Sarah Marshall, Blue Crush, North Shore
STOP 1 OF 8
Lāʻie Point
Windward · Free to visit
A short drive out of Lāʻie town to a headland of black lava, with a sea arch and islets offshore. In the film the couple hike up; in real life you can park right by it.
EThe editors · 2 Rom-coms and beach films lists — switch
Sarah Marshall, Blue Crush, North Shore
Turtle Bay, Lāʻie Point’s cliffs and the Pipeline surf contest, ending at the Blue Crush hotel for sunset.
8 placesA full dayRead the guide ↓
- 1. Lāʻie PointA short drive out of Lāʻie town to a headland of black lava, with a sea arch and islets offshore. In the film the couple hike up; in real life you can park right by it.Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)WindwardFree to visit20 minutesFree
2. Turtle BayThe resort that Forgetting Sarah Marshall is set in, and where Mike and Dave was filmed eight years later. The beaches are open to everyone through public access.Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) +1North ShoreFree to visit1–2 hoursFree (public-access parking)
3. Sunset Beach ParkA long sweep of sand that turns into one of the world’s heaviest surf breaks in winter. It’s a calm swim in summer.Blue Crush (2002)North ShoreFree to visit30 minutes to an hourFree
4. Ted’s BakeryThe North Shore’s pie stop, known for chocolate haupia. Location guides list it among the real local hangouts that turn up in Blue Crush.Blue Crush (2002)North ShoreFood & drink20 minutesUnder $20
5. ʻEhukai Beach (Banzai Pipeline)The beach in front of the Banzai Pipeline, the reef break that Blue Crush is built around. In winter you can watch from the sand as the waves barrel over the reef.Blue Crush (2002)North ShoreFree to visit1 hourFree
6. Haleʻiwa Aliʻi Beach ParkThe town beach at Haleʻiwa harbor, where surf schools teach on the gentle break. The production notes put the film’s surfing scenes off Haleʻiwa without naming the break; this is the easiest place to watch.Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)North ShoreFree to visit30 minutes, plus lunch in townFree
7. Ko OlinaThe resort coast on the leeward side, with four calm public lagoons. The hotel where the Blue Crush girls clean rooms was the JW Marriott Ihilani, now the Four Seasons Resort Oʻahu at Ko Olina.Blue Crush (2002)West sideFree to visit1–2 hoursFree (limited public parking)
8. Yokohama BayKeawaʻula, the last beach before the road ends at Kaʻena Point. White sand, clear water and very few facilities.Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)West sideFree to visit1 hourFree
Watch before you go
Official clips and trailers from the studios’ own channels. They load only when you tap play.
The guide
How to do it: Sarah Marshall, Blue Crush, North Shore
Forgetting Sarah Marshall was shot mostly at Turtle Bay, with side trips to Lāʻie Point, Haleʻiwa and the far west end. Blue Crush belongs to the North Shore surf breaks, though the hotel where the girls work as maids is an hour away at Ko Olina.
This drive follows Kamehameha Highway west from Lāʻie, then cuts back through the middle of the island to Ko Olina and, if you have the light, the end of the road at Keawaʻula.
- The order to do it in
- Lāʻie Point, Turtle Bay, Sunset Beach, Ted’s Bakery, Pipeline, Haleʻiwa, then H-2 and H-1 to Ko Olina and on up the Waiʻanae coast to Keawaʻula for sunset.
- When to go
- Big surf is November to March, which is the time to see Pipeline and Sunset working. Summer is flat and better for swimming. Leave Ko Olina by mid-afternoon if you want Keawaʻula at sunset.
- Getting there
- A car is the only practical way. Waikīkī to Lāʻie is about an hour; the whole loop is about 3 hours of driving.
- What to bring
- Reef-safe sunscreen, water, a towel, and cash for the shrimp trucks in Kahuku.
- What it costs
- Every stop is free apart from what you eat. Resort restaurants at Turtle Bay and Ko Olina are pricey.
Worth knowing
- Leave nothing in view in the car at North Shore pull-offs: break-ins are common.
- Keep 10 feet from resting turtles on Turtle Bay’s beaches and at Laniākea, and 50 from monk seals.
- Watch, don’t paddle out, at Pipeline and Sunset in winter. The waves are for experts.
Researched and written by us from Wikipedia: 50 First Dates, Wikipedia: Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Wikipedia: Blue Crush, Wikipedia: The Descendants, Wikipedia: Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates and Wikipedia: Sea Life Park Hawaii, among others. Episodes checked against episode guides; places and access checked October 2026. Private homes are view-only from the street.