Day 4 – Hanauma Bay / Makau’u Point Lighthouse Trail / Sandy Beach (30 minutes from Waikiki)
Hanauma Bay
Haunama Bay offers exciting snorkeling for the whole family. You have to pay to get in ($7.50 per person or kids 12 and under are free) and also to rent the snorkel gear if you don’t have your own ($20 per person). This is a great hawaiian experience for the family. The problem is that it gets so crowded that parking becomes almost impossible. The parking lot fills up by 7 or 7:30am until about 2pm everyday. There are three ways to avoid this, first, arrive at 6am when they open, yep I said 6am! But, maybe with your time change it won’t seem so early. But the sun will be out and you will be so happy to not deal with that parking lot. If 6am isn’t an option, you can go to the Hanauma Bay State Park website and reserve a spot for a shuttle. It can get expensive though at $24 per person and then you won’t have a car to continue on to explore the other parts of that side of the island. And the final option is to go after 2 pm because the parking lot starts to clear. And the Bay closes at 6pm. It is closed every Tuesday to give the sea animals a little “people free” swimming.
If the crowds keep you from snorkeling here, there is another, much quieter spot on the North Shore called Sharks Cove. The positives are that it is a lot more local, uncrowded and peaceful spot. It’s also on the North Shore, which is one of my favorite spots in the world but the drawbacks are that on big wave days, it’s way too big and dangerous to go, and also there aren’t nearly as many sea animals to explore. But it’s still snorkeling in Hawaii, so it’s beautiful! The reason it gets so busy at Hanauma Bay is because it really is the best, family friendly snorkeling on the island, always with the protection from big waves because of the large Bay and with the most wildlife accessibility. You’ll see a variety of colorful fish and even most likely run into sea turtles. What a sight! So, based on the experience you want, you can choose which snorkel spot is best for you. Map Website
Makau’u Point Lighthouse Trail
This is probably the most family friendly hike on the Island. It is stroller and child friendly. Because of that, it is also kind of a crowded hike by locals and tourists alike. But it is such a breathtaking view that it’s worth it. And it’s less crowded if you get there early. The free parking lot opens at 7 am. Park in the lot and follow a paved incline pathway to the top. We call it a hike but it’s more like a great 2 mile inclined walk. So, don’t be too intimidated to take your little ones. That being said, from start to finish, it’ll take about 2 hours. And it can get very hot so make sure to pack sunscreen, and lots of water. Also, pack snacks because there are no restaurants in the area around this hike.
You can overlook the iconic Makapu’u lighthouse, established in 1909, but cannot go up to the lighthouse, it’s just a gorgeous view of the lighthouse with the turquoise ocean backdrop along the Waimanalo Bay and Makapu’u beach which leads to the beginning of the windward side of the island. There is a lookout spot to watch for whales. So bring binoculars in the winter months! It’s a pretty magnificent sight to see them migrating.
There is also a part where you can hike down to see tidepools and a natural blowhole but it’s pretty dangerous, especially for children. Only very experienced hikers should do it at their own discretion. It really is a spectacular place, but definitely risky.
Most important thing to remember, bring your camera! You don’t want to forget this stunning part of the island. It’s pretty magical. Map
Sandy Beach
Near Hanauma Bay is the big shore break beach called Sandy Beach known for it’s world class bodyboarding and bodysurfing. Be very careful when the swell gets big, it’s a powerful wave. When it is big, it’s more of a spectator sport, stay out of the water and have a blast watching people catch huge waves right on the shore. Walk down to the south end of the beach (if you are looking at the water, to the right) and there’s a fun blowhole that shoots water 30 feet in the air on big swell days. The kids will get a kick out of that. Be careful walking up on the rocks but have fun!
There aren’t a lot of food places in this area so today would be the perfect day to pack a picnic and bring towels and music and enjoy it on Sandy Beach. Map Website
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