They have signs "no provocative swim wear; thongs, etc."…read more No restrooms Make shift shower Only access is a HUGE staircase.

In Hawaiian, "mahalo e ke Akua" means Thank you God. If you are able to visit this beach on base,…read moreyou can't help but see the beauty and give thanks. There's street parking along Lawrence. You'll see the wooden stairs with lots of signs. Currently, it is being repaired so look for the concrete stairs from the grassed area to walk down to the beach. We went specifically for a serene sunrise. Pick a spot, sit anywhere, and I promise you'll shed at least one tear of awe. Listen to waves, gently wash up the sand. There's a cool breeze and the fragrance of fresh ocean. As you soak it all in and reflect on your blessings, all of a sudden you don't think about grieving, work stress, or inconsiderate neighbors. All there is, is peace.

Pro-tip: My family woke up at 4 am one day of our vacation to do a driving tour of O'ahu. Lanikai…read moreBeach was our first stop. No parking issues, and we had this stunning beach completely to ourselves for about 15-20 minutes as we waited for sunrise. When we left around 6:30 am, we also saw our first rainbow of the day! The early bird gets the worm. :)

It's always busy here any time of the day, doesn't matter if it's weekends or weekdays. Parking is…read moredifficult to find in this area. Do yourself a favor and park at Kailua Beach and walk over (please note that there are multiple access points). You have to maneuver around the hordes of visitors, but you won't regret it! The sand is powdery soft and the views of "The Mokes" are stunning!

Fort Hase Beach is a family favorite of ours. At low tide, the little cove is perfect for the…read morefamily as it's calm and not too rough. Low tide also exposes the tide pools for littles to play in without any waves. If you're lucky, you may also find a seashell or two.

Have you ever noticed that each day starts with such diversity? Some days it's dark and cloudy…read more Other days it's warm and sky blue. As I compared sunrise photos captured from another beach yesterday, the images are uniquely different. There is however, one consistent aspect to sunrises....light breaks through darkness. When the sun rises, there's comfort in knowing we get to start fresh everyday. There's relief in knowing we can leave our past burdens behind. There's also a level of excitement to see how the day goes. At this particular beach, from the parking area, you are literally just a few steps away from the shoreline. The sand here isn't as prestine though. There were a few more people enjoying a morning walk at this location compared to North Beach. Lots of open space to pick a spot and be socially distant from others on the beach. Great opportunity to sit and reflect on things while watching the sun warm up and brighten our day. "When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, 'I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of Life'." Romans 8: 12 Thank you for reading this, have a blessed day.

Located on the east side of Oahu slightly past the Halona Blowhole Lookout!…read more Such a gem, more private beaches and open spaces. Great for a quieter, serene view and outing.

"From Here To Eternity" is the name of a movie from 1953, starring Frank Sinatra and Donna Reed…read more They both won Academy Awards and so did the movie and its director. Amy M. and I had never seen the movie. I think now, we will - since we visited the beach where part of the movie was filmed. We parked up at the top where the Halona Blow Hole parking lot is. You can see Sandy Beach from this parking lot/Lookout, as well as the as The Blow Hole and Eternity Beach. The view is awesome! To get to Eternity Beach, you'd have to be careful and walk down a rocky incline. Amy and I were just happy to be together and enjoy the scenery and cool breeze! The beach itself looks safe. There were many people hanging out and a few were swimming in the clear, clean water! I would return again to show Hawaii's natural beauty to another friend or visitor to Oahu. It's an excellent vacation destination!

tiny and secluded; minimal privacy if there are other beach goers are visiting at the same timeread more

A secret beach for local people in a privet area. Nice to go to some place that is not commercial…read moreand less people but the day we went had more people over there. The beach is very shallow and clean; you can go far and still not deep. We got there in the afternoon so it will be more beautiful in the morning but even that we had a great time swimming and enjoy the beauty of the nature.

It's hard to believe that it's been over thirteen years since my 1st visit here. I've been back a…read morevariety of times, bringing travel companions to experience this. As the years went by, the traffic and parking situation became a nightmare for all. After parking your vehicle across the road, you start the video game Frogger in trying to navigate and dodge passing cars to cross the road. Coming this year with another 1st timer, we found a dedicated spot to park ((https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=vvIKqY2lR0itJ69ZUlXhJA).) where even the sanctuary volunteers leave their vehicles. The best part is that they installed a marked crosswalk (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=N7ZkG2n7jMLelhcy1vzRdQ) for people to cross in a more safe manner; do still exercise caution in crossing the Kam Highway. On the Tuesday early afternoon we went, the waters were rough with 30 to 40 ft waves. As a result, the beach was taped off as a safety measure. I walked to the primary beach section were the sanctuary volunteers monitored the situation to make sure visitors do not bother the wildlife here. As I spoke with a volunteer originally from St. Louis, she pointed out a seal (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=U6UBzjIUZhr2lFKcMbobiA) that made it's way to the beach to find a resting spot. As my friend and I walked back towards the open area across the parking section, we stared with other visitors towards the break line and saw smaller turtles struggling to make their way in, often catching their bobbing heads out of the water or the outline of their bodies contrasting to the clear waters. None made it to the beach, what little sand space there was, while we were there. The key to seeing the turtles is to check the tide times and trying to come when it is close to high tide. We'll see how things on my next visit, whether we have time or interest to see the turtles.

Always a great stop while on the Northshore to hopefully sight turtles either resting on the beach…read moreor tumbling in the waves. In January we came by 2x in a week and did not see turtles on the first day but enjoyed the beautiful views. On the second day, we lucked out and got to see a large turtle laying on the beach and then enjoyed the beautoful sunset. There is usually a volunteer at the beach and they are so helpful to answer any questions and protect the turtles. We learned that there are more turtles in the summer there, and that the waves wash away the sand in the winter and then return the sand in the summer.

Here is my account of my kayaking trip to the sandbar. See accompanying pictures and videos. So,…read moreJohn at Go Bananas kayak rental strapped a long kayak with a skeg to my car. I drove off his parking lot, and arrived at the He'eia Kea Boat Harbor. On this windy and rainy day I launched off the Kaneohe Canoe Club towards where I thought the sandbar would be found. For my entire trip inching forward in that direction I was alone in the foreboding ocean, or rather they bay. But from my low vantage points, it looked as if I were in the middle of the deep ocean with breaking waves under me and dark clouds above me. John told me to aim for Kapapa Island, and he was right. Because as far as I could tell from my kayak it was just dark water all around me, except for that tiny speck of an island. All other boats I saw and thought to be tourist boats anchored at the sandbar all turned out to be decoys - they were docked so closed to shore in retrospect. Many a times I thought I'd reached the sandbar only to find empty boats in dark and deep water. Many more times I thought of turning back - it could be frightening being out there alone, even if I was prepared with all available safety devices. But I kept going. Then I sensed a change in water color. Shortly the sun poked its head out of the cloud. And magic happened. The sea all around me turned turquoise as soon as sunrays touched them, revealing that I was mere inches above sand now. I soon found a lone stand-up paddler lying supine on his board, drinking beer. I also ran into a birthday party dinning around a table half-submerged in water. Then Captain Bruce's boat showed up, dumping lots of merrymakers onto the sandbar. Now that I know the place, I would have no issues coming back again and finding it, next time. In some of the videos you will find dark clouds raining on entire towns, while I filmed the shore from the sandbar. That gives you a sense of how far the sandbar is from shore.

If you haven't made a visit yet to Kaneohe Bay Sandbar, do it asap because this is a once in a…read morelifetime experience. I had the hesitation to book it due to the fact my son is on the spectrum and wasn't sure how he was going to react during the experience. Took the chance and made a reservation through Hawaii Ocean Sports. They took us on a boat to access the beautiful Sandbar. It's nestled in the middle of the ocean 3 miles stretch of sand. Unfortunately, we ended up doing the afternoon tour where high tides took place water level up to our necks. During our ride there, we were served lunch consisting of a turkey sandwich, fruits, and a cookie. Very filling as we were on to our destination while we listened to live music entertaining us along the way. Snacks, towels, drinks, and a bar are available for additional cost. As we approached the Sandbar, we were required to do a brief safety class before heading into the beautiful water. My kids and I were surprised how magnificent the Sandbar was. Definitely a true paradise where our dreams came true. I didn't think I would ever experience this kind of beauty. My son and I were terrified at first as we entered the water, but our life jackets saved us as we were floating. Lots of activities offered which are part of the package including SUP, kayaking, volleyball, snorkeling, or relaxing at the dock while sipping on drinks. We mainly enjoyed ourselves floating in the ocean. The current did get a little rough as it started to pour rain right before heading back to the marina. One advice is to head out early onto the boat before everyone does because the changing and bathrooms can get wet with dirty grounds. Music was blasting with great hits as we ended the day. Made my son and I stand up desiring to dance. Truly this is an unforgettable magical experience. You bet I will make a reservation again when we return to Oahu next year!

I love this little beach. It's so nice because not many people know about it. I almost don't want…read moreto review it so I can help keep it a secret lol. Hale Koa (AKA Secret Beach) is behind the beach cabanas. The beach itself is maybe a couple hundred yards long. It's a great place to snorkel if you don't have much experience. The water is shallow and calm. Also a nice place to lay out and tan or listen to the ocean while reading a book. My only complaint is the amount of trash I've seen accumulating. Please pick up after yourself if you visit.

Yes, yes, it is clean with many garbage bins so folks have zero excuse for littering…read more Downside is that the shoreline is receding so there's not that much space to lounge. Plus there's tons and tons of coral and rocks which make it hard to go barefoot. This beach is a few short steps away from the parking lot and very convenient if you're carrying lots of beach things from your car. All in all, it is quite peaceful and safe... "I will bring health and healing; I will heal My people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security." Jeremiah 33: 6

Waimanalo Beach is the name of both the town in eastern Honolulu as well as the stretch of…read moreshoreline along the island of Oahu. The beach itself has free parking lots throughout as well as public restrooms and picnic tables. The beach is a beautiful area with crystal clear water and white sand. It's a wonderful place to relax and spend a day at because there's a lot of beach and coastline. It's also a great place to see the sunrise as the sun rises from this side.

We did come in the middle of the week so I'm not sure how packed this beach can get...but we loved…read morethis beach! Very clean, not packed - I would say we would normally go to Lanikai or Kailua beach but I'm glad we made the switch to this beach this trip - I mean look how great the photos look! Can't go to the beach without bringing some foodland snacks!!