Over one hundred years ago, Waikiki beach was not the wonderful, crowded beach it is today. Created out of swamp land, a rerouting of rivers made it possible for emerging  hotels developing in Honolulu could attract visitors to this sunny vacation spot.  Today, it is one of the most famous and visited landmarks in all of the Hawaiian Islands. Since most visitors stay in this area, a visit to Waikiki Beach will undoubtedly be on every visitor’s list.

Although most of the beach is very sandy, there are rocks and reef areas here so beech shoes are recommended for any beach-goers.  Although the entire beach area is known as Waikiki Beach, different parts of the beach are known by locals by various names. The beach in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village, for example, is known as Kahanamoku Beach after the famous surfer Duke Kahanamoku. Just up from this area is Fort DeRussy Beach where cold springs often make this part of the ocean somewhat cooler although less crowded than other parts of Waikiki Beach. Gray’s beach is next however much of this beach has eroded away over the years.  Next comes the Royal-Moana Beach which has a good supply of sand as well as a good supply of beach visitors taking up space here. Next is the Waikiki Beach Center where you can get surfing lessons or rent a canoe for paddling around in the surf. The next beach, Kuhio Beach has concrete walls which make it sheltered and a good place for swimming with small children since it is very protected. This is the last beach serving the huge resorts of Waikiki.

Kapiolani Park completes the southern end of Waikiki Beach. Queen’s Beach is sandy and usually less crowded than the beaches which directly serve the Waikiki resorts. You will also find the Waikiki Aquarium in this area if you want to learn more about the various tropical fish of the islands.