Hub · Ko Olina
Ko Olina Guide: Lagoons, Resorts and Food
Ko Olina is a 642-acre resort on Oahu’s west side, 25.9 miles from Waikiki, built around four man-made lagoons. This is the planning page: which lagoon to pick and how the free public parking works, the four places to stay, where to eat, what to book, and how long the drives take.
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On this page
Ko Olina, Section by Section
- The mapEvery lagoon, lot, stay and restaurant
- The lagoons4 entries · Koholā, Honu, Naiʻa, Ulua
- Lagoon parkingFree lots, full gates, about 180 stalls
- Where to stay4 entries · Four Seasons, Aulani, Marriott, Beach Villas
- Where to eat10 entries · Monkeypod, Roy’s, Mina’s, Island Country Market
- Things to do6 entries · Boats, luau, golf, the lagoon walk
- Getting thereDrive times, parking, the bus
The lagoons are privately owned, but the beaches are open to everyone: each lagoon has a free public lot from sunrise to sunset, first come, first served, and more than a mile and a half of seaside path links all four. There are no lifeguards on duty. Most of what a visitor needs sits inside the resort, from a grocery store open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. to the marina where the boats leave.
The Four Ko Olina Lagoons
Four man-made lagoons, each a crescent of sand behind a rock breakwater, run north to south along the resort. koolina.com names them by their parking lots, and those names are the easiest way to find your way in.
There are no lifeguards on duty, and parking has its own section below. Leave the alcohol, pets, drones, kites, frisbees, ball games, tents and personal surfboards behind: the resort bans all of them on its beaches, along with any sunscreen that is not reef-safe. The full list is on koolina.com.
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01
Koholā Lagoon (Lagoon 1)
The northernmost lagoon, in front of Aulani, whose ʻAMAʻAMA restaurant overlooks the beach. It has two public lots, 1A and 1B, both open sunrise to sunset, first come, first served.
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02
Honu Lagoon (Lagoon 2)
A few steps from the Beach Villas towers, with its own public lot and the widest choice of marina beach rentals: loungers, umbrellas and paddleboards, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
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03
Naiʻa Lagoon (Lagoon 3)
In front of Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club, with a public lot and marina rentals of loungers and umbrellas, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
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04
Ulua Lagoon (Lagoon 4)
The southern lagoon, next to Ko Olina Marina and Ocean’s Edge, where the Kaula luau runs, so it is the easy swim before a boat trip or the show.
Ko Olina Lagoon Parking
Every lagoon has its own free public lot, open sunrise to sunset on a first-come, first-served basis. The parking is not a favor from the resort: free public lots at the lagoons are a condition of Ko Olina’s state and city permits, which require at least 20 public stalls at each of the four lagoon access points.
The lots are small. The last published counts, from 2020, add up to about 180 public stalls for the whole resort, and one lot holds more than half of them:
| Lot | Lagoon | Public stalls (last published count) |
|---|---|---|
| 1A | Koholā (Lagoon 1) | 20 |
| 1B | Koholā (Lagoon 1) | 20 |
| 2 | Honu (Lagoon 2) | 20 |
| 3 | Naiʻa (Lagoon 3) | 20 |
| 4 | Ulua (Lagoon 4) | 102 |
| Marina | Next to Ulua | Paid public lot; the fee is not posted online |
When a lot fills, a counter on its gate stops letting cars in until one drives out. You can wait for someone to leave and take their stall, and it beats driving off: there is no street parking inside the resort, so the lagoon lots and the paid marina lot are the only places to park for the beach.
For the best odds, start at Ulua. Its lot has five times the stalls of any other, and the lagoon path walks you to the other three. The paid lots at Ko Olina Station and Ko Olina Center are for the shops, with a three-hour limit and no overnight parking, so they do not work for a beach day.
Where to Stay at Ko Olina
koolina.com lists four places to stay, and nothing else rents by the night: the resort’s other residential communities rent a month at a time. Two are hotels, and two are villa or condo stays with full kitchens.
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05
Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina
The quiet luxury pick at the north end of the resort: 370 rooms and suites on the lagoon, an adults-only infinity pool with a swim-up bar, a free kids club for ages 5 to 12, and a Michelin Key since September 2026.
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06
Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa
Disney’s resort on Koholā Lagoon, told through Hawaiian stories, art and language: 351 hotel rooms plus Disney Vacation Club villas, no resort fee, a kids club included in the stay, and the Waikolohe Valley pools with a lazy river and two slides.
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07
Beach Villas at Ko Olina
Not a hotel: 247 two and three bedroom condos in two towers on Honu Lagoon, next door to Aulani, each rented by its owner or an agent, with full kitchens and a beach bar.
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08
Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club
A Marriott Vacation Club resort anyone can book by the night: one to three bedroom villas on Naiʻa Lagoon, each with a full kitchen and a washer and dryer, and no resort fee.
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Where to Eat at Ko Olina
Two small shopping centers, Ko Olina Station and Ko Olina Center, hold the casual food and the grocery store, open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. and within walking distance of most of the hotels. The resort restaurants handle the dress-up dinners.
Parking at the shops is paid in 15-minute steps, with a three-hour limit and no overnight parking, so guests usually walk over.
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09
Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman
Peter Merriman’s Ko Olina Station restaurant fires pizzas in a kiawe wood oven, pours a long craft-beer tap list at 29 degrees and books three live music sets a day. Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
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10
Roy’s Ko Olina
Open since 2004 in the Ko Olina Golf Club clubhouse, Roy’s serves Hawaii-inspired dishes like misoyaki butterfish, with patio seats on the Bridge Bar over the 18th hole. Lunch runs 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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11
Mina’s Fish House
Michael Mina’s line-to-table seafood house at the Four Seasons, with feet-in-the-sand tables and a lobster pot pie. Dinner daily 4 to 9 p.m.; the bar stays open until 11.
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12
Noe
The Four Seasons’ Southern Italian room makes its pasta by hand, and the signature tagliatelle comes with seasonal truffles, mushrooms and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Dinner daily, 5 to 9 p.m.
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13
ʻAMAʻAMA
Aulani’s open-air dinner restaurant overlooks Koholā Lagoon and serves a four-course island prix fixe, almost entirely gluten-free, with a plant-based option for every course. Dinner Wednesday to Sunday, 5 to 8:30 p.m.
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14
Makahiki
Aulani’s character breakfast: Mickey and friends visit every morning, 7 to 11 a.m., over three courses. The room serves a three-course dinner Friday through Tuesday.
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15
Eggs ’n Things
Pancakes, omelets and crepes at Ko Olina Center, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily, plus a bacon jalapeño fried rice sold only at this location.
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16
Island Country Market
The resort’s grocery store, deli and gift shop in one, at Ko Olina Station, with daily plate lunch specials and wine, beer and liquor. The store is open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
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17
Mekiko Cantina
Four generations of Delgado family recipes at Ko Olina Center, from sizzling fajitas to kalua pork nachos, with more than 50 tequilas behind the bar. Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
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18
808 Craft House
Waikiki Brewing Company beer at Ko Olina Center, with wagyu smashburgers, Sicilian-style pizzas and live music nightly from 6 to 8. Open 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Things to Do at Ko Olina
Most days here happen on the lagoon path and in the water. The rest leaves from two places: the marina, for the boats, and Ocean’s Edge next door, for the luau.
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19
Ko Olina Marina Boats
The 43-acre marina at the south end, with 342 slips, is where the resort’s boats leave. This catamaran sail and snorkel includes lunch and saves the drive to a harbor in town.
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20
Kaula Lūʻau at Ocean’s Edge
Paradise Cove, the luau beside the resort since 1978, held its last show on December 31, 2025, after its operator lost the lease on its site. Kaula opened February 27, 2026, at Ocean’s Edge, a new venue by Ulua Lagoon and the marina, and many of its performers came from the old show. Adult tickets on the luau’s own site run $119 for the show only to $249 VIP, and parking is free.
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21
Ka Waʻa, the Aulani Luau
Aulani’s own luau. Since May 1, 2026, General seating is $200 an adult and $129 a child, plus tax, with gratuities and all drinks included.
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22
Ko Olina Golf Club
An 18-hole Ted Robinson course, built in 1990, across the street from Aulani, with Roy’s in the clubhouse. Kids 17 and under play free after 3 p.m. with a paying adult, according to Aulani’s golf page.
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23
Walk the Lagoon Path
More than a mile and a half of seaside path links all four lagoons, from Koholā in the north to Ulua by the marina. Bikes, skates, skateboards and scooters are not allowed along the shoreline.
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24
Beach and Paddleboard Rentals
Royal Hawaiian Beach Services, the marina’s rental desk, sets up loungers, umbrellas and paddleboards on Honu, Naiʻa and Ulua lagoons, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Prices are not posted online.
Coming in 2028
Waianiani at The Cove
The old Paradise Cove grounds next to the resort are being rebuilt as Waianiani at The Cove: a new luau amphitheater run by Tihati Productions, restaurants including Duke’s, and a walkable retail village. The city approved the project in September 2025, the ground was blessed on May 21, 2026, and the developers say it opens in 2028. The city’s permit limits construction to daylight hours.
Getting There and Getting Around
Ko Olina is 25.9 miles from Waikiki, which the resort puts at a 35-minute drive before traffic, and about 20 miles from the airport, roughly 30 minutes by car. Weekday mornings toward town run slower: Oahu’s own congestion study names H-1 eastbound between Kapolei and Pearl City in the morning peak as one of the island’s least reliable stretches.
Pearl Harbor is the one trip that favors the west side. The National Park Service says the drive from West Oahu is shorter than the 45 minutes it quotes from Waikiki. Our Pearl Harbor directions guide covers parking and tickets, and the tour below handles the driving.
Plan on a car. No TheBus route enters the resort: Route C stops on Farrington Highway at Aliʻinui Drive, the resort’s entrance road, and Skyline does not reach the west side. Overnight parking is $40 a day at Aulani, $48 a day at Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club and $55 a night for valet at the Four Seasons. Our guide to renting a car on Oahu covers the rest.
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Ko Olina Questions
Are the Ko Olina lagoons open to the public?
Yes. The four lagoons and their beaches are privately owned, but the public may walk to them and use them. Each lagoon has a public parking lot open from sunrise to sunset, first come, first served, and the stalls are limited.
Is parking at the Ko Olina lagoons free?
Yes. Free public parking at each lagoon is a condition of the resort’s permits, open sunrise to sunset, first come, first served. The marina lot is the paid public lot. The shops at Ko Olina Station and Ko Olina Center have their own paid parking, with a three-hour limit and no overnight parking.
How many parking spots does each Ko Olina lagoon have?
In the last published counts, from 2020: two 20-stall lots at Koholā (Lagoon 1), 20 stalls at Honu (Lagoon 2), 20 at Naiʻa (Lagoon 3) and 102 at Ulua (Lagoon 4), about 180 in all. The resort’s permits require at least 20 public stalls at each lagoon. When a lot is full, the gate lets the next car in as one leaves.
Are there lifeguards at Ko Olina?
No. The resort says there are no lifeguards on duty at the lagoons and that guests swim at their own risk.
How far is Ko Olina from Waikiki?
25.9 miles, about 35 minutes by car before traffic, according to the resort. Weekday mornings toward town take longer, since H-1 eastbound from Kapolei is one of Oahu’s least reliable commutes.
Do you need a car at Ko Olina?
For anything outside the resort, yes. No TheBus route enters Ko Olina and Skyline does not reach it. Inside the resort you can walk: the lagoon path links all four lagoons, and Ko Olina Station and Ko Olina Center, with the grocery store, are within walking distance of most of the hotels.
What can’t you bring to the Ko Olina lagoons?
Alcohol, smoking and vaping, pets (service animals excepted), fishing, scuba gear, tents and large shades, kites, frisbees and ball games, drones, oversized inflatables, personal surfboards and watercraft, and any sunscreen that is not reef-safe.
