Waimanalo Beaches 

Located on the quieter, lusher side of the island (30-40 min from Waikiki), and just a few miles from Lanikai Beach and Kailua, there are nearly a dozen great little beach locations in the Waimanalo area, all of which have better views and backgrounds than Lanikai Beach and with far fewer people. Beautiful white sand beaches, crashing waves, mountains and islands in the distance, as well as a forest at your back round out these awesome locations. There are several great spots I recommend depending on the size of the party and the time of day. 

This location is excellent for Sunrise, Mid-Day and sunset sessions
- but there is no direct view of the *setting* sun.

PROS:

  • Restroom & rinse showers at the park

  • Gorgeous forest setting next to beach

  • Lots of different backgrounds

  • Islands and mountains in the distance

  • White sand beach

  • Aqua/blue water

  • Great wave action

  • Few people around, especially in the morning

  • Family safe

CONS

  • 40 min drive from Waikiki

  • No palm trees

  • Busy/Popular with locals on weekends

  • Homeless encampments nearby - safe, but sometimes unsightly trash here & there

  • Can be a bit windy due to the tradewinds off the ocean

  • No direct view of the sunset, only sunrise

 

Waimanalo Beaches are easily my favorite locations, simply because they give me so many options for backgrounds and settings, they have that classic Hawaii beach look and there are normally fewer people then many other beaches such as Lanikai or Kailua.  It's a secret gem that is still relatively undiscovered, with most people flocking to the vastly over-rated Lanikai Beach.

Morning/Day Photo Sessions

The following photo gallery consists only of images taken at Waimanalo Beaches during morning/day sessions. Morning sessions here typically start at 8:30am - 9am.

Afternoon/Sunset Sessions

The following photo gallery consists only of images taken at Waimanalo Beaches during late afternoon/evening/sunset sessions. Evening sessions here typically start around 4 - 5pm, depending on the time of year.

Sunrise Photo Sessions

The following photo gallery consists only of images taken at Waimanalo Beaches during sunrise sessions. Sunrise sessions here typically start at 5:30 - 6:00am (15 minutes before sunrise to 75 min after sunrise).