Honolulu, HI

When my wife and I wanted to find a beach that’s off the beaten track but still on the south shore, we found it in the form of Kulamanu Beach. This is a public but little known beach that is roughly in between Waialae Beach and the easternmost beaches of Diamond Head. To get there you pass through a very nice residential neighborhood. When you see the corner of Kulamanu Street and Kulamanu Place, you’re almost there—just walk downhill toward the ocean. We got there at about ten in the morning and there were lots of local people walking down to the beach along with us, carrying coolers, umbrellas and surfboards.

When we got to the beach we were pleasantly surprised to find a narrow but long, white sand beach. It was by no means empty—there were other people there—but it wasn’t crowded for such a nice beach. Facing the water, as we looked to the right the beach stretches off toward Diamond Head, and is lined by ultra-expensive beach houses. However, the beach itself is not private below the high tide line (this goes for anywhere in the state of Hawaii). Looking to the left, there is sort of a shallow bay area leading up to a high stone wall fronting another beach mansion. There is a small footpath that winds its way out through the rocks to this wall, and while we were there we saw a group of Hawaiian kids taking turns jumping off the wall into the water below. It looked like fun, but my wife and I preferred to remain on the main, sandy part of the beach.

While my wife worked on her tan, I went for a quick snorkel. There was some surf and the water wasn’t terribly clear that day, but I did see some local reef fish, and some of the usual corals. The bottom here is rocky, so don’t go diving in headfirst! The area is suitable for swimming if you stay in relatively close to shore. We saw some spear fishermen farther out.

We brought a small cooler with us with some snacks and drinks, as there is absolutely nothing at this beach in the way of refreshments or amenities—no bathrooms, showers, or even water fountains. So come prepared and be ready for a relaxing time at a truly local south shore beach!

Tips & info:
-Taking TheBus: from Waikiki, take the #14
-Sunscreen!
-Bring a camera for some beautiful scenic shots
-Optional: snorkel gear, surfboard
-Bring anything you will want for your time on the beach, as there is nothing here but beach!
-Caution—rocky/coral bottom in the water