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Your favorite Hawaii beaches

By Catherine Toth Fox • July 7, 2011 • #CatTravels

On Sunday, on our way to Kaena Point, we stopped at Makaha Beach (left) to kill some time.

I had forgotten how nearly perfect this place is.

The beach itself is a relieving exhale; it’s wide and usually uncrowded, with enough room for you to stretch out. Unlike popular beaches in town, you won’t likely be disturbed by beach-goers blathering on their cell phones or chain-smoking on the beach mat next to you.

And there’s surf. Not the occasional freak set of swells. We’re talking serious waves from north and south swells that can reach advisory levels in the winter that can generate dangerous shorebreak and strong rip currents.

It’s easily one of my favorite beaches in Hawaii.

I get asked that question all the time — people visiting the Islands always want to know where the best beaches are. Some want calm waters with living coral reefs perfect for snorkeling. Others want world-class surf breaks. Still others want beaches where all the hot chicks frequent.

I like beaches that offer options.

The beaches in Waikiki (right) has a plethora of things to do, from snorkeling to swimming to surfing. You can rent everything from stand-up paddleboards to inner tubes at concession stands along the beach. And if you want to lie back and watch the world pass by, you can do that, too.

And if you get bored with the beach, you can always ditch the towels and walk along Kalakaua Avenue for frozen yogurt, shave ice or a li hing margarita.

See? Options.

But I can appreciate a more secluded beach like Wailea Beach on Maui.

This crescent-shaped golden beach on the southern shores of Maui (left) was voted “America’s Best Beach” — and for good reason. It offers ideal swimming and snorkeling in its protected waters, with restrooms and equipment rentals nearby. Like other Neighbor Island beaches — Secret Beach on Kauai, Papohaku Beach on Molokai — Wailea isn’t very crowded, at least by Oahu standards. And sometimes I like going to the ocean to get away from the noise and commotion that is my life. Crowds aren’t what I’m looking for.

So I’m throwing it out there: what are your favorite Hawaii beaches and why?

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Catherine Toth Fox

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23 Comments

  • Reply oldshoes July 7, 2011 at 2:15 am

    That beach on Molokai! not sure the name,but its frikken beautiful! Big,sandy, and NO people!….for miles! shhh…dont tell anyone…

  • Reply oldshoes July 7, 2011 at 2:18 am

    oh… looks like you mentioned it. Guess i should read the article more closely. hehe. ok then….how about Kua Bay on the Big Island then. Kanehoe Bay is great too.

    • Reply Catherine Toth July 7, 2011 at 10:55 am

      LOL! Never been to Kua Bay……? Unless you’re talking about Kealakekua…?

  • Reply David Jackson July 7, 2011 at 2:28 am

    Waimea, White Plains, Makiaha, Kalama, and Waimanalo. It all depends on the time of year.

    • Reply David Jackson July 7, 2011 at 2:29 am

      damn typos

      • Reply Catherine Toth July 7, 2011 at 10:56 am

        True about seasons — and typos 🙂

  • Reply Justin July 7, 2011 at 6:04 am

    wow… reading this article makes me sad. i live on the island, and haven’t gone to the beach in a loooong time.

    lanikai is one of my favorites. you can take a nice leisurely stroll along the beach or just relax without many distractions. there’s also a beautiful, albeit remote, beach just off king’s highway on maui. i don’t know what it’s called, but it’s a tiny beach with a sheltered bay… a great place to free dive or swim with the dolphins. i personally don’t need the “beach”… i like to sit and enjoy the ocean, wherever that may be. makapuu tide pools, kakaako park waterfront, lanikai pillboxes, top of koko head, diamond head, etc.

    since it’s still summer, you should do a blog on oahu hikes… i’d be interested to hear about favorite hikes on the island.

    • Reply Catherine Toth July 7, 2011 at 10:56 am

      What? How can you live in Hawaii and NOT go to the beach???

  • Reply M July 7, 2011 at 6:44 am

    Hello Cat, I don’t spend much time on the beach, I’m in the water Standup Paddling from point A to point B or just paddling and surfing.

    • Reply Catherine Toth July 7, 2011 at 10:56 am

      That’s true. I use the beach as my hallway to the water. 🙂

  • Reply WildeOscar July 7, 2011 at 7:45 am

    Spectacular pictures, great descriptions, excellent ideas. None to add.

    • Reply Catherine Toth July 7, 2011 at 10:57 am

      None????

      • Reply WildeOscar July 8, 2011 at 7:14 am

        You mean there is an outside?

  • Reply R-Dizzle July 7, 2011 at 8:13 am

    Honolua Bay, Maui and Chun’s Reef, Oahu

    • Reply Catherine Toth July 7, 2011 at 10:57 am

      Honolua Bay! I haven’t surfed there in years!

  • Reply MaxMaxMax July 7, 2011 at 11:23 am

    My favorite beach was only discovered by me in 2005 when my niece, her husband and kid came out to visit. They were accompanied by her childhood friend who wanted to get married here. She and her fiance were married at the beach near Waimanalo. It’s the one you get to when you turn at the McD’s on Kalanianaole just before you get into Waimanalo town (if you’re coming from Makapu’u direction).

    The great thing about this beach is that it is so shaded by many ironwood trees, but also has nice sandy shores and relatively few beach with a great view of Makapu’u point. The only negative I can say is that I get stung by jellyfish there more than I like. At least three stings in the last six years.

    Here are a few pics I’ve taken of/from it:

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/rex_maximilian/2702896929
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/rex_maximilian/3327725049
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/rex_maximilian/2705641323
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/rex_maximilian/3606334197
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/rex_maximilian/3616737954

    Another is the Halona Beach Cove. The famous one from the movie:
    From Here to eternity.
    A few pics of it I took:

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/rex_maximilian/5020369098
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/rex_maximilian/5028860119
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/rex_maximilian/5032938050

    One I haven’t been to in ages is Yokohama Bay at the end of the island on the west side.

    Of course Sandy’s is always a beautiful beach… not just the beach, but the entire Ka Iwi coastline.

    And Maunalua Bay (Hawaii Kai) maybe isn’t the best beach to take a dip in the water, but is a great place to watch the sunset!

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/rex_maximilian/4695455239

    • Reply MaxMaxMax July 7, 2011 at 11:55 am

      Sorry Cat, please delete this one… I thought this first post needed moderation because I put a website link in my user info. So I tried again without one, but I guess it still needs one because there are links in my post. So, please delete this one as I’ve corrected a few typos in the second one.

      P.S.
      If I ever overstep reply privileges by posting too many of my personal photo links, please tell me. I have thick kine skin! LOL!

      • Reply MaxMaxMax July 7, 2011 at 7:34 pm

        Cat, can you delete this one? Thanks!

  • Reply oldshoes July 7, 2011 at 2:12 pm

    no not kealakekua. Kua Bay is just before Kukio.About 6 miles North from the airport. Its right where colt brenan had his car accident. Once off the main highway,about 1.5 miles down(makai). Great beach.New-ish paved access road,which is good and bad.Lots more people now and no camping.

  • Reply matt July 7, 2011 at 5:07 pm

    I’m more of a fishing guy than a beach guy, so I guess i look for different things in an expanse of shoreline than most people do. for beaches, though, I like Hapuna, Onekahakaha and old airports on the Big Island and Lanikai, Makapu’u, Sandy’s, Pounders, and Waimea on Oahu.
    the beach we usually end up going to, though, is Kahala (usually Huakai) for ease of access and proximity to my cousin’s house (Palolo, not Kahala, unfortunately).

  • Reply WildeOscar July 8, 2011 at 9:58 am

    Amazing images.

    • Reply MaxMaxMax July 8, 2011 at 1:27 pm

      Thanks! I had fun taking them! ;^D

  • Reply Mark July 12, 2011 at 7:17 pm

    Kalihiwai Bay on Kauai’s north shore..

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About Me

About Me
Born and raised on O‘ahu, Hawaiʻi, Catherine Toth Fox has been chronicling her adventures in her blog, The Cat Dish, for more than a decade. She worked as a newspaper reporter in Hawai‘i for 10 years and continues to freelance—in between teaching journalism, hitting the surf and eating everything in sight—for national and local print and online publications. She’s currently the editor of HAWAIʻI Magazine.

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