Film & TV · 16 places in all
Rom-coms and beach films
Where 50 First Dates, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Blue Crush were filmed, and how to see them today.
Oʻahu has played the backdrop to a run of romantic comedies and surf films: Adam Sandler courting Drew Barrymore up the windward coast, Jason Segel nursing a broken heart at a North Shore resort, and Kate Bosworth training for the Pipe Masters at the most famous wave on the island.
Most of the places are ordinary beaches, harbors and lookouts you can visit for free. A few are private: Lucy’s house in Waikāne is a family home, and the valley roads from 50 First Dates are on Kualoa Ranch, which you can only see on a tour. Some things are simply gone, like the Hukilau Café, which was a set.
We’ve split the island into two drives. The first runs from Waikīkī round the east end and up the windward coast; the second follows the North Shore and finishes on the leeward side for sunset.
2 ways to do it
EThe editors50 First Dates and the windward coastHenry and Lucy’s Oʻahu, from the Hālona Blowhole and Makapuʻu to Heʻeia Kea harbor and Kualoa.8 placesA full day3 freeWaikīkī & Diamond HeadEast sideWindwardUse this list →
EThe editorsSarah Marshall, Blue Crush, North ShoreTurtle Bay, Lāʻie Point’s cliffs and the Pipeline surf contest, ending at the Blue Crush hotel for sunset.8 placesA full day7 freeWindwardNorth ShoreWest sideUse this list →Questions people ask
Is the Hukilau Café from 50 First Dates real?
Only the name. The café in the film was a set built beside Moliʻi Fishpond on Kualoa Ranch, with interiors shot in Los Angeles, and it was taken down after filming. Columbia paid to use the name of a real diner, the Hukilau Café in Lāʻie, which still serves breakfast and lunch on Wahinepeʻe Street.
Where was 50 First Dates filmed on Oʻahu?
Mostly on the windward side: Lucy’s house and pier in Waikāne, Henry’s boat at Heʻeia Kea harbor, the road scenes in Kaʻaʻawa Valley on Kualoa Ranch, plus Sea Life Park, the Makapuʻu lighthouse trail and the Hālona Blowhole on the east end.
What hotel was Forgetting Sarah Marshall filmed at?
Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore. The lobby, pool and beaches were all used, and the cliff jump was filmed at nearby Lāʻie Point. The bar interiors were shot in Los Angeles. You don’t need to be a guest to use the public beach at Kuilima Cove.
Can you visit Lucy’s house from 50 First Dates?
No. The house and the pier behind it are private property in Waikāne. You can see the pier from Kamehameha Highway, but please don’t walk on to it or up the drive.