Nothing beats watching Hawaiian sunsets!
Hawaii is known for a lot of things, like our beautiful beaches and scenery, and especially our gorgeous Hawaiian sunsets. Dusk is a special time in Hawaii because temperatures only drop 5 degrees so you’re not freezing like on the mainland and you still get to enjoy the breathtaking scenery.
A glass of wine and some good company is all you need! Oh, and a killer view.
How to sunset
One of my favorite things to do with my friends is watch Hawaiian sunsets. By this point in our lives we’ve watched it so many times that we use it as a verb, “sunsetting.” It’s no longer a noun in our dictionary. The act of sunsetting requires a solid group of friends, a good bottle of wine and a nice view. The nice view is easy to acquire because you can practically go anywhere in Hawaii and have a nice view. The good bottle of wine can also easily be found, contingent on your preferences, and a solid group of friends should be easy to obtain if you’re a nice person.
My favorite place for sunsetting is China Walls. Although this point is on the East side and yes I know, the sun sets in the West, you still get a nice view of the horizon because the point curves in a way that gets a shot at the West. It’s really gorgeous.
Wine on the beach – can’t beat that!
Directions and parking for this Hawaiian Sunset
If you’re coming from the West Side, you’re gonna head towards Hawaii Kai area. Once you pass Kahala Mall and merge off the freeway onto Kalanianaole Highway, stay on here for a while. China Walls is located just before Hanauma Bay, so it’s pretty deep into the Hawaii Kai area. You’re going to turn right onto Nawiliwili Street and follow this through the neighborhood. Then, take a left on Po’ipu drive at the white wall, and a right on Hanapepe Loop. You’re going to be parking on this road but I would follow the loop down to Hanapepe place and park somewhere near that roundabout. You aren’t allowed to park in the roundabout, but the roundabout is where the beach entrance will be, so park near here for convenience. There have been break-ins in this area, so do not leave valuables in the car. One of my good friend’s cars was broken into and she had some pretty expensive items stolen. Despite the fact that it’s a wealthy neighborhood, things can still get stolen because people are greedy.
The beach entrance is in the Hanapepe Place roundabout, it’s very obvious. You’ll most likely see other people there, especially during the summer months because this is a popular place for locals. Follow the path down to the beach and you’ll see water very quickly.
I will always love watching the sunset.
The best part?
China Walls is a unique beach because there’s no sand. It’s basically just a cliff. If you’re not a strong swimmer, don’t jump in, just enjoy the view. The water here is pretty strong and if you’re not careful with watching the sets you could really hurt yourself. People have died here before, now usually it’s just sad stories about young adults jumping into the water whilst intoxicated, but it’s still tragic. It would be a good idea to go with someone who’s been here before because they’ll have a better idea at gauging the surf and swell. On the weekends when the surf is big it’s fun to watch the surfers catch some waves!
Hawaii is a gorgeous place, but don’t mistake it’s beauty for safety because there are numerous places on the islands like these.
