Mākua Beach

Stunning beach we drove over a hour from the windward side but it was definitely worth it the sand is very soft and the water is Crystal clear similar to places like cancun there also underwater caves and multiple tide pools

Endless golden sand beach. We saw dolphins, crabs, a lot of colorful fishes, corals and turtles. Last but not least a wonderful sunset view. No bathrooms, no snacks.

It is a fantastic beach, unfortunately we went to see the sunset and only spent one hour there. We were lucky enough to see a rainbow over the mountains. The sea was great and warm. There are parking spaces 2 minutes away. I found the area quite safe. If you like big beaches where you can feel one with nature, this is the one!

Beautiful beach on the south end with rocks and small caves. Easy parking and not crowded. There’s some shade. The waves are strong when we were there early June. The mountain backdrop is amazing.

Probably one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever been in in my entire life

Makua beach is one of my favorite beaches! Amazing sunsets, beautiful views and no tourists!

Isolated beach, not an alloted parking spot. Pull over by the Highway and park. Gates were closed when we visited but a couple was going so we went through. Beautiful white sand beach with majestic mountains view behind.. That couple went for snorkeling. May be visit here and near by beach park if on west.

Makua Beach is one of the last beaches on the north west coast. We drove 1.5 hrs to the west side of the island from the northeast. Bring everything you need because there’s nothing there except a wide/long secluded beach, ocean & nature. The current was a little strong for us the day we went so we just walked the beach and enjoyed the sun. We saw people snorkeling, swimming and fishing. On the north end of the beach there are memorial markers on limestone rocks overlooking the ocean. Not sure of the history behind them? Makua Beach is supposedly a spot where you can see dolphins…we didn’t see one. We were told that you can see them early in the morning. We went back another day and got there around 8 a.m. and we still didn’t see any. I guess the early bird doesn’t always see the fins. It was still worth the visit.

Such a beautiful beach. Gorgeous views from the beach shore. It's such a relaxing beach spot away from the overcrowded Waikiki beach area. So serene and relaxing here. It's like a private beach with nice waves and plenty of natural shade from the surrounding trees along the beach shore. This will be my go to spot from now on.

What a hidden gem, away from all the tourist! Although there are no public restrooms (do be prepared to change in your car), there were so many tide pools to explore, a cave and a little sea cliff to jump off of. Pro tip: Bring water shoes if you have them to protect your feet!

Very exclusive beach experience. Not crowded at all. Beautiful blue water and sand for days! Enter at your own risk as the waves are intense and get pretty high. You have to look for a calm location to enter at or know how to swim and ride the waves with your body without getting seriously injured. Large rocks and small boulders are in the water and some the rocks become dislodged and toss back and forth in the waves. Not for small kids at all. Do not leave valuables in your cars as it is a high theft area. Absolutely beautiful, and scenic tour but not for small children. A portion of Jurassic Park was taped along this coastal beach.

Beach day and my husband and I were looking for a calm beach (think calm like ala Moana it ko'olina lol). After reading yelp, we decided to come here. Unfortunately, the closer parking lot was fenced so we had to park in the dirt lot by the main road and had to walk inside and climb down a little bit (not a problem .. but being pregnant and in my third trimester, I wasn't too thrilled lol) When we got down to the beach, I loved the view and how sandy it was. We set up our stuff to the far left of the beach by the small cave and rock people jump off of. I'm not sure if we went at a bad time, but the water was not calm and there were waves where my friends got knocked over, so I chose not to go in (I'm not a strong swimmer). I do like how near the big rock, there are little tide pools (of which some are deep), and a calmer area near the rock where the waves aren't as rough. Also, inside the water, it was pleasantly sandy in the bottom and not rocky. Despite not being calm like I anticipated, it was still a beautiful beach and not too crowded. FYI though, there's no bathrooms.

AKA pray for sets/sex. I love this beach, the water is always nice and it's never too crowded. There is a rock you can snorkel and swim around, and a cool little cave to explore (on low tide). To the left of the parking and rock there are also cool tide pools you can lounge in. These pictures are during high tide. I wouldn't recommend this beach for kids unless they are strong swimmers. During the morning a lot of tour boats anchor off this beach (very close to shore) to snorkel and bother dolphins. The ocean here is very pristine and beautiful. Please take your trash when you leave. I always park where I can see my car and I would never come here alone. Just be respectful and cautious when exploring. It's beautiful!

This is one of my favorite beaches on the island. There is a large gravel lot, so parking has always been easy. Closest to the parking lot there are beautiful little tide pools and a great area for snorkeling (when the water is calm). There are often large waves here, but when there aren't, it's a real treat to snorkel here. There are often turtles and you can hear the whales and dolphins as you swim around. Lots of big, colorful fish. There is tons of room on this beach and it tends to be less crowded, because it isn't known to be a tourist spot. Usually lots of people that live on island. You also get wonderful views of the mountains on the far side of the beach.

Soooo beautiful!!! Sometimes the spinner dolphins are here. Great snorkeling, and today I happen to see a sting ray and get pictures. The water was perfect today, so clear with mild rolling waves. Came here with my family and the neighbors, 4 adults and 3 kids. Everyone had a great time.

Not the best beach to go to if you're on the island, but definitely something worth checking out. Came here because one of my friends who visited Hawaii before said they liked it. I will say it is a bit scary just because it can get wavy and I'm not one to swim in beaches like that. However, it is pretty nice once you get in the water. There was a lot of kids with their boogie boards so that's something to consider when coming here. Next time I'd definitely bring mine just to float around or catch some mini waves and wash up on shore. Parking can be a little tricky. We had to wait a little bit just because there was none. Also, it's off road parking but is designated like if you know it's for that beach then you'd know to park there. But if you didn't, you wouldn't think that's what it's for. After we parked, you can enter this gate area to walk down to the beach but you'd have to walk down the rock wall. There's a walkway so no climbing. But still, be careful. Bring slippers or something lol. I like these west side beaches! They're really pretty and with good company, it's worth the drive.

A beautiful beach that doesn't seem to get as polluted with tourists as others. We came mid afternoon and we had a wonderful time. We saw dolphins in the distance while we were here. The waves are great for surfing and boogie boarding. Bring snacks and an umbrella and enjoy the beach.

There is shade at the very back. You can find shade underneath a few trees but be careful because there are thorns in this area. There is a little cave beside the ocean you can go into to explore, A tide pool area for the little ones so that they can be enclosed safely, and a small cliff to dive off of. The currents are not calm, so if you're not a strong swimmer, going deeper into the water is not recommended. Great beach!

This beach is absolutely stunning and great for and adult chill sesh or bringing the kids to play in the tide pools . There are also dolphin sighting on most days. There seems to be on most days only a couple people on the beach that stretches for miles. Some days are good for paddle boarding and snorkeling too. My 6 year old however loves to play in the shore breaks... truth be told I do too

Aka Pray for Sex Beach I like how yelp doesn't map it to the correct location. Good, keep the real Makua Beach a hidden gem. But if you read this your gonna pass through Waianae, pass the tent camp communities, and your gonna question "I don't think I should be here" because if you aren't a local you probably shouldn't. But if you can go through all that you will find beautiful beaches in under developed areas. Explore HI and discover humble beauty. Enough adventures... time to get lei'd.

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE !! This is now my absolute favorite beach on the island !! It was sort of hard to find since there are huge construction machines but you can see the brown sign sticking out. Then if you go in it's a rocky parking lot our car made it okay just had to be careful! This beach is so secluded and beautiful ! I had the best experience being by the tidepools and not going to front had to do a mini photo shoot there and thanks to my husband for all the pictures of this gorgeous place ! We got here around sunset time so didn't explore too much so next time def have to come back and enjoy this place even more !

Used to be I was scared to come out this way, but I hang with my friends now and all is solid. Quite a few tourists these days here. Mostly sand beach way toward the end the military reservation. Good vibes today! Caught a few small barrels.

***Pre/During COVID-19 Visit*** BEAUTIFUL beach!!!!! You gotta drive all the way to the other side of the island to Waianae to experience this place. It is totally worth it though. I've gone three times and a had a good time all three times. I definitely can't wait to go again. Parking can be a challenge here. There isn't necessarily a designated parking spot as you just park right on the side of the road. Please make sure you lock your vehicle and take your valuables. High theft area. Also, there are no restrooms here and no shower facilities. Handle your business before you go. The beach is nice and the waters are so calm. I love being here, especially during a super HOT day! The water will cool you off for sure. BEST part, not a lot of people go here and know about this place. It's really a hidden gem IMO. Sometimes you'll even see turtles swimming. The next time you come here or if you're planning on visiting, bring your cooler!!! You'll get thirsty no doubt. Mahalo!!!

This place is a nice change of pace from Waikiki another busy beaches. Mostly locals here with a few tourists but when I saw the most was families getting together pitching tents and having big family barbecues. It seems to be OK for novice surfers of these small wave seem to come in providing some action. There's also some nice scenery as the immediate backdrop of the beach are the hills and mountains with an Air Force satellite station up top. For those looking for a cheap vacation property, a little bit down the street and up the hill are some condos and town houses that are extremely reasonably price so makes for an interesting vacation option. However realize you are about a 35 to 40 minute ride to the Waikiki area. And perhaps a 30 minute ride to downtown without traffic. Overall if you're looking for a change of pace and seems to do the trick. Clean beach is plenty of parking, with no fee to park.

Real name of this place is, Kula'ila'i. Locals tagged it, "Pray for sets" which later turned into, "Pray for sex" Either way, it's a beautiful beach. High theft area!!

Beautiful beach worth the drive. The have dolphins swimming in the morning's. Go when it's low tide. Thx tide pools Are instagram spots

This beach has beautiful view, strong riptide, strong waves. I suggest you not to swim if you don't swim often due to the strong waves. There are no trees or shade at all here. I came here for the views on local's recommendation. It's not crowded at all when we went. It's also a great place for photo shooting as the water is clear.

This beach is a hidden gem. It's a little hard to find and can easily be overlooked. When you find the entrance, take it slow, as boulders are protruding from the earth and can really jack up your car. If you stay to the left, as you pull in, the path is somewhat clear of obstruction. Beautiful views, tide pools, caves, cliff diving, this location has a little bit of everything you need to enjoy a nice day on the west-side. During the summer, the tide pools are usually available to dip in and the water is calm. The winter calls for nice waves with body boarders riding them and a strong pull as you go in for a swim. Be careful if you are not a strong swimmer. If you plan on jumping from the rock, jump out not straight down or expect to visit the hospital if you survive. Bring yourself a nice little picnic basket and make a day of this with someone you're into. There are no bathrooms there, so come prepared to pee in the beach, c'mon stop acting like you all don't do it. If you have to drop a deuce, well there is some vegetation behind the beach. I have never had a problem with my vehicle as I park it where I can see it from the beach. Have fun as this is a nice, clean, pretty well kept beach.

Great beach. Water so clear, and the waves are almost non-existent. Which will make this perfect for kids. Great place for snorkeling. Not populated at all, a thought I did go on a Wednesday!

My personal favorite beach on the island, amazing for snorkeling and catching some rays. Just be sure to be respectful to the land and wildlife! Also locals are not fans of people coming here either so it might not be a welcoming experience depending on the day. Again, be respectful and don't touch any wildlife and you should be fine. It's SUCH a beautiful area!

Beautiful! We hiked the pink pillbox hike and we wanted to jump into water to cool off. We found this beach on google and made the trip. It was soooooo worth it!!! Mountain Views, tide pools and snorkeling. We saw sea turtles and a monk seal. Long Beach with little to no coral to make entering the ocean nice. Definitely recommend driving to see this best kept secret!

A very nice and quiet beach. The beach is really clean and calm. It's a nice beach to have just relax and a very nice place to watch the sunset.

PLEASE NOTE: The business and website above is for Hawai'i Vacation Blog - the first website found on Google. The blog discusses about the person who spray-painted the name and a little more information. Authenticity of history is unknown, however, I needed to provide some kind of information in order to post the review on here. IT'S REALLY BEAUTIFUL! I haven't been here in two years. For good reason: When I came here (two years ago) the beach was TRASHED. Diapers in the water, water all BROWN like DOODOO! "Pray for Sex" not even visible.... Trash on the sand... water pools clogged with sand! People that live in the "Ice Fields" of Waianae moved here..... Upon my return, I spoke to someone who frequents here weekly stating that people came to clean the beach. YEAAAA!!!! NOW IT'S BEAUTIFUL! This beach is by far my most favoritedess BEACH EVVVAAAA! Originally named Pray for Set, it was changed to Pray for Sex because someone spray-painted on the rock "Pray for Sex." It seems traditional to go there now and see the name written. WHERE ARE YOU: This place is a HOLE in the wall - like literally. It is sooo easy to miss it on the road, on your way to Yokohama. The location is right after the small Hawaiian cave and sign "Ka'ena Point." Pass there you will see some off-roading. If you're lucky, from afar you will see trucks and fisherman. While driving through, I highly, highly recommend that you have a truck, or a car that is not dropped low, or you don't have A HEAVY LOAD... due to possible scratching of your car's body-kit. ENVIRONMENT: The beach is see-through, literally. The reef on the outskirts is perfect for snorkeling and doing underwater adventures! (Tyler Shortt, we should go here)!! There are about 4 pools with 1 bigger pool that allows you to swim in. Just beware of wana pwease! Lastly, the best feature is the small beach cave. You can jump inside, and enjoy the waves that lift you up and down. It's awesome! You can finish a hot date with a sun-set, followed by star-gazing. I miss it, just typing this out. Mmm....I'm going to bring my other friends here..... or a hot date...maybe DATES! Hehehe

Beautiful beach secluded from the busy beaches. Worth the drive. We had the beach mostly to ourselves with only another two small groups.

Beautiful beach for day time use. Reminder that camping is not allowed. There are nightly patrols and you will be caught so please Do Not Camp and Do Not build camp fires on the beach it is illegal. Signs are posted that camping is prohibited and has been since 2016. There are videos of illegal campers being busted by the patrol on Facebook.

Great beach, spent the morning here. Very few people. We didn't feel comfortable getting in the water as the waves were very strong. We're pretty easygoing beach goers and just needed sand to lay on. But if you're all about getting in the water, this beach at this time wouldn't have been for you, unless you're a strong swimmer. There were some boogy boarders in the water. I'm sure other days find the water calmer.

This beach has never been crowded all the times I've been there. There are two parking areas for this area. The first one you come across is down a dirt road by a gated area. The second parking area is further down the road where the trees end and the ocean view starts. If you go to the first/southern area of the beach there is a nice "pool" area where your kids can play. However, be careful as the waves do crash onto the rocks and you could potentially get washed out into the holes. Walking north, the beach is nice and open with a good back drop of the mountains. There is a section where people were bodyboarding and bodysurfing. Toward the middle of the beach, the waves are a bit more mellow and it's safer for kids. Keep going north, you will reach another rocky "pool" area and the second parking area. Overall, it's a pretty cool beach. A bit of a drive from town but it's worth it if you want to experience something more natural and less crowded.

This was my favorite beach when I visited hawaii! It's so low key, quiet, and just breathtaking! It definitely had some vibes to it. We were here until the sunset! The view of the mountains were just gorgeous! We stayed just a few minutes away from this beach, but it would probably be about 40+ minute drive from waikiki area.

Very beautiful during sunrise and sunset times. Go within these time frames to capture the best photos. It's peaceful and rarely even crowded so you have your own space to do what you want to.

Tl; DR: gorgeous beach. Permitless camping, possibly swim with dolphins; car may get broken into and you might get dragged out of your tent and beaten up overnight. This is my favorite spot to camp on the island. It's gorgeous, the beach is lined with local families partying, and in the summer, the dolphins come up so early you can snorkle out and swim with them. When you do so, please be non-invasive, relaxed, and let them do their thing. They're already stressed out enough with the tour boats disgorging hundreds of lobster-skinned tourii into the beautiful waters about 9 or 10 o clock, so respect that they are there to hunt and frolic and rest. That said, I have had some wonderful experiences. There are no toilets or showers here, so plan ahead. Over the years, friends have had their cars broken into, and some people have even been pulled out of their tents in the middle of the night and beaten up. Don't leave anything nice in the car; bring a beater car if you have one.

Not for tourists , but is by far a beautiful scene , not to sound mean but there stuff just keep getting stolen . Highly recommend going somewhere els

Makua Beach is one of the most secluded and far away beaches on Oahu. It is just past Makaha Beach but before Yokohama Bay, and yes, it is easy to miss. This is the second to the last beach where the road ends (the last one is Yokohama Bay) and both beaches are actually part of Ka'ena Point State Park. This is a very quiet beach, indeed. There are a few families that camp or hang out at this place. Some rocky areas right off the shore.

I love this place.... But be cautious of the tide.... Though I am a former lifeguard, I had no idea that an over 8 foot wave was coming and took me out. Thank God I am ok. Just be aware of the tide etc. No signs were posted. It's a beautiful peaceful place though:)

This is a gorgeous beach with a kid friendly area to swim that's naturally blocked off by rocks even when the waves are big!