🌤 Weather at Kewalo Basin Harbor by season
| Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 68–85 °F | 73–88 °F | 72–88 °F | 66–82 °F |
Each range runs from the coldest monthly average low to the warmest monthly average high in that season (1991-2020 climate normals), measured at Waikiki 717.2, 3 mi away, elevation 10 ft. Conditions at the park can differ from the station, especially where elevation differs — check a forecast before you go.
Kewalo Basin Harbor is a harbor in Kakaʻako, Honolulu, on land of the Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA), a state agency. HCDA leases the harbor’s development and management to a private lessee, named in HCDA documents from 2014 and 2016 as Kewalo Harbor LLC. It is not a state park. Kewalo Basin Park, the public park at the harbor, is a separate place owned and maintained by the City and County of Honolulu.
HCDA describes significant visitor traffic around the harbor, particularly among tourists using the harbor’s charter boat services. For an up-to-date list of boats and trips, check with the individual charter operators.
Who Owns and Manages the Harbor
HCDA is a body corporate and a public instrumentality of the State of Hawaii. In August 2014 HCDA signed a lease covering the development and management of Kewalo Basin Harbor and certain land parcels around it. Under that lease (General Lease No. 14-1 with Kewalo Harbor LLC), HCDA’s 2016 staff report states that the management of Kewalo Basin is the responsibility of the lessee.
The land around the harbor, which HCDA calls the “fastlands”, includes the Kewalo Charter Building and the NOAA Lot. According to an HCDA staff report from June 2024, the harbormaster office for Kewalo Basin Harbor was operated from the NOAA Lot, and the Charter Building housed office and retail space for harbor tenants as well as a boaters’ restroom.
In April 2026 HCDA issued a Request for Interest for the Charter Boat Hale, a 2,000-square-foot building along the mauka edge of Kewalo Basin. HCDA is looking for an operator to renovate the building and turn the surrounding outdoor area into a public gathering space.
Fisherman’s Wharf
Fisherman’s Wharf lies in the northwest corner of the harbor. HCDA’s 2016 staff report says the original wharf deck was built in 1924 to support the tuna packing operations once located at Kewalo Basin, and was extended in 1968. With tuna packing discontinued, the wharf was being used for large transient vessels at mooring rates set in the Harbor Rules.
Kewalo Basin Park
In a 2019 Land Transfer Agreement, HCDA agreed to transfer several Kakaʻako parks, including “Kewalo Basin Park and Parking Lot”, to the City and County of Honolulu. HCDA’s own parks list, as of November 1, 2019, shows Kewalo Basin Park as owned and maintained by the City and County of Honolulu, with 5.2 acres. An earlier HCDA transfer list gave the park and parking lot as approximately 4.3 acres and described the parcel as a public park and park parking.
Location
HCDA gives 1125 Ala Moana Boulevard, Honolulu, as the address of the Kewalo Charter Building and NOAA Lot at Kewalo Basin Harbor. HCDA lists Ala Moana Beach Park (76 acres) among the neighboring parks of the Kakaʻako district.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kewalo Basin a state park?
No. The harbor sits on HCDA land and is managed by HCDA’s lessee (Kewalo Harbor LLC in HCDA’s 2014 lease). It is not part of Hawaii’s state park system.
Is Kewalo Basin Park the same as the harbor?
No. Kewalo Basin Park is a park of the City and County of Honolulu. According to HCDA, the city has owned and maintained it since 2019, after a land transfer from HCDA.
Editor’s note: We replaced the earlier version of this page in October 2026. Its title named the neighboring city park, while the text described the harbor, and several claims could not be confirmed with HCDA or the City and County of Honolulu, including daily fish landings, the types of charter trips and a beach with swimming access and restrooms. This version keeps to what HCDA publishes about the harbor and the park.
Keep exploring: The closest neighbors are Kakaʻako Waterfront Park (a short drive away) and ʻIolani Palace State Monument (a short drive away).
Park Location
Plan your gear for Kewalo Basin Harbor
From our editorial guides, matched to this park’s activities:
