
Sunrise & sunset at Mākaha Beach
In June the sun is up at 5:50am and down at 7:17pm — 13h 26m of daylight, the longest days of the year here. By December that shrinks to 7:03am–5:53pm, 10h 50m.
This beach looks south-west (217°). The sun sets out over the water August to May; the rest of the year it goes down at the far end of the beach rather than out to sea. The sunset point itself swings about 50° across the year, from WSW in December to WNW in June.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Sun sets toward |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7:13am | 6:12pm | 10h 58m | WSW 248° |
| Feb | 7:03am | 6:31pm | 11h 28m | WSW 257° |
| Mar | 6:41am | 6:42pm | 12h 01m | W 268° |
| Apr | 6:13am | 6:52pm | 12h 39m | W 281° |
| May | 5:54am | 7:04pm | 13h 10m | WNW 291° |
| Jun | 5:50am | 7:17pm | 13h 26m | WNW 296° |
| Jul | 6:00am | 7:18pm | 13h 19m | WNW 293° |
| Aug | 6:11am | 7:03pm | 12h 52m | WNW 285° |
| Sep | 6:20am | 6:36pm | 12h 16m | W 273° |
| Oct | 6:29am | 6:08pm | 11h 39m | W 261° |
| Nov | 6:44am | 5:51pm | 11h 07m | WSW 250° |
| Dec | 7:03am | 5:53pm | 10h 50m | 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 Mākaha Beach →Booking link is an affiliate link — it costs you nothing extra.
Things to do nearby
Snorkel trips, surf lessons & tours near here →OpenStreetMap rarely records gear rental, so bookable activities are searched via GetYourGuide (affiliate link).
Where Mākaha Beach ranks
- Sunset beaches on Oahu — ranked #11
- Oahu beaches you can park at — ranked #16
Positions come from mapped facilities and shoreline orientation, and each list explains exactly how it is ordered.
Other beaches on Oahu
- Aki's Beach · 1.0km · 51m long · faces north-west
- ‘Ohiki-lolo Beach · 4.6km · 270m long · faces west
- Mākua Beach · 6.3km · 1,090m long · faces west
- Mokulēʻia Rock Beach · 11.7km
- Nanakuli Beach Park · 13.9km · 392m long · faces south-west
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.