Hawaii's 'Magic Island' Seamlessly Blends Natural Beauty And Urban Charm Like No Other

Oahu and Honolulu are more than just Waikiki Beach, and one locally loved spot is Magic Island. It's a man-made peninsula in Ala Moana Regional Park near the artsy Kaka'ako neighborhood with its trendy shops and tasty food and between downtown Honolulu and Waikiki. To the east of Magic Island is Ala Wai Boat Harbor, where you can charter a boat or join a tour to explore the waters around Oahu. Magic Island's location makes it easy to enjoy the excitement and activities of the capital city and then easily retreat to a beautiful, calm beach perfect for swimming, sunbathing, and some of the island's most spectacular sunsets.

The park itself used to be marsh until the 1920s and 1930s, and it was dedicated as a public park by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1934, at which time he called it "The People's Park." That makes it, in a sense, one of the ways you can experience historic Honolulu. The area has remained popular with the public, and, in the 1960s, Magic Island was built to be a resort spot. It ended up being turned into the ʻĀina Moana Park, but it's still commonly known as Magic Island.

At the southern end of Magic Island is a lagoon. While many of Hawaii's beaches can be dangerous because of powerful waves, Magic Island Lagoon and its wide beach is protected by sea walls, making it the perfect spot for kids and families to play and swim together. Plus there's a lifeguard on duty every day from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The calm waters also make it a great place to learn to standup paddleboard (SUP), and you might even get a chance to see sea turtles. It's fantastic for SUP yoga as well — the waters are warm enough and shallow enough off Magic Island that if (when!) you fall in, it can feel refreshing and it's easy to get back on your board. 

If you want to go surfing at Magic Island, there's a man-made break known as the Ala Moana Bowls as well as some other breaks around the park. Then for a break from playing in the water, there are plenty of places where you can relax under the shade of the massive trees and have a picnic.

Magic Island is a great spot to take in some of Oahu's spectacular events. To start with, it is a fantastic spot to watch the Friday night fireworks put on by Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort. The show starts at 7:45 p.m. and lasts just about 10 minutes. You should get there early and bring a beach blanket or chair to make sure you get a comfy spot to watch this decades-long tradition — the best viewing is along the east side of Magic Island. For an even bigger show, Magic Island puts on a Fourth of July fireworks extravaganza, the biggest in the state, which tens of thousands of people come to see.

It's also home to the annual Shinnyo Lantern Floating Hawaii ceremony, which was first started in 1999. It's a free event, held at sunset on Memorial Day, during which people float thousands of lanterns out into the Pacific Ocean in the memory and honor of a loved one. With all the natural beauty at Magic Island — with its crystal clear water and white sand — and its close proximity to the other highlights of Honolulu, you should definitely add it to your list of things to do on Oahu. You won't regret it.