When you think of Hawaii, chances are you think of all the fancy hotels and resort beaches. Those definitely exist, but Hawaii, specifically Oahu, is much more than that! This post covers my ten personal favorite beaches in Oahu, Hawaii. They are all free to visit.
1. Castles Beach
I would highly recommend Castles Beach to pretty much anyone. Castle’s Beach is actually called Moku‘Auia Beach. This is a great spot for boogie boarding, body surfing, beginner surfing, relaxing on the beach, and, of course, building sand castles. It has a part with ‘bigger’ (not big during the summer) boogie boarding waves, smaller boogie boarding waves, and a spot for beginner surfing a little ways out in the water. You usually will see people surfing there, so it isn’t hard to find.
Castles beach gets a bit choppy in the winter and is relatively calm in the summer. My personal favorite time of the year to boogie board is fall, when the waves are bigger and more exciting to ride.
I personally do not recommend Castles beach as a beginners surfing spot for kids due to how deep it is. There are also many small man-of-war (I call them blue bubbles due to their appearance) floating around in the water near the full-moon, so heads up for those. Castles beach is so amazing that I could write a full blog post about it! I have to move on, though, so here we go.
2. Kahana Bay, North Shore, Hawaii
This beach is great for kayaking and playing in the water. It has nearly no waves unless it is a full moon. In the middle of winter, the waves get just big enough for beginner surfers to surf at. Winter at Kahana Bay is my favorite place to surf because of the small size and shallow water that I can easily stand up in.
It’s very shallow, and the water gets deeper gradually. The sand on the bottom of the bay has nearly nothing to step on, and I’ve never seen or heard of blue bubbles (Portuguese man-of-war) floating around here. If you cross the road from Kahana Bay, there is a river that is great for stand up paddle boarding and a campground.
3. Haleiwa Ali’i
I have only been to Haleiwa Ali’i once, but this beach definitely earned a spot on my top ten beaches in Oahu. Haleiwa Ali’i is probably the best beach I’ve gone to in order to spot turtles. In the little time I visited, I spotted at least 6 DIFFERENT TURTLES. It was amazing! There are three main sections of beach from what I could tell. There are surfing competitions that will happen every now and then in the winter season in the first section. If you walk down the beach, you will come across the second section, where you can find turtles. The third section is where you can play at the beach and enjoy the water. I didn’t have time to enjoy this part, but I saw many other people playing there.
4. Alligator Pond
Alligator Pond is a great spot for snorkeling and playing in the water. It is extremely shallow water snorkeling, so you need to be careful when you snorkel. One activity I enjoyed doing is looking for bits of dead coral with holes in them to make necklaces and stuff with where the waves were crashing.
Alligator Pond gets its name from the alligator-shaped rock in the water.
5. Turtle Bay
Turtle Bay is right outside of a resort, but you don’t need to be staying at the resort to access the beach. It is a bit nicer because of this, but just note that you can’t use the resort’s chairs and the things they put out for their guests. That being said, there aren’t enough trees for the number of people that are usually at the beach, so shade can be hard to come by.
Turtle Bay is a great place to play around in the water and relax on the sand. There are bits of coral you can find laying around in the water, and, like at Alligator Pond, I enjoyed looking for ones that I could make necklaces with. Turtle Bay also has a nice path to walk or run on.
6. Shark’s Cove/Three Tables
Shark’s Cove and Three Tables are famous spots for snorkeling, and for a good reason. There are so many types of fish and coral that it can be intimidating. Like many beaches in Hawaii, Shark’s Cove and Three Tables need to be visited in the summer because of the huge winter waves.
Three Tables is another snorkeling spot right next to Shark’s Cove. It is named because of the three rocks that look like tables. I have never actually snorkeled there, but it is said to be kind of like Shark’s Cove but a bit more shallow.
Shark’s Cove is probably my favorite place to snorkel. You climb over rocks and enter an incomplete circle of color. It is sometimes shallow and sometimes deep-ish depending on the tide. There are countless fish swimming around, and I have seen turtles swimming around. If you are in Oahu during the summer, Shark’s Cove is a must-see for your visit.
7. Pounders Beach
The real name of this beach is Laie beach but was dubbed Pounders because, well, it pounds you. Local students come here to boogie board on mini barrels after school, but go a little ways from the rock and you will find more tame waves that are easy to boogie board on. Do not go near the rock though, because you could get seriously injured by being POUNDED by the waves. If you aren’t a professional surfer, don’t swim by the rock.
8. Waimea Beach
Waimea beach is a beach that I would recommend going to with older kids. It is pretty good for sand castles, but the main attraction is cliff jumping. The ‘cliff’ is really just a big rock that people jump off of, but you get the idea. It is a common place to go for tourists, so it is well visited. The one downside of Waimea is the waves. Even during late summer, the current was strong and I couldn’t swim against it. You kind of just had to wait for the waves to get you close enough to the beach for you to stand up on.
That being said, Waimea might be a great place to go during the summer, but do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT, go here in the winter. The winter turns the beach’s waves into ginormous, choppy beasts— not something you want to be around with your kids. The difference is sooo drastic that there are literally YouTube videos showing the contrast between summer and winter at Waimea.
9. Pipeline
If you are looking for a place to look at professional surfers surf, Pipeline is the place to go. The waves in the winter are simply awe-inspiring, so even if you don’t catch any surfers, it is still a great beach to admire the sheer power of the ocean. This probably isn’t the best place for toddlers, but it is definitely doable if you have snacks and something for them to do. You are not very close to the ocean, so it is safe to watch the waves.
10. Koko Beach
Koko Beach’s real name is Kokolio Beach. Koko beach is also a good place to turtle watch. Like most public beaches in Oahu, Koko beach has a nice green space with trees to run around in. I have seen turtles here nearly every time I come. The turtles usually don’t swim around right across from the parking lot, so you have to walk down a teensy bit to see them. Koko Beach is a great place for walks, especially during sunset.