Ala Moana Beach Park and Magic Island

Ala Moana Beach Park at 1201 Ala Moana Boulevard is a large city beach park in the Ala Moana district of Honolulu, Hawaii, located between Waikiki and downtown and next to Ala Moana Center. The park covers about 100 acres of grassy lawn, shade trees and sandy shoreline, and it is popular with local families, joggers, swimmers and picnickers. Magic Island, a man-made peninsula at the Waikiki end of the park, extends into the ocean with a paved walking loop, lawns, a lagoon with calm shallow water, and views across to Diamond Head and the Waikiki skyline. The lagoon is protected by a breakwater and is a popular spot for children and casual swimmers. The long beach on the main side of the park has a reef-fringed shoreline with lifeguards on duty during the daytime, and the park offers picnic tables, restrooms, showers and ample parking. Visitors can see paddlers, outrigger canoe teams and, in the late afternoon, local families gathering at the sunset spot on Magic Island, which is a favorite for watching the sun go down and for photography with Diamond Head in the frame. A typical visit lasts one to three hours. The park is open daily from 4:00 AM to 10:00 PM and admission is free. Weekday mornings are the quietest, while weekends and holidays are very busy with local gatherings, and the park fills toward sunset. It is a ten-minute walk from Ala Moana Center, and TheBus routes serve Ala Moana Boulevard. Visitors should swim near lifeguard towers and watch for rocky or shallow reef patches.