Lumahaʻi Beach

[2] The beach plays a vital role in maintaining productivity of the estuary environment in that its features undergo changes from summer to winter and during the spring.

[5] During summer, sand dunes block the beach's western end, creating a temporary barrier for the flow of the river into the sea and stabilizing the estuary.

This causes a substantial reduction in the beach's width and, combined with floods during the rainy spring and winter, the river flow into the ocean is restored.

[2] The pendanus of Mapuana near the beach, with the local name Kahala-o-Mapuana, unusually yields red fruits instead of yellow and is noted for its scent.

[9] Because of its beauty, with the backdrop of volcanic cliffs and the ocean in the foreground, the beach is a popular landscape setting for painters and commercial photos.

It was used in the 1958 World War II romantic movie South Pacific, where a scene depicted Mitzi Gaynor singing "I'm Going to Wash that Man Right out of my Hair".