Nicest beach to visit?

[jerseygirlmk]

Hi everyone! Where would you recommend heading to the beach for the day? Any recommendations?

 

[Brians_myth]

Hello!

It depends on what you're looking for. If you want a better chance of seeing dolphins and turtles, go to electric beach. You can find it on your phone's GPS. Go to the west end of Oahu. North of Aulani, you'll see a sliver of green along the coast. Zoom in and you should see the location. Waikiki beach has larger grained sand but is good for bar hopping and eating. Waimea Bat Beach Park is gorgeous and is great for lounging around on the sand. Waimanalo beach is wide open with great water for swimming. If you want to see a lot of fish, the paid-entry Hanama bay is the best spot. Hope this helps!

 

[jerseygirlmk]

Thank you so much! It will be our first time there!

 

[Brians_myth]

You're welcome! Enjoy the beach and if you see anything good, please share a pic!

 

[alohamom]

If you want turquoise warm water, soft white sand, magnificent views and great parking then go to Kailua and/or Lanikai. The drive over is so scenic too. We have been to all the islands multiple times and been to many many many of the beaches and Kailua is in our top 2. Trust me, this is the beach on Oahu you are looking for. Waimanalo is similar but I know that some of the remote parking spots can leave your car vulnerable to theft.

 

[hilarys]

Another vote for Kailua beach. I love the drive over to that side of the island and the views of the lush green hills from the beach are incredible. There are lots of places in Kailua town to pick up a picnic or to go food for a picnic. Kailua beach has parking lots and restrooms which makes it easy to spend the day. The water is calm with rolling waves and we could just bob around for hours - sandy bottom, gentle slope to the beach.

 

[jerseygirlmk]

Oh Kailua sounds amazing! Thank you! I will be placing it on my itinerary!

 

[PetePanMan]

Can't go wrong with Kailua and Lanikai but I also like North Shore beaches like Waimea Bay

 

[AdamEfimoff]

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/oahu/introduction/the-best-beaches

 

[DVCRSheridan]

If you want turquoise warm water, soft white sand, magnificent views and great parking then go to Kailua and/or Lanikai. The drive over is so scenic too. We have been to all the islands multiple times and been to many many many of the beaches and Kailua is in our top 2. Trust me, this is the beach on Oahu you are looking for. Waimanalo is similar but I know that some of the remote parking spots can leave your car vulnerable to theft.

I second this! Kailua and/or Lanikai are lovely. As is the drive from Aulani over to the Windward side. While over there consider Pillboxes hike if that's something that interests you and check out Cinnamon's for breakfast (preferably on a weekday).

 

[jerseygirlmk]

I second this! Kailua and/or Lanikai are lovely. As is the drive from Aulani over to the Windward side. While over there consider Pillboxes hike if that's something that interests you and check out Cinnamon's for breakfast (preferably on a weekday).

Thank you! I cannot wait to explore!

 

[cgattis]

I asked this right after my trip but never got an answer;maybe it'll catch someone's eye here...

We passed two beaches driving from Diamond Head up to Hanauma Bay, not too far from Koko Marina area. They looked really pretty from the road, but I can't really ID them in a map. One guide mentioned a beach near that area, but said the snorkeling really wasn't great due to residential runoff. I'm wondering if these beaches are those (it did look like highly residential areas), and even if snorkeling is bad, how would beginner-level surfing be there (in the summer)?

Sorry for the uber-vague info; I really didn't realize we'd be passing that close to the coast on that drive, so I hadn't researched it. TIA for any info!

 

[Brians_myth]

I asked this right after my trip but never got an answer;maybe it'll catch someone's eye here...

We passed two beaches driving from Diamond Head up to Hanauma Bay, not too far from Koko Marina area. They looked really pretty from the road, but I can't really ID them in a map. One guide mentioned a beach near that area, but said the snorkeling really wasn't great due to residential runoff. I'm wondering if these beaches are those (it did look like highly residential areas), and even if snorkeling is bad, how would beginner-level surfing be there (in the summer)?

Sorry for the uber-vague info; I really didn't realize we'd be passing that close to the coast on that drive, so I hadn't researched it. TIA for any info!

I know the area that you're talking about but know nothing of the quality there. I typically only drive past it on the way to Makapuu. For what it is worth, the beach always has people there. Many have canopies, so it must be good enough to stay for a while.

 

[Amw1064]

If you want turquoise warm water, soft white sand, magnificent views and great parking then go to Kailua and/or Lanikai. The drive over is so scenic too. We have been to all the islands multiple times and been to many many many of the beaches and Kailua is in our top 2. Trust me, this is the beach on Oahu you are looking for. Waimanalo is similar but I know that some of the remote parking spots can leave your car vulnerable to theft.

Totally agree. We did Lanikai in 2016 and Kailua this past summer. Loved the drive over as well.