This beach has been on our Oahu "to try" list, but we somehow always ended up in Lanikai and Kailua…read morewhen on the eastern side. Waimanolo is a bit further south from Lanikai and is every bit as gorgeous and even more secluded!! Same dreamy waters, blue skies, low hanging clouds, and soft sands.... Without the chaotic parking and with less crowds. It was pretty easy for us to find street parking here and it really felt like the entire beach was ours.

Waimanalo Beach is a stunning beach on the eastern shoreline of the island of Oahu…read more It is not too far from Waikiki and the drive here is absolutely beautiful. It is also far enough that there aren't many tourists, and there's plenty of parking and even a small playground for kids. However the bathrooms at this beach seem to be under renovation and are not the best, so just beware. I highly recommend coming prepared with chairs and snacks, since there's not much around this area. Also, the waves here can get very rough which is not ideal for small children so beware of that. However, we had an amazing time building sand castles and just playing with the sand. I recommend coming here just for a few hours and then moving to another beach.

Had to come back today. Most gorgeous blue ocean water with powder white sand beach…read more Saw a huge sea turtle swimming today. Don't let the clouds and rain scare you. The sun comes out. Rain comes back. It's still worth coming.

Lanikai Beach: A Little Slice of Paradise Worth Protecting!…read more BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front): Lanikai Beach is, without question, one of the most beautiful beaches on Oʻahu. Bar none! With powdery white sand, crystal-clear turquoise water, swaying palms, and breathtaking views of the iconic Mokulua Islands, it's everything you imagine a Hawaiian paradise should be. However, parking is extremely limited, access can be challenging, and this peaceful residential neighborhood deserves visitors who arrive with plenty of aloha and respect. The Details: I'm almost hesitant to write this review because Lanikai is one of those special places you wish could remain a well-kept secret! Having lived just down the street in Kailua for years, returning here today was especially nostalgic. Some places change dramatically over time, but the natural beauty of Lanikai Beach remains extraordinary. The Beach & Those Incredible Views...! The scenery is simply spectacular! Soft, golden-white sand meets impossibly beautiful shades of turquoise and light blue water. Palm trees sway overhead, tropical flowers brighten the surrounding neighborhood, and the Pacific Ocean stretches toward the horizon. And then there are the two little islands offshore! Known affectionately as "The Mokes," Moku Nui and Moku Iki are among the most recognizable landmarks on Oʻahu's Windward Coast. Their distinctive silhouettes rising from the ocean make this beach especially photogenic. Honestly, it's difficult to take a bad picture here! A Little Kailua Nostalgia: Seeing the Mokulua Islands again reminded me of a wonderful piece of local artwork from years ago. There was once a legendary Kailua deli called Doug's Gee a Deli that featured a particularly clever painting of these islands. The artist had imagined a beautiful mermaid reclining beneath the ocean's surface, her long hair and arms flowing with the tides and currents. Her upper body rose above the water to form Moku Nui, while the bend in her body created Moku Iki. I always thought that was such a wonderfully imaginative interpretation of these familiar landmarks! It reminded me of another clever Hawaiian island illustration depicting Chinaman's Hat (Mokoliʻi) as the hat of a man sleeping beneath the ocean, with a rice bowl resting in his lap. Those little pieces of local creativity have stayed with me all these years. Funny how returning to a familiar place can bring back such vivid memories! Parking & Access: Please Respect the Neighborhood...! Now for the less glamorous reality. Lanikai is a relatively small beach with limited public access paths, and finding legal parking can be an exercise in patience! Unlike larger tourist beaches, Lanikai sits within a quiet residential neighborhood. There are no sprawling beachfront parking lots waiting to accommodate visitors. The sandy access paths wind between private homes, opening onto the beach almost like little secret passageways. If you decide to visit, please be mindful that people actually live here! Park legally, don't block driveways or accessways, keep noise down, take your trash with you, and respect private property. A little consideration goes a long way toward preserving the peaceful atmosphere that makes Lanikai so special. Final Thoughts: For me, Lanikai Beach is more than another beautiful Hawaiian destination. It's a place filled with memories of the years I spent living in Kailua, and returning reminded me just how fortunate I was to have this extraordinary coastline practically in my backyard. If you're visiting Oʻahu, I absolutely recommend experiencing Lanikai at least once. Just remember that paradise is also somebody's neighborhood...! Bring your camera, your patience, and most importantly, your aloha spirit. Leave nothing behind but footprints! Aloha!

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

This is a bogus listing. The photos show two distinctly different locations. Neither of them are…read morebeaches. They are both access paths to the water.

It was a nice clean beach. Had wonderful views. Would recommend. A plus was it's clean clear water.read more

If you prefer a quieter local beach over a busier one, this is the perfect spot. My favorite on the…read moreisland, hands down!!! Our tour guide at Kualoa Ranch told us about this hidden gem. This is the beach that locals go to and I am so glad she told us about it. The water is turquoise, the waves were calm and we sat under a huge tree that I didn't want to leave. I really wished someone told us about this beach on day 1. I loved how the shore was so short and it was definitely family friendly. I enjoyed hanging out here and wished we could've spent half the day here. It's beautiful, just look at the pictures.

Just beautiful. I think this was the highlight of our trip. We actually didn't even know what this…read morewas but just happened to drive past it and found it. Loved swimming in it and there is a small cave thing as well. Tip: Don't swim too far or you will get sucked in and could die... The waves are strong and you could hit a rock. Pro Tip: Bring a towel! There is no place to take a shower after. Follow me on Instagram @willeatfood

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.

Big, strong waves, but beautiful blue water on the base. So…read moreyou do need a military id to get in. It wasn't too crowded and had bathrooms and food nearby. The nearby eateries also offer free WiFi if you need to get some schoolwork or work done while on vacation.

Went to Bellows on 23 March for the first time in a long time. It's odd to see people give…read morenegative reviews about a beach based on jellyfish being in the water. It's the ocean. The jellyfish don't know that Bellows is a semi private beach that requires military ID access to get onto. They are just there like they are there at Kailua, Kalama, Lanikai, and Waimanalo beaches. Going on a Sunday, the beach was not very crowded. We got there around 1100 and there was still parking available in the main parking lot. Not sure why another reviewer complained about no public shower as there is one right at the point where the parking lot ends and the beach begins, right next to the public restroom building. We brought our two dogs and kept them leashed the entire time. I brought our own dog water bowl but recognized it was too small and our dogs kept knocking them over so I walked to the shoppette and was able to purchase a much larger silicone dog dish for their water. Afterwards, we stopped at the reservation building where we sat on the covered deck and had some chicken and french fries as well as some cold drinks. These are all amenities you won't find at Kailua, Lanikai, or Kalama Beach Parks. Nothing but pros and no cons. The best part is, it is o ly about 20 minutes from where we live in Kaneohe. Will go again.

Beautiful facilities with large dining area and tables and chairs, BBQ area and kitchen at no extra…read morecost, clean bathrooms, showers, large recreation area, grass volleyball court, lots of free parking on the street and limited parking inside, and reasonable rent. You can bring in your own food/caterers and use kitchen area so you can save a lot of money. Real relaxing, safe and fun place for everyone. You cannot go wrong renting this place for company picnics, retreats, weddings, birthday parties, etc.

GREAT FOR KIDS, LARGE PARTIES, WEDDINGS, SCHOOL FUNCTIONS!…read more Awright let's get down to it. I don't really like going to the beach. It's just not my thing. BUT, once a year, I come here with a few hundred people and their little kiddies and I actually look forward to it! 1. Large open grassy area, surrounded by concrete walls-Perfect for picnics! 2. The kids love running around within the walls of this compound. 3. You can throw a large bouncy house on the grass and still have lots of room for the kids to run around. 4. Fully functional Kitchen. 5. Hot and cold running water! 6. BBQ area 7. Large COVERED lanai area can fit several hundred people. Perfect for weddings/birthday luaus. 8. Elevated stage in the lanai w/electrical outlets for entertainment. 9. Bathrooms and SHOWERS WITH HOT/WARM WATER!! 10. The best little kiddie swim area is protected by the rocks and is absolutely perfect for not-so-great swimmers, the deepest it gets is about 5 feet towards the rocks: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/NMk6F_d7pdiHqpWCJz5-bQ?select=6TsfB7Z3tP7AMhrfB2OA3w#26hHlj2sgdURpZaHIPIqag LOCATION: In Waimanalo, past Sea Life Park (if you're coming from Hawaii Kai), on the right side of the road. Street parking. You gotta know what to look for because it just looks like another house from the street, see David's picture: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/NMk6F_d7pdiHqpWCJz5-bQ?select=6TsfB7Z3tP7AMhrfB2OA3w#6TsfB7Z3tP7AMhrfB2OA3w and for more info, go to their website: http://alohashriners.org/the-beach-club/

K so we're here for SUSTAINABLE COASTLINES BEACH CLEAN UP EVENT-for EARTG DAY…read more.. I'm glad we made it. This years entertainment is live music again from LOCAL GROUPS like Kalohe Kai & others... Now it's time to clean up and I'll be back to continue my review later today. OK IM BACK! So we came an hour after registration, but, SO MUCH EARLIER than last year. I'm so glad we came. There was so much support and volunteers this year. It's AMAZING how much it grew in one year. Wonderful live music, plenty of help cleaning the beach, the land & so much knowledge shared with all the people. Displays, activities, trivia's, games, and knowledge about the sustenance in Hawai'i & how important it is to keep the island CLEAN!! It is small kine hard for us guys to get rid of old habits, but, we GOTTAH try sometime.

Waimanalo Beach Park is a stretch of sandy shoreline on the southeastern side of Oahu along the…read moreKalaniana'ole Highway. There are free parking lots throughout as well as public restrooms and picnic tables. It has crystal clear water and white sand; best of all, it's not as busy as other beaches in Hawaii. The one thing that annoyed us was the vast amount of birds flying around. You can see their footprints everywhere and there were many close to us. If we had food we would've most likely been bothered by them because there were so many. Fun fact: Kazuo Sakamaki, the first prisoner of war taken by U.S. forces during World War II, was captured on December 8 1941 on Waimanalo Beach.

I visited here and hiked many trails on 09/11 during my first visit to Hawai'i & posted a vlog!…read moreSearch "Nikko Gandia Travels" on YT. Beautiful views, watched the sunrise here.

We've been doing a lot of beach days because of the pandemic. It's a nice easy way to socially…read moredistance from others and still enjoy the sunshine. We usually go towards town but we wanted to try something different and go to the Windward side. We went pretty early so there was still a lot of parking spots available. Waimanalo Beach Park has a big parking lot so there's actually quite a few spots. Waimanalo Beach is just beautiful. It was windy that day so the waves were pretty high. There was also a jellyfish warning. It's okay because my daughter spent most of her time playing in the sand. Waimanalo beach is huge so there's a lot of space for families to space out from one another. The sand is different from the town beaches because it sticks to your skin more but the sand is very plentiful. My daughter enjoyed making all kinds of sand castles that day. Because it was kind of windy that day, we got to see some kite surfers go out. It was neat to see them mount their board and ride off into the waves. All of us had a lot of fun that day. Even my daughter said "that was really fun."

Beautiful hidden beach, very calm, not nearly as many tourist as you would think. Nice and waist…read moredeep at least 50 feet out. Beautiful view definitely a hidden gem.

This is one of my favorite beaches. Great wide open space of beach from end to end and bordered…read morewith an Ironwood forest treeline to escape the sun or enjoy your picnic. If your lucky like we were, you'll get treated to a short acrobatic single engine airplane that does stunts just off shore. Whoever this pilot is has got his stuff down. Even a goodbye wave with his plane when he was done. We finally got a camping permit after waiting until they complete the restroom renovation in mid August. We reserved spot #10 which is furthest to the right towards the beach. The walk from the truck to the camp spot is not that far unless your carrying the heavy stuff. When I got to the camp area I noticed the area was sunken in a little. Like it was in a bowl like area. Now I'm not new to camping and know better to pitch a tent in low lying area so I walked further up towards the tree line and found a spot that was higher ground. The beach is great. Its so huge and not overcrowded like Kailua Beach or Bellows Beach. The parking is small though but I've seen people park on the grass over the curb and nobody seems to bother. Main thing you dont block anyone in. The restroom is brand new from the ground up. Everything is clean inside. The best thing is the toilet stalls have frickin doors! I wonder how long thats going to last until you have to have someone play lookout or do a very loud cough to let someone know its occupied. Five of the six shower heads are already missing. I just hope it doesn't get any worse. If your a internet junkie, your gonna be kinda SOL. This location has 0 internet connection. Phone calls sound broken up or end up getting dropped. The last thing I could do was check in and that was it. I gave up after a while and just enjoyed the beach. I tried roaming but that was still off and on. If you like reading, this is for you. Bring a book or your Kindle. Overall great beach and definitely one of my favorite. A must see if you are visiting from the mainland. Just a fyi. This camping area is a five day camping spot. So its $52.00 no matter if your staying just the weekend its still that price. Dont forget, leave your area cleaner than when you got there :)