Beaches up the windward coast
STOP 1 OF 11
Bellows Field Beach Park
East side · Free to visit
Soft sand by an Air Force station; weekends only.
2–3 hours · Free
EThe editors · 2 The windward side lists — switch
Beaches up the windward coast
Eleven beaches from Waimānalo to Lāʻie, from public-access maps, for a slow drive north.
11 placesA full dayRead the guide ↓
- 1. Bellows Field Beach ParkSoft sand by an Air Force station; weekends only.East sideFree to visit2–3 hoursFree
2. Waimānalo BeachThe longest stretch of sand on Oʻahu.East sideFree to visit2–3 hoursFree
3. Kailua Beach ParkThe big lifeguarded beach in town.WindwardFree to visit2–4 hoursFree (park in the beach lot)
4. Kualoa Regional ParkLawns and a calm beach facing Mokoliʻi.WindwardFree to visit1–2 hoursFree
5. Kaʻaʻawa Beach ParkA narrow beach under the Kualoa cliffs.WindwardFree to visit30 minFree
6. Kahana Bay (Ahupuaʻa ʻO Kahana)A sheltered bay at the mouth of a green valley.WindwardFree to visit1–2 hoursFree
7. Punaluʻu Beach ParkA quiet roadside beach park.WindwardFree to visit1 hourFree
8. Kokololio Beach ParkA sandy cove with ironwood shade.WindwardFree to visit1–2 hoursFree
9. Hukilau BeachA long, wide beach in Lāʻie.WindwardFree to visit1–2 hoursFree
10. Lāʻie PointThe sea arch, a short detour off the highway.WindwardFree to visit20 minFree
11. Malaekahana State Recreation AreaWade to Goat Island at low tide on calm days.WindwardFree to visit2–3 hoursFree; camping by permit
The guide
How to do it: Beaches up the windward coast
North of Kailua the windward coast is a string of small beach parks between the mountains and the sea. Few have lifeguards, most are calm in summer, and almost none are crowded.
Drive it slowly from south to north and stop wherever looks right.
- The order to do it in
- Bellows (weekends) and Waimānalo, then over to Kailua, and up Kamehameha Highway past Kualoa, Kahana and Punaluʻu to Lāʻie and Malaekahana.
- When to go
- Morning, before the trade winds pick up.
- Getting there
- A car. About 90 minutes of driving end to end without stops.
- What to bring
- Shade, snacks, reef shoes.
- What it costs
- Free.
Worth knowing
- Most of these beaches have no lifeguard; swim only when it’s calm.
- Malaekahana’s Goat Island is a seabird sanctuary; stay on the beach paths.
Started from the pins on Oahu Hawaii Beaches – Public Access Points, a public Google My Map (the map). Places, notes and the guide checked and written by us; prices and opening times change, so check before you go.