Are you looking for baby friendly beaches for your next trip to Oahu, Hawaii? I have 2 little ones that are almost 6 and 15 months old, and we are always looking for great beaches that are also baby/kid friendly so I figured I would share with you all!

Here are our some of our favorite go-to beaches: Lanikai Beach, Ko’olina (we usually go to the lagoon in front of Disney’s Aulani Resort), Kahana Beach, & Waikiki Beach.

1.Lanikai Beach

This beach is located on the windward side of Oahu in Kailua. I would recommend heading here early in the morning for a beautiful sunrise. You’ll enjoy low crowds, great parking -just make sure you are parking the right direction and soft sunlight so baby doesn’t get too hot. It can be windy on the windward side, so have a look at the wind speed before you head out so you know what to bring with you. You probably don’t want to bring an umbrella or pop up tent if it is really windy unless you can secure it to the ground. Also be sure to check for portuguese man-o-war which typically get blown onto the shore 1 week after a full moon. The water at this spot is usually pretty calm. Our baby loves this beach and so does her older sister.

2. Ko’olina Lagoons

This baby friendly beach/lagoon location is on the west side of Oahu. We usually go to the lagoon in front of Disney’s Aulani Resort , but be sure to get there early (around sunrise) or you’ll have to either pay to self-park or wait up to an hour (at least on weekends and holidays) for a spot in the teeny tiny public parking lot (it is actually called this on google maps). Any of the lagoons are a great beach spot for kids/babies. I would go with whichever lagoon has parking because like I mentioned, it can be hard to find parking here! Here is a great tip- if you look at the security stand as you are entering Ko’olina you can actually see how many parking spots are available at each lagoon. It’ll be right behind the person waving at the front of Ko’olina just be sure to stop or go slow or you’ll miss it!

3. Kahana Beach Park

This baby friendly beach is located on the windward side of Oahu. We like this beach because it is usually not very busy and the water is nice and calm for little ones. Its a great spot for kids to learn how to surf or do stand up paddling and parking is super easy which is always helpful. If you’re looking for a location for a really small baby this is probably one the best spots because it’s usually cloudy here! So you don’t have to worry about too much sun/heat.

4. Waikiki Beach

If you are staying at a hotel in Waikiki, this is a very convenient beach spot for your family. We like going to the beach right in front of starbucks towards the end of waikiki near the zoo. You will enjoy calm waters in waikiki at this specific spot because of the break wall that shelters it from most of the waves. If you are not staying/parking at a hotel, it is easiest to park at the zoo for this specific part of waikiki. If you are staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, be sure to go to either the lagoon out front or more towards the left of the beach if you’re facing the ocean because there are a lot of rocks at this spot. For parking you can park for free in front of the Hilton lagoon. If you get there near sunrise there is typically a good amount of parking available, but it does fill up quickly!

Do you have questions about any of the beaches that I’ve listed? Feel free to leave me a comment in the box below!

If you are looking to capture photographs of your family during your trip to Oahu, head on over to my Family Portfolio to view more images and examples of my work, or shoot me a message by CLICKING HERE. or by emailing marissa.hbphoto@gmail.com or by texting 415-343-2377.

Marissa is a family, maternity, and newborn photographer on Oahu with travel to the San Francisco Bay Area. Marissa photographs families staying in Honolulu, Waikiki, Kailua, Lanikai, Hawaii Kai, Koolina, Turtle Bay Resort, Sheraton Waikiki, Aulani Disney Resort, The Marriott Resort at Koolina, The Kahala Resort, The Hyatt, The Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki, The Royal Hawaiian Hotel, The Ritz in Waikiki, and so much more!