Kaalawai Beach

If you and your pup want to spend the day at a beach that’s off the beaten path, Kaalawai Beach is perfect for you! This beautiful, secluded beach is located in Diamond Head on Oahu’s South Shore. Dogs are welcome to join you on this scenic beach on-leash.

While Kaalawai Beach doesn’t have its own parking lot, there’s plenty of street parking on Kulamanu Place, which borders the beach. At the end of Kulamanu Place, you’ll find a set of concrete stairs. These stairs will lead you onto Kaalawai Beach itself. The beach is small, with a narrow strip of white sand for you and your pup to stroll on. The beach is typically quiet, making this a great place to relax on the sand with your dog.

Kaalawai Beach is surrounded by low concrete walls and bushes, which helps the beach feel more secluded. There’s a shallow reef just off the shore of Kaalawai Beach, and because of that, it’s a bit difficult to swim here. But water-loving pups can still splash around in the clear water on the shoreline! Be sure to bring a towel with you so you can clean up after your dog when they finish splashing around.

At the eastern end of the beach, you’ll find two interesting sites: Black Point, a lava rock peninsula that juts out into the ocean, and the Shangri La Mansion. The Shangri La Mansion once belonged to heiress Doris Duke. Today, the mansion has been transformed into a museum of Islamic Art. While pups can’t go inside the museum itself, you can explore the museum’s beautiful grounds together.

Kaalawai Beach is a quiet, picturesque beach that’s close to two furiffic landmarks. Be sure to bring some doggy bags and water with you, and have a fun day out at the beach!