Sunset Beach runs about 4,612m (4.6km) along the Oahu coast — one of the longer beaches by Hawaiian standards. It faces north-west so it takes the afternoon sun and faces the sunset. There are 7 mapped parking areas nearby, the closest about 65m from the sand. On-beach facilities mapped here include toilets, shower.
Getting there & parking
Closest mapped parking is about 65m from the sand, with 7 parking areas within 600m. At least one is marked free.
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 79m |
| Showers | yes nearest 96m |
| 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 nearby7 within 1km · nearest 82m
- Seven Brothers · 701mMo-Sa 11:00-21:00; Su off
- Pupukea Grill · 529mTu-Su 11:00-17:00; Mo off
- The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf · 825mMo-Su,PH 06:00-18:00
- The Sunrise Shack · 82mMo-Su 07:00-18:00
- North Shore Shrimp Truck · 716mMo-Su 10:30-21:30
- North Shore Tacos · 728mMo-Su 11:00-20:00
- Waimea valley grill · 131m
Details from OpenStreetMap tags — hours and offerings change, so check before relying on them.
Shops nearby1 within 1km
- Foodland · 802mMo-Su 06:00-22:00
Where it is
Who it suits
- Families and long days — toilets nearby and parking close to the sand
- Sunset — the sun sets over the water here year-round, as late as 7:18pm in July
- Eating without driving — 7 places to eat are mapped within 1km
- Walkers and runners — about 4,612m of continuous shoreline
- Arriving without a car — 12 bus stops are mapped within 500m
Derived from mapped features, not opinion.
When to go
Driest months are August, September, June. Warmest are August, September, July.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Rain in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78.1 | 62.4 | 4.7 |
| Feb | 78.6 | 62.2 | 4.0 |
| Mar | 79.4 | 63.7 | 5.6 |
| Apr | 81.1 | 65.4 | 4.2 |
| May | 83.1 | 66.5 | 3.6 |
| Jun | 84.4 | 68.9 | 3.5 |
| Jul | 85.1 | 70.0 | 3.9 |
| Aug | 86.4 | 70.4 | 3.2 |
| Sep | 86.2 | 69.7 | 3.3 |
| Oct | 84.3 | 68.7 | 4.4 |
| Nov | 81.4 | 66.8 | 6.1 |
| Dec | 78.8 | 64.7 | 5.5 |
30-year normals (1991–2020) from NOAA NCEI station WAIMEA VALLEY 892.2, 4.4km away.
Sunrise & sunset at Sunset Beach
In June the sun is up at 5:49am and down at 7:16pm — 13h 27m of daylight, the longest days of the year here. By December that shrinks to 7:03am–5:52pm, 10h 49m.
This beach looks north-west (312°). The sun goes down out over the water here in every month of the year — it is a sunset beach whenever you come. 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 | 6:11pm | 10h 58m | WSW 248° |
| Feb | 7:03am | 6:30pm | 11h 27m | WSW 257° |
| Mar | 6:40am | 6:42pm | 12h 01m | W 268° |
| Apr | 6:12am | 6:52pm | 12h 40m | W 281° |
| May | 5:53am | 7:04pm | 13h 11m | WNW 291° |
| Jun | 5:49am | 7:16pm | 13h 27m | WNW 296° |
| Jul | 5:58am | 7:18pm | 13h 19m | WNW 294° |
| Aug | 6:10am | 7:03pm | 12h 52m | WNW 285° |
| Sep | 6:19am | 6:35pm | 12h 16m | W 273° |
| Oct | 6:28am | 6:07pm | 11h 39m | W 261° |
| Nov | 6:44am | 5:50pm | 11h 06m | WSW 250° |
| Dec | 7:03am | 5:52pm | 10h 49m | 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
1 hotels, resorts and rentals are mapped within 1.5km of this beach, the closest about 1217m away.
Hotels & resorts nearby1 within 1.5km · nearest 1217m
- Backpackers vacation inn and plantation village · 1217m
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 & galleries4 within 1.5km
- Backyards Beach · 23m
- Banzai Pipeline · 36m
- Pillbox no.1 · 485m
- Shark's Cove · 494m
Shops nearby1 within 1.2km
- Quicksilver Big Wave International · 272m
OpenStreetMap rarely records gear rental, so bookable activities are searched via GetYourGuide (affiliate link).
Where Sunset Beach ranks
- The best-equipped beaches on Oahu — ranked #5
- The best-equipped beaches in Hawaii — ranked #10
- Sunset beaches on Oahu — ranked #1
- Sunset beaches in Hawaii — ranked #2
- Family beaches on Oahu — ranked #5
- Family beaches in Hawaii — ranked #13
- Oahu beaches you can park at — ranked #11
Positions come from mapped facilities and shoreline orientation, and each list explains exactly how it is ordered.
Other beaches on Oahu
- Waialee Beach · 1.9km · 604m long · faces north-west
- Three Tables · 4.0km · 130m long · faces north-west
- Waimea Bay · 4.6km · 526m long · faces north-west
- Turtle Beach · 5.7km · 207m long · faces north
- Turtle Bay Beach · 5.7km
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.