Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve

By far the best snorkeling on the island . You have to pay to get into the park and watch a quick orientation video about protecting the reef before you are allowed to walk down to the beach .

Bring some food and drinks, there are no vendors here. You have to watch a short video about reef behavior before you're allowed to enter. Great place for families and lovely place!

Great for snorkeling !!! I don't think this beach is meant for people to spend the whole day here since it is full of reefs . I think there are plenty of safer beaches on the island for the family Read more

A beautiful place to snorkel - full of lively reefs and lots of wildlife ! Pay admission to enter but it's very well worth it! Bring snacks and enjoy the entire park !

Amazing snorkeling . We saw turtles , octopus , and thousands of fish . Even though the entrance is a little steep ($7) it is worth it. Bring your own snorkel

It is a beautiful place. There is no smoking allowed on the beach . A great place for snorkeling because of the reef and the calm water . Remember, don't touch the reef =).

This was so much fun! If you have a vehicle then bring food and a cooler! There's no food/drinks down there so bring some. If you don't have snorkeling gear , rent some or get water shoes . Have fun!

It’s beautiful and tranquil. I got here around 0630 and there wasn’t many people at the park yet. Admission and parking was free before 0700. Bring your own snorkel or you can rent there.

This place is great for snorkeling ! If you have the time and energy hike around the bay for some awesome views ! You can see the reefs from above

Amazing snorkeling spot with easy access to great coral and fish viewing ! Bring food and water in a cooler to avoid walking back up from the beach . You can rent snorkels right on the beach .

BEAUTIFUL! Have 2 watch video 1st. Walk down & take pretty pics along the way. Trek back up was a pain but you can pay $1.25 to go on the trolley. Bring snorkeling gear !! & sunscreen safe for reefs !

Awesome and very popular snorkeling spot. The farther end is very shallow and not great for swimming . Stick to the middle and left ends of the beach 🌊🐠🐟 🐡🏊🏻

Come early in the morning, limited parking .. Get your snorkel equipment if possible otherwise you can always rent .. Couple of good spots around . It's worth a half day trip

Spend the extra money to rent the snorkels . You won't regret it, we were able to see some cool fish and a sea turtle . The views here are just as beautiful outside the water.

An absolute must-do in Oahu. Reach early as parking tends to be full around 9:30 am (on weekdays, earlier on weekends). Plan to spend at least half a day here, worth every minute.

Beautiful area to visit and snorkel . The 9 min video was boring but mandatory. Bring gear to snorkel or rent for $$$. Totally worth the visit.

Just chill a little bit here, bring your snorkel or rent one at the beach . Nice corals , fishes and if you're lucky, you can see turtles

Get there early as the sun is rising, when it is not crowded . Staff is limited between 6-8, so you might not have to pay the entrance fee, but have a buddy if you plan to snorkel ...Only one lifeguard

New opening hours during COVID (8am-4pm). Parking only available for 30 ppl so easier to park on Nawiliwili St and walk up to join the line which starts around 7-7:15am.

Get there at least by 8:30am on the weekend to get a parking spot . After a long day of snorkeling , for the $1.25 for the shuttle ride back up so you don’t have to walk it.

If you have your own car, skip the organized tour with transportation and rent your own snorkeling gear so you can leave whenever you want. Also the left side of the bay has the most fish !

Have to go at least once. Where the beautiful fish come to you. During peak season arrive close to the 6:00AM opening or you will wait. By 9:00 you may not get parking .

What a great spot. If you can't get there early come around 2:30 and most of the crowds will be gone. Also, after watching the orientation video sign in so you won't have to sit through it again

Everyone said it’s perfect.It might be on a calm day.We went there with a toddler & it was super windy.Boards and other stuff flew around. Snorkeling is nice but I wouldn’t recommend it for families.

Show up early! We arrived here at 7AM and found parking right next to the entrance. We didn't have to wait in any of the lines and were able to enjoy the entire reef before the crowed of tourists .

If it's not sand, it's coral - please don't step on it, with or without fins. Snorkeling was medium - highish, not great visibility when I was there but saw several turtles . Worth the bus ride :-)

killer site to see fish up close, while snorkeling ... got some turtles , a ton of fish and eels on my GoPro Hero3... best place for snorkeling that I've ever been to!!

Spend the day there for snorkel and picnic . Many cool fishes to see. Saw a lazy sea lion sleeping at the cliff area :-)

Snorkeling is the big deal here! One of those rare places that you can't believe it's real because it's so beautiful.

Everyone says "go early", but I've found it best to go later in the day, after 2 or 3pm. Most of the tourists leave to get ready for dinner around that time.

Great place to snorkel and spend day at beach . Bring your own umbrella, there’s NO SHADE.

You have to come here. Come super early to pick up a ticket for a later time. You can request a specific time if available.

What an amazing place, super well organized and with great infrastructure. Snorkeling is surreal here.

Great, inexpensive way to explore nature! Got swim with 2 sea turtles and TONS of fish at my last visit !

Be sure to sign the sheet so you don't have to watch the video a second time within one year

Parking wasn't bad at all around noon on a Friday. Beautiful area but very crowded . Be careful when swimming in shallow reef areas.

Parking is such a pain, its almost always full so i recommend parking down and there are small private vans that take you up, but the place is SO WORTH IT!!

Bring food and umbrellas for shade as it can get hot . Check tide conditions as it can be shallow .

Guys at entrance are liars. Parking was full and I asked those guys if I can drop my family off there and walk down so I can park my van far down, they adamantly said NO, which was a LIE! Many walk!

After beach time go to @Island Brew Coffeehouse for Acai Bowls and iced or Hot coffee drinks.

This place is absolutely my fav spot in Oahu. Amazing nature and lovely colorful fish all around🐠🏊🏻

Bring the best and personal flotation #floatnthang for helping you float and snorkel over the rocks

If you are coming from the US I suggest using your clock being off the next day to your advantage and getting here before 7am. Great snorkelling , and scenery. It fills up very quickly after that.

Parking lot often gets full by 7:30am, park in the neighborhood near Nawiliwili St and walk up so you don’t get turned away! No drop offs allowed.

Volcanic cone just SE of Honolulu, tourists started to overtake the land in 1931 and has since suffered from much overuse. Now Hanauma Bay is known for its educational tours and natural wildlife .

Sign the form after the short presentation if you plan on returning within a year. This allows you to skip the video on your next visit.

Beautiful beach and snorkel spot - Sundays are a good day to go. Not as crowded as anticipated on a January Day.

Great spot for snorkeling . If you're a strong swimmer go out to the deeper water to see bigger fish .

Best beach I've ever seen and been to so far! Amazing snorkling experience 🐟

Best Place to Go Snorkeling . Closed on Tuesdays