The Best Snorkel Spots on Oahu

One of my favorite things to do on a tropical vacation is check out the ocean life under the water. We love snorkeling and we checked out the top three snorkel spots on Oahu! Here’s all the info you need on the best spots and where to find them.

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#1 Hanauma Bay
100 Hanauma Bay Road
Honolulu, HI 96825
Open 6am-6pm
CLOSED TUESDAYS

Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve is my favorite spot to snorkel on the island. It is a really popular spot to visit too. You’ll have to plan ahead to go here though. There are a few ways to plan your trip here and I’ll break them down for you.
( Read my updated full blog post on Haunama Bay HERE.)

First thing to know is that this is a state park and you have to pay an admission to get inside. Admission is $7.50 per person to get inside. Active Duty Military and dependents are FREE! Hawaii residents are also FREE with a valid Driver’s License.

If you are planning to snorkel on the island I highly suggest buying your own gear and bringing it with you. I purchased a full face mask and loved it. Travis and Aurora used traditional sets. Below are some to check out, you can view them by clicking the photo!

We have been twice, the first time we booked the tour directly through the Hanauma Bay website. It is the most cost efficient if you don’t have your snorkel gear. It includes transportation from your Waikiki hotel, snorkel gear for everyone, and 3-3.5 hours of snorkel time. It does NOT include your admission fee.
To view pricing and more info on tours, click here.

Even if you have a rental car I would not suggest driving yourself to the park UNLESS you are a super early riser. The parking lot is usually full by 8 am (the park opens at 6 am). There is no close parking nearby. It is $1 to park in the parking lot if you do drive yourself. I suggest taking public transportation or getting an Uber/Lyft there. The last time we went we took Lyft and paid $23 there and $27 to get back. This was more cost efficient for us since we had our own snorkel gear and didn’t need to rent any!
For more info on parking, click here.
For directions, click here.

Hanauma Bay has a wait to get inside. Everyone entering the park is required to watch a 9 minute video before getting down to the beach. This is what creates the long lines and wait to get inside. It is an educational video instructing you how to keep the reef and ocean life safe and keeping the beach clean. We arrived at 8 am and had to wait about an hour before we got to the admission point. Then waited until the 9:15 am video. So we didn’t get down to the beach until around 9:30 am.

The entrance to Hanauma Bay is up on the top of the hill and has restrooms, a snack bar, and a small gift shop.

It is a little bit of a walk down to the beach. You can pay a few dollars to take the tram up and down if you want.

The beach itself is beautiful, one of my favorite on the island. It’s worth it to stay here all day and snorkel a bit, eat lunch (you are allowed to bring coolers), and play.

The snorkeling here is phenomenal. I didn’t get photos, just videos, but here are some google pics of fish we saw while snorkeling here!

A lot of the water is shallow enough to stand up in so you are really close to the fish and coral reef.

For more info on Hanauma Bay, click here.
Read my full blog post on Haunama Bay HERE.

#2 Shark’s Cove
59-681 Ke Lki Road
Pupukea, HI 96712

Shark’s Cove is just that, a Cove! So no big waves, no rip tide, and easy calm waters great for the entire family. Even if you don’t like to snorkel, you can see the ocean life in water up to your ankles! Most areas of the cove are really shallow and many fish just swim by your feet completely un-phased by humans.
(Read my full updated blog post on Shark’s Cove HERE).

One thing you MUST bring to this beach, water shoes. It is very rocky, even on the sand and you can easily cut your foot open or hurt yourself trying to walk around without them. We love our Teva’s since they are a sturdy sandal that can be used for hiking, water activities, boating, etc. Click the photo below to view and shop.

Shark’s Cove is also one of the better spots to find shells on the island. I love collecting shells and Hawaii is so beautiful you would think there’d be tons of beautiful shells too, but that’s not the case. Shells, especially pretty ones, are far and few between.
Read my full updated blog post on Shark’s Cove, HERE.

#3 Makapu’u’ Tide Pools
Follow directions to Makap’u’u Point Lighthouse Trail

Just a for-warning, this snorkel spot requires a bit of a hike to get to, but it is so WORTH IT! The hike up is beautiful and many people say you can see whales from the top during feeding times.
(Read my full updated blog post on Makapu’u’ Tide Pools HERE.)

Parking is a pain here. Your best bet is to spot somebody walking out to their car and hope to grab their spot. The parking lot is super tiny so most people park on both side s of the street, which basically makes it one way all the way down to the parking lot.

This trail is actually a nice wide paved path to begin with. Just keep in mind there is ZERO shade the entire hike down to the pools, so wear sunscreen and bring lots of water.

The hike up is really beautiful! Your turn off to the tide pools will be at the third rest stop. It has a sign about whales at it and to the left is a small trail leading down to the tide pools.

Please keep in mind you are literally climbing down the side of a mountain on an unmarked trail. There are a few spray painted trail markers but it is mostly unmarked. Aurora (age 7) did great, we did help her a few times. There were other kids down there as well.

About half way down the mountain you can start to see the tide pools down at the bottom. There is also a blowhole here, and it is way less crowded than Halona blow hole!

The fish were not afraid of us and there are tons of different ones to see. Sea anemones and sea urchins are also in the tide pools. This is also the best spot on the island to find shells!

Try to go at low tide, this is the best time to go!

This spot is absolutely the most gorgeous view of the ocean on the island. There were maybe five other people here when we went, its so quiet with just the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks. There are a few tide pools so odds are you will have one to yourself!