Gray's Beach - Honolulu, HI
Posted by: 
silverquill
N 21° 16.657 W 157° 49.978
4Q E 621068 N 2353320
There are many fine beaches along the Waikiki district of Honolulu, Hawaii. This small beach, historically known as Gray's beach, has a long tradition as a place of healing waters and was the location of the romantic boarding house, Grays-by-the-sea
Waymark Code: WMDT5J
Location: Hawaii, United States
Date Posted: 02/21/2012
Views: 13
This beach, also known as Kawehewehe, is the location of marker 13 on the historic Waikiki Trail. It is located at one of the public access points to the beach where there is a very small swimming area. It was once regarded as a place of healing waters, but is now nearly overtaken by development. Though this is reputed to be a fine swimming beach, the area above the tide line is very small, and one of the hotels is over the tide line with just a narrow walkway to the section of the beach with the sand channel mentioned on the sign, and it is very narrow. Below the tide line, the sand is very coarse, turning to rock, then the coral reef that stretches along the entire Waikiki shoreline.
Although there is public access to the beaches, the hotels are likely to ask one to move so they can spread out their private lounge chairs an umbrellas. All in all, not a very pleasant place if one is a true beach lover, although the Royal Hawaiian, one of Waikii's most famous classic hotels is on the eastern edge, and to the west is the park-like Fort DeRussy.
One can only imagine the serenity and beauty that surrounded this stretch of beach along the famed Waikiki shoreline. The charming boarding house, villas, and romantic hotels are now replaced with towering slabs of concrete, built within feet of the tide line, and in many case OVER the tide line. Even the view of Hawaii's most recognizable landmark, Diamond Head itself, is marred by clusters of huge buildings.
This marker is at the end of one of the public access points to this section of beach, a narrow, tunnel-like passage way between two behemoths of buildings. So, all one can do is read about the history of a the place this once was, but is no more.
MARKER TEXT:
Kawehewehe
In 1930, this view of Diamond Head was still
unspoiled by high-rise buildings
Waikiki Historic Trail
From olden times Waikiki was viewed not only as a place of peace and hospitality, but of healing. There was a great mana (spiritual power) in Waikiki. Powerful kahun la'au lapa'au (or physicians) lived here. Throughout the 19th century, Hawai'i's royalty also came here to convalesce. One of Waikiki's places of healing was this stretch of beach fronting the Halekulani Hotel, called Kawehewehe (or the removal). The sick and injured came to bathe in the kai, or waters of the sea. They might have worn a seaweed lei of limu kala and left it in the water as a symbol of the asking of forgiveness for past sins, which was believed to be the cause of my illnesses. Hawaiians still use the sea to heal their sores and other ailments, but few come to Kawehewehe.
In 1912, a home here was converted to a boardinghouse known as "Grays-by-the-Sea." Its grounds were later incorporated into the Halekulani. The beach is still known today as Gray's Beach. The natural sand-filled channel that runs through the reef makes it one of the best swimming areas along this stretch of ocean . . .
The Lewers beach House was once known as the Hau Tree, for the groves that sheltered its beachfront lanai. It was one of several parcels that Clifford Kimball combined to create the Halekulani Hotel.
The J. Gilman residence seen here in 1908,
later became Gray's By The Sea in 1913. It
eventually became part of the Halekulani Hotel.