the North Shore
Waimea Bay
A wide, deep bay. Flat and swimmable in summer, enormous waves in winter.
Why go
Two completely different beaches depending on the season.
The catch
In winter this is a watch-only beach with dangerous shorebreak. The car park fills by mid-morning year round.
- How long
- 2-3 hours
- With children
- With care
- Effort
- Easy
- Cost
- Free
- Parking
- Difficult
Before you go
- Lifeguard: Daily 8am-6:30pm
Getting there
Driving times on real roads, from the same data the trip planner routes on — not straight-line distance.
| From Waikīkī | 1 hr 6 min | 38.5 miles |
|---|---|---|
| From HNL airport | 1 hr 8 min | 35.1 miles |
| From Hale‘iwa | 10 min | 4.1 miles |
| From Turtle Bay | 17 min | 7.8 miles |
Add traffic. These are free-flowing times, and the H1 through town at eight in the morning is not free-flowing.
Hours, fees and access rules have not been checked against a primary source for this entry yet. Confirm before you build a day around it.
See it on the map Build a trip around it
What else is close
Nearest by road, which is not the same as nearest on a map — and not the same as sharing a region either.
- Shark's Cove3 min awayA rocky cove with the clearest snorkelling on the North Shore. No sharks.
- Waimea Valley4 min awayA flat walk through a garden to a waterfall you can swim under.
- Laniakea Beach6 min awayA small beach where green sea turtles come up to rest on the sand.
- Banzai Pipeline8 min awayThe most famous surf break in the world, right off the sand.
- Sunset Beach8 min awayA long golden beach famous for huge winter surf.
- Pu'u O Mahuka Heiau9 min awayThe largest heiau on Oahu, on the bluff above Waimea Bay.