Is Kailua Beach good for swimming?

Yes, Kailua suits swimming when ocean conditions allow. Its sandy bottom slopes gradually into water over your head. You have lifeguard coverage from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily. Don't enter where no swimming signs are posted; ask the tower about wind and marine stingers.

Can you rent kayaks at Kailua Beach?

Yes, you can rent from Kailua Beach Adventures at 130 Kailua Road. A single kayak costs $74.00 for 4 hours; a double costs $89.00 for the same period. Beach carts come with rentals Monday through Saturday. You'll need a car on Sundays, and the shop doesn't deliver boats to the park.

Is there parking at Kailua Beach Park?

Yes, city lots lie on both sides of Kaelepulu Stream. You can use the boat-ramp side or the lot beside the bathhouse. They're closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Your parking time needs to end before the lots close, even though the park stays open later.

How do you get to Kailua Beach from Waikiki?

Drive via the Pali Highway, a 16.5-mile route from Kuhio Beach in Waikiki. TheBus journey uses Ala Moana Center, with Route 67 to Kailua/Hahani and Route 671 to the park. Your adult HOLO price is $3.00 for 2 hours of travel with transfers. Cash costs $3.25 each time you board and doesn't include transfers.

Are kayak tours allowed at Kailua Beach on weekends?

Saturday guided trips are available through Kailua Beach Adventures. They meet at 130 Kailua Road. Commercial rentals and tours inside the park are banned every day, including weekends and holidays. You can't get island landing permits through the shop on Sundays.

Are there lifeguards at Kailua Beach?

Yes, towers 8 and 8B cover Kailua Beach Park. They're staffed daily from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tower 8 is at 20 S. Lihiwai Road; 8B is at 2104 Alala Road. You should swim near a staffed tower and ask about conditions before entering.

Things to do in Oahu › Oahu beaches › Kailua Beach Park

Kailua Beach Park

Swimming and kayak trips

Updated October 30, 2026 Park rules and hours: Honolulu; water and towers: Ocean Safety

Kailua Beach Park sits beside Kailua town on Oahu's windward coast. The sandy bay has light to medium waves and steady trade winds. You can swim near towers 8 and 8B. Parking lots sit by restrooms and showers. Kayak and board rentals are across the road. Commercial rentals and tours can't operate inside the park any day, including weekends and holidays.

Map

Where Kailua Beach Park is

21.3966° N, 157.7259° W Directions in Google Maps Apple Maps OpenStreetMap

How to get there

From Waikiki by car Kailua Beach Park is 16.5 miles or 26.5 km by road from Kuhio Beach in Waikiki. Your route follows the Pali Highway. Use the beach park as your destination, since Kailua town is inland.
By bus From Waikiki you first need a bus to Ala Moana Center. Take Route 67 to Kailua Road at Hahani Street, then Route 671 to Alala Road beside the park. An adult HOLO price costs $3.00 and includes transfers within 2 hours.
With a tour The kayak and sandbar list includes guided paddles around Kailua Bay. Kailua Beach Adventures meets you at its shop at 130 Kailua Road. Some trips offer a Waikiki shuttle; your chosen option on the booking page needs to include it.
From the airport Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, HNL, is 17.5 miles or 28.2 km from the park by road. That's a separate route from the Waikiki drive. If you're coming straight from your flight, use the park name for your drop-off.

At a glance

Kailua Beach Park at a glance

Water	a sandy bottom that slopes into water over your head. Light to medium waves meet steady trade winds. Your swim depends on the day's conditions; ask a lifeguard before entering.
Lifeguards	two towers: 8 at 20 S. Lihiwai Road and 8B at 2104 Alala Road. Staffing runs daily from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. You can find tower closure alerts through the city's HNL Info service.
Shade	a pavilion north of Kaelepulu Stream offers cover. Some ironwoods have been removed during dune restoration. Bring a hat for your time on the sand.
Parking	city lots sit on both sides of Kaelepulu Stream. Southern parking is by the boat ramp and canoe hale; the northern lot is beside the bathhouse. Both close from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
On the shore	restrooms and showers serve the beach park. There's a picnic area and an accessibility mat. You can rent a paddleboard at Kailua Beach Adventures for $74 per board for a half day.
Access	the park closes from midnight to 4 a.m. You may walk directly through it to reach the ocean, but you can't remain in the park during those hours. The restrooms and lots close earlier at 10 p.m. and reopen at 5 a.m.
Events and closures	commercial rentals and lessons are banned inside Kailua Beach Park every day. The rule also covers commercial tour stops. Weekends and holidays are included; a shop rental doesn't authorize a company to deliver your boat inside the park.

Before you go

Choose a weekday if your plans need a guided paddle or a beach cart. Swim near a staffed tower. Secure your hat when the trade wind picks up.

The beach

What Kailua Beach Park is like

Soft sand lines the bay, with a bottom that slopes gradually until the water is over your head. You can use the showers after a swim and sit at the picnic area between dips in the sea. Steady trade winds draw windsurfers and kitesurfers to the bay. Onshore winds can bring Portuguese man-of-war toward the beach, so your swim still depends on posted warnings. Stay on designated paths through the dune plantings.

Flat Island, also called Popoia, lies 0.25 mile or 0.4 km off the boat ramp. It's the nearby island you can reach by kayak or paddleboard when conditions suit your ability. For an island landing with a rental kayak, the permit costs $3 per person per day. The seabird sanctuary closes from sunset to sunrise; during daylight you must stay below the high-water mark and outside nesting areas.

Kalapawai Market sells coffee and sandwiches at 306 S. Kalaheo Avenue by the park entrance. You can pick up lunch here for the picnic area without heading back into the center of Kailua town. The market opens daily from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.; its deli serves food from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. If you're returning a kayak first, the nearby rental shop closes at 5 p.m.

Tours

Kayak tours and trips near Kailua

Kayak, paddleboard and Kaneohe sandbar tours 12 tours · from $39.99

The kayak and sandbar list covers Kailua paddles alongside trips in Kaneohe Bay. Your booking page should name the launch site, since a Kaneohe sandbar trip uses a different bay.

Kualoa Ranch and adventure parks 14 tours · from $62.77

The Kualoa Ranch list covers land activities on the windward side. If you're pairing the ranch with Kailua, leave time for both check-ins and the journey between them.

Circle island tours 14 tours · from $75

The circle island list covers drives around Oahu with stops along the way. Your itinerary needs to name its actual beach stops; commercial sightseeing groups can't make recreational stops inside Kailua Beach Park.

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