Mākālei Beach runs about 107m (0.1km) along the Oahu coast — a short stretch by Hawaiian standards. It faces south. There are 4 mapped parking areas nearby, the closest about 503m 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 503m from the sand, with 4 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.
Places to eat nearby2 within 1km · nearest 609m
- Hau Tree Lanai · 710mMo-Su 07:00-11:00, 11:45-14:00, 17:30-21:00
- Michel's at The Colony Surf · 609mSu-Th 17:30-21:00; Fr-Sa 17:30-21:30
Details from OpenStreetMap tags — hours and offerings change, so check before relying on them.
Shops nearby2 within 1km
- Pualani · 710m
- Russell's · 701m
Where it is
Who it suits
- Sunset — the sun sets over the water here in 4 months of the year, as late as 6:29pm in February
- Early starts — sunrise is over the water in 2 months, from 7:01am in December
- Arriving without a car — 6 bus stops are mapped within 500m
Derived from mapped features, not opinion.
When to go
Driest months are June, July, August. Warmest are August, September, July.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Rain in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 80.5 | 66.0 | 2.4 |
| Feb | 80.8 | 66.3 | 2.0 |
| Mar | 81.2 | 67.8 | 3.2 |
| Apr | 83.0 | 69.7 | 1.2 |
| May | 84.7 | 71.2 | 1.0 |
| Jun | 86.5 | 73.4 | 0.6 |
| Jul | 87.1 | 74.5 | 0.7 |
| Aug | 88.2 | 74.8 | 0.7 |
| Sep | 88.0 | 74.1 | 1.0 |
| Oct | 86.8 | 73.1 | 2.2 |
| Nov | 83.8 | 71.5 | 2.6 |
| Dec | 81.6 | 68.8 | 3.0 |
30-year normals (1991–2020) from NOAA NCEI station WAIKIKI 717.2, 1.6km away.
Sunrise & sunset at Mākālei 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–5:52pm, 10h 51m.
This beach looks south (185°). The sun sets out over the water November to February; the rest of the year it slides down the coastline or behind the land. 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 | 7:11am | 6:10pm | 10h 59m | WSW 248° |
| Feb | 7:01am | 6:29pm | 11h 28m | WSW 257° |
| Mar | 6:39am | 6:41pm | 12h 01m | W 268° |
| Apr | 6:12am | 6:51pm | 12h 39m | W 281° |
| May | 5:53am | 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 | 6:07pm | 11h 40m | W 261° |
| Nov | 6:42am | 5:50pm | 11h 07m | WSW 250° |
| Dec | 7:01am | 5:52pm | 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.
Live view
Nearest camera: Honolulu: Moiliili: 八ワイ
Webcams provided by windy.com · add a webcam
Photos
Where to stay
3 hotels, resorts and rentals are mapped within 1.5km of this beach, the closest about 436m away.
Hotels & resorts nearby3 within 1.5km · nearest 436m
- Diamond Head Beach Hotel and Residences · 436m
- Lotus · 639m
- Kaimana Beach Hotel · 704m
Mapped lodging from OpenStreetMap — not a complete list of what's bookable.
Booking link is an affiliate link — it costs you nothing extra.
Things to do nearby
Attractions & galleries10 within 1.5km
- Louise Dillingham Memorial Fountain · 464m
- Diamond Head Lighthouse · 831m
- Waikiki Natatorium (World War I Memorial) · 870m
- Waikīkī Aquarium · 963m
- Amelia Earhart Monument · 1303m
- Queen Kapi'olani · 1305m
- Hippo · 1326m
- Flamingo · 1355m
- Orangutan · 1366m
- Crocodile · 1367m
Rentals & dive shops1 within 2km
- Inter-Island Surf Shop · 1967m
OpenStreetMap rarely records gear rental, so bookable activities are searched via GetYourGuide (affiliate link).
Where Mākālei Beach ranks
- Sunset beaches on Oahu — ranked #19
Positions come from mapped facilities and shoreline orientation, and each list explains exactly how it is ordered.
Other beaches on Oahu
- Lē'ahi Beach · 0.4km · 68m long · faces south
- Kaimana beach · 0.7km · 164m long · faces east
- Queen Kapi'olani Beach · 1.4km · 464m long · faces east
- Waikīkī Beach · 2.1km · 916m long
- Cromwell's Beach · 2.2km
Safety
We don't have confirmed lifeguard information for this beach. Never assume a beach is patrolled. Check locally before entering the water.
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.