Honolulu, HI

Oahu’s Windward side is packed with abundant natural treasures. One really fun treasure to explore is the trail to Makapuu Lighthouse. On the way to the lighthouse, you can hike down to the lava rock surface that houses the warm tide pools.

The Makapuu Lighthouse trail is 3.9 miles from Hanauma Bay as you head north toward Waimanalo on Kalanianaole Highway. (Factoid: It’s also the eastern-most point of the island of Oahu.) If you’re coming from Honolulu, mapquest Hanauma Bay, drive 3.9 miles past it, and you’ll see the trail parking lot on the right. If you’re coming from the Kailua/Waimanalo direction, look for the parking lot entrance on the left, about a half mile after you pass Sea Life Park, up the curvy hills.

A word of caution: be sure not to leave any valuables in your car, even the trunk, as this area is notorious for break-ins. I usually wear my board shorts under another pair of shorts with lots of pockets. I carry a small backpack with water, some food, a towel, snorkel mask and camera, so nothing stays in the car. When I get down to the tide pools, I just take off the shorts and stick them in the backpack while I swim. More on that in a minute.

The trail to the lighthouse is 2-3 miles roundtrip, and while it’s a little steep in places, it’s all paved, so it’s not a super-extreme physical experience. The hike to the tide pools, though, is a bit more challenging. Steep and rocky, it can be a slow descent at times. The best shoes to wear are reef walkers, because you can hike the trail and then walk around on the bottom and sides of the tide pools without worrying about cutting your feet. If you don’t want to spring for a pair of reef walkers, regular running or hiking shoes are fine. Some people do the hike in slippers (flip flops), but I wouldn’t recommend it, because if one of them breaks you’ll be walking barefoot on the sharp lava rocks. I know, it happened to me…

The views of Koko Head Crater, Diamond Head Crater, and the vast coastline are stunning as you ascend the lighthouse trail. (I’ll do another article on the trail itself with views of the lighthouse, the awesome coastlines, little islands, old WWII bunkers, whale watching spots, hang gliders and bizarre plant life.)

About halfway up the trail, you’ll see an area on the right (facing the ocean) with one of those cheap viewing telescopes and signs about whales and their migrations. The skinny trailhead starts there. Actually I wouldn’t call it a trail – it’s more of a path.

The path down is semi-worn, and you can easily lose it, but that’s okay because you can see the tide pools as you descend. While this path is not for those who are out of shape or have fear of heights, it’s not as far as it seems, and you’ll be down in 20 minutes or so. On the way back up, you’ll see faint little white arrows to guide you up the path, but don’t worry if you lose it. You’ll get up eventually, and you won’t get lost.

When you get to the bottom, you’ll see a fascinating set of small blowholes to the left of the pools. They’re loud and they spray every time a big wave hits. I like standing over the hole and letting the spray hit me – it’s a great photo op as well. I wouldn’t want to imagine what would happen if someone fell in! You’ll also see little pockets of sea salt, results of evaporated little pools. The smaller pools are actually quite warm, like little natural hot tubs, but some have thick algae (another good reason to wear reef walkers).

Jump in the bigger tide pools, and you’ll see fish swimming around. Put on your snorkel, and you’ll see lovely parrot fish and other colorful creatures. If tide is high, it’s possible you might get raked over the rocks by the waves that refresh these pools, so be aware. Lounge on the rocks and look for black crabs running around. Relax. And take lots of pictures.

The Makapuu Lighthouse trail has no rest room facilities. There is handicapped parking, and you could easily take wheelchairs and strollers up the main part, but not to the tide pools. (We did see a lady with a little baby down there, so I guess it’s possible – she was in pretty good shape though, looked like a runner.) Bring lunch, water, snorkel, mask (you won’t need fins), and a towel. If you’re not a hiker or runner, get plenty of rest.

All for now, have fun at the tide pools!