Waikiki Beach - The Surfing Capital of the World!

Amazing Beaches!

If you are a water sports lover, Waikiki is a perfect place! It combines sandy beaches and spectacular waves with stunning seafood restaurants and world-class resorts -- a marvelous mixture of Hawaiian traditions and American lifestyle. Everywhere, scenery is amazing. In the 20th century, its natural beauty had impressed Robert Lewis Stevenson, Keniji Osano, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Last year seven million visitors came to Waikiki's beaches, resorts and seafood restaurants.

Here, you can spend a day surfing on the clearest turquoise water on Earth. Waikiki Beach, on Oahu Island ( Hawaii ) , is the world's most famous and exciting beach. In addition to this, it is the birthplace of surfing, one of the most popular non-Olympic sports in the 21st century.

Waikiki, a paradise of travel posters, is parade of artists, athletes, adventures and tourists, and when they arrive in this place, they often receive leis ( wreaths of flowers strung together). It has everything to make your vacation and unforgettable one. Without a doubt, here you are a "King" or "Queen".

Certainly Waikiki has been blessed with several gifts from mother nature and human nature! It is framed by the beautiful natural backdrop of tropical gardens and amazing natural formations. This area has the unhurried atmosphere of a modern small town. Water temperatures at Waikiki Beach average 75º to 77º F ( 24º to 25º c ) in March and 77º to 82º F ( 25º to 28º ) in August. When you think of exotic beaches, amazing waters and world-class resorts, think of Waikiki, one of the more secluded beaches on either the Pacific or America.On the other hand, its fantastic beaches are only one hour away from Honolulu, the capital city of Hawaii -- it is easy to reach thanks to modern transport system.

This place has lured outsiders for centuries. Since 1860, Waikiki became a recreation place for the Hawaiian royal family. In the mid-1940s, thousands U.S. soldiers, who served in the armed forces in the World War II, visited this beach during their stop in Hawaii. In 1977 American producer Aaron Spelling invaded the beach with his stars and glamour. The television series? The Charlie's Angels.

World-Class Resorts

This wonderful area is surrounded by several hotels and world-class resorts ( built by famous architects and designers ), and where you can take care of your body without forgetting the pleasures of life. Some of the best are: the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, one of the world's great hotels, and the Moana Hotel Waikiki-- host to kings, princess, financial leaders, ambassadors, super-models and actors.

Each resort is a world of things to see and do, where will pamper you in Hawaiian style -- exotic gifts ( Aloha shirts, for example ), tropical fruits, feasts, parades, Hawaiian food, folk dancing, and a friendly atmosphere. These resorts have luxurious boutiques, exotic gardens, casinos, night club, unbelievably restaurants, freshwater pools, discotheques, and swim-up bars. All you need for the perfect vacation.

Here you will find many of the world's most fine seafood restaurants. Waikiki is world-famous for its candlelit dinners, where you can enjoy the French cuisine surrounded by amazing flowers gardens and fantastic fountains. Without a doubt, it is an experience you will never forget!

The Surfing Capital of the World!

Waikiki is a special town for surfing, and since 1950 it became the Mecca for many surfers, including Derek Ho, Laird Hamilton, Andy Irons, Jack Johnson, John Kelly and Margo Oberg. This sport -- it is only a part of Hawaii's splendid sporting life -- is more popular here than perhaps anywhere else in the world, and Waikiki Beach is ready to host large-scale international competitions. Just about every sports facility that you can imagine can be found here.

In this corner of the world , you can live like Duke P. Kahanamoku who loved surfing. But If you prefer you can also practice other aquatic sports such as swimming, diving, snorkeling, sailing, and water polo. Here you'll find some of the world's most popular deep sea fishing centers.

A Legend of Waikiki

Waikiki Beach was the boyhood home of Duke P. Kahanamoku, a former Olympic champ. He became famous in the early of the 20th century by launching a huge campaign to revive surfing in Waikiki. His source of inspiration was the ancient Hawaii. For the Hawaiians, this was an important moment. This sport had been invented in the islands by monarchs and chieftains. That's more than 200 years! Sport and tradition were important for the ancient Hawaiians. Today the sport is very representative of Hawaii, being as typical of the island as the taekwondo is of South Korea.

Like Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop and King Kamehameha III, Duke Kahanamoku is an icon in the islands. Thanks to his efforts to promote surfing, Waikiki Beach -- and Hawaii and the United States of America, of course -- became famous around the world. In addition to this, he is considered one of the greatest swimmers of all times. Certainly Hawaii also must have been proud of Kahanamoku's performance at the Summer Olympics, where won three gold medals -- it became the smallest island to produce an Olympic champion!

Alejandro Guevara Onofre: He is a freelance writer. Alejandro is of Italian, African and Peruvian ancestry. He has published more than seventy-five research paper in English, and more than twenty in Spanish, concerning the world issues, olympic sports, countries, and tourism. His next essay is called "The Dictator and Alicia Alonso". He is an expert on foreign affairs. Alejandro is the first author who has published a world-book encyclopedia in Latin America.