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Though located on a military installation that includes an army reserve camp, an area where Marines practice amphibious landings, this sprawling beach and campsite with ample parking is a public facility on weekends and holidays. Many consider it the best of the Waimānalo beaches; bodyboarding, boogieboarding, and surfing are prime. Camping here is by permit only.

Keyhole-shaped Hanauma Bay is one of the most spectacular sights in the islands, and highly recommended for swimming and snorkeling. It’s a good idea to go early in the day because the bay is so well used that access and parking can be difficult. Call ahead on 396 4229 to check for periodic closures.

This secretive mile and a half of golden sand, hidden by the ritzy homes of suburban Kāhala, offers wading, snorkeling, reef-fishing, and sunbathing. To get here from Waikīkī, take Diamond Head Road until it becomes Kāhala Avenue. In the 4,400 to 4,800 blocks of Kāhala Avenue, watch out for seven narrow paths, marked by blue beach access signs (you’ll need to park on the street). The bigger stretch of Wai’alae Beach Park (with restrooms and picnic tables) is just beyond Kapakahi Stream bridge.

This family-friendly park on Maunalua Bay offers perfect picnic sites, restrooms, views and, at low tide, the opportunity for novice kayakers to take to the water. From Kalaniana’ole, turn right on Kuli’ou’ou Road, left on Summer Street and right again on Bay, which comes to a dead end in a parking lot.

This park contains some of O’ahu’s beloved landmarks – the beach (a bodysurfer’s mecca), the nearby lighthouse, and the shore trail. Just over the rocks is “baby beach,” where pools are safe for children’s play. Manana – better known as Rabbit Island – is a dramatic landmark offshore.

This sun-baked park has picnic tables, restrooms, and some grassy areas for play. It’s a launching point for excursions onto Maunalua Bay, from outrigger canoe paddling and water skiing to fishing, diving, and snorkeling trips.

Its name deriving from a Portuguese former resident called Pico, the virtually unknown Paikō Peninsula offers birdwatching, fishing, snorkeling, and unprecedented seclusion. From Kalaniana’ole, turn right onto narrow Paikō Drive, park on the street and take the beach access trail to the water. Turn left (east) and find your spot past the second to last house. You’ll need to bring food and water with you, as it’s a remote area.

Renowned for the constant winds that make kite-flying a feature, Sandy Beach also has wicked waves, which routinely slam un-suspecting waders and body surfers into the rock-hard sand. This much-used beach is, therefore, one to treat with respect. So rule number one is: don’t turn your back on the ocean – here or anywhere else, for that matter.

Here you catch sight of uninterrupted white sand that stretches three miles along the coast. The facility includes Waimānalo Beach Park, south of town, and the recreation area to the north. Both offer prime picnic areas, camp sites, restrooms, and showers. The park is right on the road but the recreation area is secluded in an ironwood grove (known as Sherwood Forest, alas, in part because car burglaries are a problem).

Polo, favored by Hawaiian royalty, has a 200-year history here. Honolulu Polo Club matches are held at 2:30pm each Sunday from June through October (adults $3, children under 12 free). There is a shaded grandstand, food for sale, and you’ll find lots of aloha (warmth) for visitors – who have included the UK’s Prince Charles, who played a match here in 1974.