Diamond Head Beach

Diamond Head is a protected area just a few miles away from Waikiki.
The top of the mountain is a volcano crater.
The base is a a beautiful beach.



The beach is a state park as well as the crater.
This means no giant hotels, condos, boats, docks.
I prefer beaches like this.


While there is no denying Waikiki's beauty, it is just too damn crowded.
You are literally elbow to elbow with people laying out.
There's a busy street nearby emitting sounds of mopeds, honking horns, blaring sirens.
Good luck catching a wave without 6 other people fighting you for it.
Honestly, I'd rather spend a day at South Padre Island than Waikiki.
The beaches of the gulf on the mainland are so wide that you have all the space you could ever want. Take advantage.

The land around Diamond Head reminds me a lot of the Texas Hill Country during the summer. Dry and rocky. Specifically it reminds me a lot of Lake Travis in Austin.
It doesn't rain much in this area. Very hot and dry. I love how it reminds me of Texas in the summer.







There are nice swells on some days if you don't mind paddling really far out. Also the wind is usually pretty strong from the east here, so windsurfing is also an option.
There is some good snorkeling around the reef but you won't see anyone doing it besides me, unless they're spearfishing. The current is quite strong and the reef is very shallow in most spots.
Some mean looking spiky sea urchins call this area home.
There are also many beautiful fish to swim with if you know where to go. Not like Hanauma bay but still amazing for a public beach. The fish aren't quite as used to humans as those in H bay, one little guy saw me approach yesterday and darted behind a rock, only to peek his little fish face out from the side a few seconds later to see if I was still there. He quickly put his tiny fins in reverse to move back behind the rock.

DH is great if you're seeking solitude and peace and quiet. A lot of people come here by themselves to read, meditate and whatnot. The hillside backs up to the beach and features nothing but a couple of showers and a trail. Big million dollar homes are on either side of the beach.
This is where I would go to get away after a day of job hunting in Waikiki and downtown Honolulu.
No noise, no traffic, just the waves. You can hear yourself think or listen to music without loud boats or tour guides yelling out to recruit people. It doesn't seem like many people know about it or care to go.
I've only been by myself. My friends seem to prefer the busier beaches.
Most tourists that come here quarantine themselves in Waikiki beach, which is fine by me. It's nice being able to lay out without them walking by and kicking sand in your face.

If you want to see the rare and endangered Hawaiian monk seal, DH is your best bet. They beach themselves here to sleep. There are only 1300 Hawaiian monk seals remaining.
I had seen the signs warning about the sleeping seals but never saw one the first dozen or so times going there. Then one day right at the end of the path from the street to the beach I saw this guy:

Dead? Nah, just sleeping. 

The government takes their presence on the beach very seriously. It is a state and federal crime to disturb them while they sleep.
If one is spotted, some agency comes up and puts on do not disturb signs as well as a little barrier.
Try crossing this barrier if you dare and the whole beach will yell at you. I saw some guy dumb enough to try to approach the seal and just about everyone yelled at him.

The second seal I've ever seen at Diamond Head. This one was much larger.

The seals hardly move when they're sleeping, you can barely tell they're alive by watching them breathe.
Every now and then they'll roll over and stretch out their flipper.
The one guy in the picture up above was enormous. He had green markings all over his face from munching on algae though judging by his size it appears fish are the main staple of his diet.
If I were a seal, I'd much prefer this life than that of a SeaWorld seal. Swim, eat, sleep on the beach whenever I want, or perform stupid tricks for humans all day according to their schedule?

Local memorial 

Monument dedicated to Amelia Earhart, first person to fly solo from Hawaii to North America in 1933.

There's a jogging trail that runs around the base of the crater at the top of the hill over the beach.
Lots of people make good use of it. Sometimes I skip the bus and ride my bike to enjoy views like this: