Waikiki Beach Main Center - Beaches On Oahu Honolulu, Hawaii

Waikiki Beach. This is it. This is the place. This is what most people are thinking of when they think of Waikiki Beach so this little stretch of sand is the center of it all and it's easy to find in Honolulu on O'ahu.

Let's back up a bit and cover what Waikiki actually is. Waikiki is the entire stretch of sand in this area which runs over a mile and a half long. On the far northwest end you have the boat harbor and Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort and on the far southeast end you have Kapiolani Beach Park @ Waikiki (and you can even go a bit further with Kaimana / Sans Souci Beach @ Waikiki and the Outrigger Canoe Club Beach @ Waikiki since everyone wants in on the Waikiki action). It's fully explained in our The Beaches Of Waikiki article.

Getting here is easy, but there is no actual beach parking. This means that using one of the local paid parking garages is your best bet. You can also park for free at the boat harbor at the far northwest end of Waikiki or the free street parking at the far southeast end of Waikiki but this beach is a bit of a walk from either. A fairly decent option is the underground paid garage on Koa St which is behind the tall Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa, right next to (southeast of) King's Village Shopping Center. For more on parking, read Free & Cheap Waikiki Parking.

The center stretch of Waikiki is pretty small and is located by the Duke Kahanamoku Statue that you'll see out front near the street. The Honolulu Police Waikiki Beach station is located right here along the beach to keep everything and everyone in check. You can walk (more or less) from beach to beach along Waikiki very easily (via the sandy beach, beachwalk areas, or sidewalks) and likely won't even know where one beach starts and the next one ends (nor would you care).

The water here is usually a lot of fun to play in and unless the ocean is angry the waves should be very easy to handle. The bigger issue is usually all of the surfers that will be paddling out and surfing back in along this main channel. There are a lot of surf lessons going on here and we often see the new riders catching a wave and surfing in closer to shore than they really should so keep an eye out to avoid getting hit.

If surfing isn't your thing then grab a floaty of some sort and just bob up and down for a few hours until you get hungry. When that happens, you'll find plenty of restaurants nearby (including the Waikiki Beachside Bistro by the police station). Bathrooms, showers, and lifeguards are all here as well.

Image credit: Member Raquel M

It's an excellent beach for sure but that doesn't mean it is perfect. You'll see some homeless people around and while most will keep to themselves some might try to sell you something or ask for money. You'll also have to watch out for the various tour boats coming in and sailing out from time to time as they land and launch right on the beach. It's also really, really crowded here which can be a bit annoying at times but still a must see beach.

For more on Waikiki area beaches see The Beaches Of Waikiki.

• Facilities: Bathrooms	• Facilities: Concession Stand	• Facilities: Equipment Rentals	• Facilities: Lifeguard	• Facilities: Showers
• Type: Kid Friendly	• Type: No Dogs Allowed	• Sand Type: Regular	• Parking: Fees For Parking	• Good For: Boogie Boarding
• Good For: Sunsets	• Good For: Swimming	• Surfing Level: Beginner	• Surfing Level: Intermediate

Waikiki Beach (Main / Center)