Relaxation and Recreation On Northeast Oahu
The gentle warm tradewinds, palm trees, and immaculate white sands of Lanikai Beach are the reasons it is consistently ranked as one of the top beaches on the planet. Certainly it is one of Oahu’s finest beaches and a great Oahu vacation destination.
Surrounded by quiet, upscale neighborhoods, Lanikai Beach is only about 1/2-mile long yet very enjoyable due to its soft sand and the protective offshore reef that creates crystal blue waters good for kids and with plenty of colorful fish. A good beach access is located at Mokulua Drive and Kaiolena Drive (see Google map).
The postcard-perfect beach is great for swimming and snorkeling, or just relaxing in an atmosphere that is world’s away from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki.
Surprisingly there are actually very affordable Lanikai vacation rentals available in this area as well as great deals on Lanikai beach rentals.
Kailua Beach is nearly two miles long making it a great place for a long, leisurely walk along one of Hawaii’s most scenic beaches. The ocean floor slopes gently to the sea making it nice for swimming,
Situated in the heart of Oahu’s windward coast just 12 miles from Honolulu, Kailua Beach is a favorite spot for local sailors, windsurfers and kitesurfers who take advantage of the northeast tradewinds.
Kailua Bay is also a popular training area for outrigger canoe paddlers and competitions are often held here, and many kayakers frequent the bay. Scenes from numerous movies have been filmed at Kailua Bay including Hawaii Five-O, Magnum P.I., and Lost.
Once you have enjoyed a day at the beach you can visit charming Kailua Town, the largest town on Oahu’s windward side. There is great shopping and dining with an array of food venues from Italian to Thai food, and some great bakeries!
Then you can explore the boutiques, galleries, antique stores, and local arts and crafts shops.
This is also a great area to spend a few nights in a luxury vacation rental near the beach and really enjoy all that Kailua has to offer. If you decide to stay in Kailua during your Oahu vacation, please check out our Kailua vacation rentals.