Pokaʻī Bay Beach Park

Pokaʻi Bay, the most protected bay on the Waiʻanae shore, lies between the Waiʻanae Small Boat Harbor and Kaneʻilio Point. The bay takes its name from Ka Uluniu o Pokaʻi, the famous coconut grove that once grew in its backshore. The Waiʻanae Army Recreation Center, a 20-acre recreational facility acquired by the federal government in 1918, is in the middle of the bay, and Pokaʻi Bay Beach Park, a 15-acre public park, is on Kaneʻilio Point. A sand beach lines the entire bay.

Pokaʻi Bay Beach Park is the site of the former Waiʻanae Small Boat Harbor. Dedicated in October 1953, the harbor was relocated to the west end of the bay in 1980. The breakwater that protected the original harbor was left in place where it protects the swimming beach during periods of high surf and provides a popular fishing site. A wide reef lies in the center of the bay. Waves breaking on the reef are normally small and gentle, providing a good surf site for novice surfers.

Kaneʻilio Point is the site of Kuʻilioloa heiau, one of the temples in Hawaiʻi that was built on a point in the ocean. A popular fishing site, the shore of the point is lined with home-made memorials for people whose ashes have been scattered offshore.