So many beaches, so little time! After a year filled with long work hours and every weekend and evening filled with baseball games or practices, we are ready for a family beach break! When we hit the beach, we have several criteria we look for:
- Sandy! Lincoln loves to build sand castles
- Swimmable reef for easy snorkeling
- Easy access so we don’t have to tote beach toys (and children) over miles of lava rocks!
- Safe and shallow (preferably protected by an offshore reef)
- Shade options – Kam is not a huge fan of sun thanks to hot summer days laying concrete with his dad while growing up, so shade is his top priority (not to mention we all have fragile, Pacific Northwest, moss-covered skin)
Here are our top picks for each of the major islands. We have, by no means, explored all the beaches… but of the ones we have, these top our list! (For more options, I highly recommend the Hawaii Revealed books – I have used them on every trip to Hawaii since 2007 https://www.hawaiirevealed.com/).
Oahu:
- Lanikai: Hands-down my favorite beach in Hawaii. Powdery, white sand beach, 2 offshore islands to break up the scenery, and a great offshore reef that holds off the breakers and rough water. On our last trip, we were here on a very windy day and it was still great and relatively calm near the shore. Snorkeling is great, too… in fact, Kam saw his first white tipped reef shark here.
- Kailua Beach Park: Neighbor to Lanikai, this is more crowded but has a big parking lot, showers, and toilets. Still great but not quite as calm as Lanikai. We use the showers here after a long day at the beach.
- Ko’Ōlina Lagoon 1: Beach in front of Aulani and Four Seasons. A man-made reef protects the bay and allows for a day filled with sand castle making. The reef keeps large fish (read: sharks) out of the lagoon so the faint-at-heart can play without worrying. Lifeguards are in front of the hotels… and beach chairs and umbrellas are provided for hotel guests.
Maui:
- Wailea Beach: Perfect, powdery, reddish sand beach right in front of The Four Seasons and Grand Wailea. There is also public beach access, showers, and parking in between the two hotels. On the left end of the beach (facing the ocean) are wonderful coral reefs teeming with fish. It is also relatively protected from the waves with nice, shallow, clear water. There are also beach chairs and umbrellas for hotel guests… or you can bring your own!
The Big Island (Hawai’i):
- The Beach at the Fairmont Orchid: A perfectly protected moon-shaped lagoon off of Pauo’a Bay, lends itself to days filled with sandcastles, SUP, and snorkeling just outside the rock jetties that protect the bay. We saw a rainbow of brightly colored fish and multiple sea turtles daily. At night, the sea turtles would come ashore and rest on the rocks in front of the hotel. Parking is expensive at the resort, but you can also park at Holoholokai and walk 10 minutes south to the beach.
- Kahalu’u Beach Park: Has ahmaaazing snorkeling! We snorkeled here on our first trip to The Big Island (pre-kids) and it stands out as having the largest variety of fish at an easily accessible beach park of anywhere we have snorkeled in Hawaii. Get there early for clear water and enjoy. The beach itself is nothing special, but the water is fantastic (and easy to access).
Kauai:
- Anini Beach: On the northshore of Kauai, protected by Hawai’i’s longest reef (2 miles long) provides a super-calm, gorgeous beach. Waves lap at your feet and even babies can splash in the water without worry. This is paradise – especially for the youngest kids. Unlike many “protected” swimming beaches, the water is crystal clear and clean. There can be good snorkeling here, too, depending on the day…. Trees line the beach and provide a break from the sun. There are showers and bathrooms at the main parking area. We parked farther down the road that parallels the west end of the beach to have a slice of paradise all to ourselves.
As the kids get older and become stronger swimmers, I’m sure our beach priorities will change. But for now, at age 7 & 10, these beaches have all helped us relax and enjoy island time!
Hop, Skip & Voyage Away 