Ala Moana Beach Park is a free public beach located between Waikiki and downtown Honolulu. The beach is very popular among locals and a favorite spot for enjoying the sea. About 100 acres of gold sand that stretch half a mile, the beach is man-made created in the 1950's when the owner of the Dillingham Dredging Company was searching for a location to dispose of his dredged earth. The sand was dumped in the park, creating the beach
The park has many facilities such as restrooms, showers, tennis courts, picnic tables and even a music pavilion. It is a great place for undertaking various water activities. The waters are often quite calm, making it ideal for swimming, particularly long-distance swimmers, novice swimmers, families and children. It is also great for jogging, surfing, skateboarding and other beach activities.
Novice swimmer need nevertheless be careful since the ocean bottom near the shore drops quickly. The east end of the beach is a lot more preferred and much safer as the ocean bottom is sandy without any reefs or rocks. In the middle section and the west end the bottom of the beach is rocky which makes entering the water quite tricky.
Ala Moana Beach Park also has big grassy areas, palm tree, and banyans making it an ideal location for barbecues, picnics, and for playing various beach games. Next to Ala Moana Beach Park is "magic island" where various cultural events take place.