Dr. Beach, Stephen Leatherman, has picked this stretch of lovely pinkish sand as America's Best. Lanikai is a gem but one with a growing list of caveats. First, among all the great Hawaii beaches, Lanikai may have suffered the most from erosion and narrowing. It's now a pretty narrow strip which most locals say is a mere shadow of its former self. Another problem with Lanikai -- parking. There isn't a parking lot. Road parking is limited. You can park close to Lanikai and hoof it in but hard to do with children. And parking has become more of a problem in recent years as Oahu has grown more crowded and, simultaneously, more tourists have ventured beyond Waikiki to hit beaches formerly stocked mostly with locals. Some of the access paths are overgrown and a pain to walk down (courtesy of Honolulu City and County's l'aissez faire enforcement policies). There are no lifeguards, no showers, no bathrooms, and no snackbars. No, no, no. Now, for the good parts.

Precisely due to the lack of parking and the inconvenience, Lanikai is usually less crowded than the neighboring public beach in Kailua. The sand has this wacky, shimmery quality -- it's both sublimely soft and glowing, somehow (no, I didn't take any drugs while I was there). Snorkeling is not great. Swimming is quite nice. Windsurfers, kayakers and outrigger canoe paddlers are love Lanikai for the steady breezes and excellent paddling conditions (most of the time). The waters tend to be a little bit calmer than on other Windward Oahu beaches. And the view of the Mokuluas, two little islands that are bird sanctuaries, gives Lanikai a bit of a more castaway feel. If you go there in the late afternoon during the summer when the winds are not too bad, Lanikai lives up to the Hawaiian meaning of its name -- heavenly ocean. All told, however, -- you're better off with Kailua, in my opinion.

Lanikai (map)

Image via Flickr / jparise

—Alex, 02/28/07