Magic Island
Magic Island
4.5
About
This artificial island is a favorite with locals for picnicking, playing frisbee, or simply hanging out. Magic Island hosts many popular events and festivals throughout the year, including a spectacular fireworks display every Fourth of July. Ala Moana Beach offers excellent swimming and surfing conditions, with Magic Island lagoon boasting virtually waveless waters. Stay until sunset and be rewarded with orange and red hues bathing over Waikiki and Diamond Head in the distance. Magic Island is actually a peninsula and is easily accessible by both bus and car, although parking can be challenging from mid-morning onwards. – Tripadvisor
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Ala Moana - Kakaako
Best nearby
Restaurants
1,539 within 3 miles
Attractions
399 within 6 miles
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
744 reviews
Excellent
448
Very good
234
Average
53
Poor
7
Terrible
2
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Mike B
Santa Fe, NM16 contributions
Apr 2024 • Couples
We were supposed to have a 1.5 hour in the Pacific Ocean snorkeling lesson and practice in a quiet, protected cove off of Magic Island.
We were supposed to begin at 2:00 p.m. but the vendor called us the day before to see if we wanted to change our time to a preferred of 10 a.m. we said fine.
They stressed to us several times we had to be there precisely at 9:30 a.m.
We have never been to Magic Island. Directions given were go to the back of the parking lot, walk across green grass area to Lifeguard Station G and we would “see them.” They said no signage was allowed to ID them.
We Ubered over arriving at 9 a.m., went to Lifeguard Ststion G but no one, nothing. We called the contact number and the woman answering said they were scuba diving in the asteroid and would call us in 15 or 20 minutes. We waited 25 minutes, no call, so Ed called back and she said we didn’t understand: they were scuba diving and we would “see them” before 10 a.m.
We also waded into the water. It was icy cold at 69 degrees F.
We lost confidence in our “instructors” that if they could not be bothered to be found and they seemed more j treated in their diving than us we called and cancelled. We were not risking our safety to these incompetents! And the water was freezing but never a mention of wetsuits!
Unprofessional!
We were supposed to begin at 2:00 p.m. but the vendor called us the day before to see if we wanted to change our time to a preferred of 10 a.m. we said fine.
They stressed to us several times we had to be there precisely at 9:30 a.m.
We have never been to Magic Island. Directions given were go to the back of the parking lot, walk across green grass area to Lifeguard Station G and we would “see them.” They said no signage was allowed to ID them.
We Ubered over arriving at 9 a.m., went to Lifeguard Ststion G but no one, nothing. We called the contact number and the woman answering said they were scuba diving in the asteroid and would call us in 15 or 20 minutes. We waited 25 minutes, no call, so Ed called back and she said we didn’t understand: they were scuba diving and we would “see them” before 10 a.m.
We also waded into the water. It was icy cold at 69 degrees F.
We lost confidence in our “instructors” that if they could not be bothered to be found and they seemed more j treated in their diving than us we called and cancelled. We were not risking our safety to these incompetents! And the water was freezing but never a mention of wetsuits!
Unprofessional!
Written April 19, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Saskalta
Lloydminster, Canada78 contributions
Jan 2020
We basically used Segways to tour all of Magic Island. Received some interesting details about the area from our guide.
It is very popular with locals, so obviously it must be a "go to" place.
We will definitely make a stop here as a priority during the rest of our stay.
Locals bbq on site, but tourists likely would not have those resources, but it is a great place to visit, relax, enjoy the water & sun, and to just veg..
It is on the Ala Moana end of Waikiki.. so for us staying at the Diamond Head end of Waikiki, we need to make a destination.. which we will in the future.
Lots of nice walking trails and grass..
It is very popular with locals, so obviously it must be a "go to" place.
We will definitely make a stop here as a priority during the rest of our stay.
Locals bbq on site, but tourists likely would not have those resources, but it is a great place to visit, relax, enjoy the water & sun, and to just veg..
It is on the Ala Moana end of Waikiki.. so for us staying at the Diamond Head end of Waikiki, we need to make a destination.. which we will in the future.
Lots of nice walking trails and grass..
Written January 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JMD
7 contributions
Dec 2021
Very nice night beach park to have your picnic. Away from Waikiki enough to see the stars out. An organization gathered there for a meeting, people were walking for exercise, fishermen were in and out of the ocean. More of a local feel.
Written January 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
attony
Hawley, PA119 contributions
Dec 2019
We were in Honolulu for a day on our way from Maui to New Zealand and wanted to go to the beach but did NOT want to go to Waikiki. There is an artificial lagoon at the end of this park that has a lovely sand beach and a nice lagoon for swimming. It was also a great place to watch the sun go down over the ocean. Our Uber driver said the park is mostly used by locals, but we really liked it.
Written February 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeanne J
Bellevue, Washington, USA380 contributions
Oct 2021
On Monday this was a quiet spot with only a few visitors. Breakwaters keep the water calm so good for families with young children. Lots of parking in Ala Moana Park. The “island” is a peninsula at the end of the park. A few homeless to pass on the way. Restrooms. One snack shack in Ala Moana Park.
Written October 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GiaXenakis
51 contributions
Jan 2020
So glad we found Magic Island during our last trip.
Magic Island was recommended to us, a group of 13 people. The beach was fantastic, there were bathroom and changing facilities and free parking!
Bring your lawn chairs and camera. The sunset from this location was fabulous.
We loved this location so much, we went back 2x.
Enjoy
Magic Island was recommended to us, a group of 13 people. The beach was fantastic, there were bathroom and changing facilities and free parking!
Bring your lawn chairs and camera. The sunset from this location was fabulous.
We loved this location so much, we went back 2x.
Enjoy
Written February 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
姿子
Saitama, Japan625 contributions
Jun 2024 • Family
I even took a picture on a sightseeing tour, but it was a great place.
The waves were so high on Waikiki Beach that I fell off my feet at the shore, but this one was calm and nice.
A stray cat was an American. As expected of America. Water was kept in the park and they lived peacefully.
I wanted to swim, but I couldn't change clothes, I couldn't move from Waikiki in a swimsuit, so I gave up. It's not even a rental car.
The waves were so high on Waikiki Beach that I fell off my feet at the shore, but this one was calm and nice.
A stray cat was an American. As expected of America. Water was kept in the park and they lived peacefully.
I wanted to swim, but I couldn't change clothes, I couldn't move from Waikiki in a swimsuit, so I gave up. It's not even a rental car.
Automatically translated
Written June 25, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WCJ
7 contributions
Jul 2022
Our favourite place in Waikiki. Great place to escape fromt eh hustle and bustle on the streets and in the resorts. Lovely swimming area for the entire family, with gorgous shaded areas to relax in the adjacent park. Bring your own food and drinks, or simple tottle over to the shopping mall across the street. Heaven.
Written July 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JoeL_WorldTraveler
Grand Prairie, TX189 contributions
Apr 2021
The sunset was amazing from this spot. Also planes fly over this area to land at the airport. The surfers were out there for a great bit of time. The day was full of walkers and runners. There were families at the beach and picnicing.
Written May 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eric G
1 contribution
Jan 2024 • Family
Truly magical place. As you walk on the grass there are so many different kinds of birds and they are not even afraid. It’s paradise. The beaches on both sides of the island are superb. Clear water and no waves, so serene. There is a colony of adorable cats living on the rocks. Watching the sunset is incredible. Very serene atmosphere. Everything very clean. Bathrooms sparkling clean. Just a wonderful place to go and admire nature.
Written January 24, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Can you bring your own pop-up tent?
I have a little Keiki and am trying to find a little spot for some shade if we go here since it is a lagoon. I know the Ko'Olina Lagoons don't allow popup tents.
anything will help Thank you :)
Written August 22, 2022
I did not see any tent-like products on the ground. However, there are areas to picnic and gather.
Written September 8, 2022
You can also use the Trolley to get to Magic Island and the Ala Moana Shopping Center.
Written November 15, 2019
jssluvsme
Torrance, California
Is there a grill for public? We are planning a family picnic over there and hoping we can bbq watching sunset
Written February 7, 2017
No, I have not seen any barbeque grills at Magic Island park. There are picnic tables but no grills. Most people bring their own mats, chairs and find a place to set up either in the grass or near the beach. Many bring their own grills.
Written February 7, 2017
I am getting married on magic island November 28, 2016 and wanted to have a beach party/picnic afterward.There will be 10-25 (max) guests. I live in the mainland (California) so I’m planning from afar and have a few questions:
(1) How do I reserve a picnic spot?
(2) How many picnic tables are located at each picnic site? In other words, are there multiple picnic tables per picnic site, or is there just one picnic table for each site?
(3) How many people does each picnic table accommodate?
(4) If there is only one picnic table per site, are the picnic tables close to each other so that we could use two sites if necessary but not have to break up the group? For example, if we have 15 people and one table is big enough for 7-8 people, is the next picnic table very far away if we need to use a second picnic table?
(5) Answers to these questions will dictate whether I need to actually order tables and chairs or not. If that be the case, does the park provide table and chair rentals?
If anyone has answers, I would appreciate the help. It’s hard to know what I need when I don't have a visual of the layout so thank you so much for your help.
Written October 6, 2016
Aloha! Sorry, according to the Humane Society "Magic Island Beach Park" is a no doggie zone. :( check out Google: Hawaiian Humane Dog Friendly Beaches
Written October 5, 2016
yes, they are very well maintained and the island is beautiful!!
Written September 15, 2016
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