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Updated May 15, 7:31 PM HST
Not the day for this beach
Surf is rough today — not a swim day for keiki. Rain chance is low. UV is high — sunscreen and shade recommended. No DOH water quality advisory on record for this beach.
pronounced mah-kah-POO-oo
Dramatic east-side beach with the lighthouse view — strong shorebreak limits family water use to small-condition days only.
NWS forecast for this exact lat/lon — forecasts can change, re-check before you go.
Kalanianaʻole Hwy, Waimānalo, HI 96795
Makapuʻu is gorgeous and a good picnic/photo stop, but the water is similar in character to Sandy Beach — steep entry, strong shorebreak. Older kids can bodyboard on small days under direct supervision. Toddlers stay on the sand. The big draw for many families is the parking-area view and the nearby Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse trail.
Combine with the Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse trail (1 mile paved, mostly stroller-friendly with a hill — older kids handle it fine) for a half-day east-side outing. Tide pools at the south end are good when surf is small and tide is low.
Check the lifeguard flag before going in. The shorebreak is friendlier than Sandy but still capable of injuring small kids. Watch the lifeguard's posted swell forecast on the tower.
This beach sits in the Tsunami Evacuation Zone per Hawai‘i Statewide GIS. If sirens sound or shaking is felt, move inland and uphill immediately. Hawai‘i Emergency Management →
Free parking lot. The main lot can fill on weekends; overflow along the highway.
Public restroom at the lot. Showers at the beach.
Limited at the beach; bring an umbrella. The parking-area pavilion offers some shade.
Early morning before trade winds pick up is calmest. Lighthouse trail is best at sunrise (winter whale-watching November through March).
Accessibility: Paved walk from parking to overlook; sand access has a small drop-down.
Long stretch of fine white sand on the windward coast — quieter than Kailua, with mostly gentle entry.
Famous shorebreak beach — beautiful to watch, dangerous to swim, not a family swim spot.
Three miles of ironwood-backed beach inside the Bellows AFS — public access on weekends + federal holidays only.