oahubound

East Oʻahu

China Walls

A long lava ledge at the end of Portlock where the shelf drops into deep water.

China Walls

Why go

It is where people in this part of town go at the end of the day, and the light along the ledge at sunset is the reason.

The catch

No lifeguard, no railing, no facilities. People jumping from the ledge have been badly hurt and swimmers have been swept off it. Parking is on residential streets where enforcement is real. Go to look, not to swim.

How long
30-45 min
With children
Not really
Effort
Moderate
Cost
Free
Parking
Difficult

Sunset

Before you go

  • Minimum age 12
  • Not worth it in poor weather
  • Busiest in the afternoon
  • Heavy shore break
  • No lifeguard

Getting there

Driving times on real roads, from the same data the trip planner routes on — not straight-line distance.

From Waikīkī26 min10.2 miles
From HNL airport54 min24.5 miles
From Hawai‘i Kai11 min3.3 miles
From Ala Moana25 min10.8 miles

Add traffic. These are free-flowing times, and the H1 through town at eight in the morning is not free-flowing.

More on China Walls: OpenStreetMap

Hours, fees and access rules have not been checked against a primary source for this entry yet. Confirm before you build a day around it.

See it on the map Build a trip around it

What else is close

Nearest by road, which is not the same as nearest on a map — and not the same as sharing a region either.

  • Lanai Lookout7 min awayA pull-off on the southeast coast road where the lava shelf drops straight into the water.
  • Halona Blowhole Lookout9 min awayA lava tube that fires seawater up through the rock when the swell is right.
  • Hanauma Bay9 min awayA protected bay inside an old crater, full of fish and easy to snorkel.
  • Koko Head Stairs9 min awayA punishing climb straight up an old railway track. Over a thousand steps.
  • Pahua Heiau9 min awayA small restored heiau on a hillside in a Hawaii Kai subdivision.
  • Koko Crater Botanical Garden12 min awayA dryland garden on the floor of an old crater, with a plumeria grove in the middle.