Kawela Bay

Such a beautiful beach!! We recently came to Kawela Bay for a photoshoot. We loved it so much that we came back a few days later to swim.The only downfall is you have to leave your car on the main road and walk in.

This was my favorite beach on this trip. Never busy and a stunning locale. Beautiful water, calm (relatively) waters. Truly magical.

We LOVE Kawela Bay. Up toward North Shore area near Turtle Bay resort is where you'll find this hidden gem. And trust me it literally is a GEM! We typically park on the side of the main road as there is public beach walk access across from Kahuku Land Farms and nearest to the bus stop shore side. The walk way is along the trail cared by Turtle Bay Resort and it shares horse riding so be cautious of all the horse droppings along the way! This bay is PERFECT for paddle boarding and kayaking, has clear waters for snorkeling or swimming, open shorelines for fishing from whipping to dunking. It's very quiet and shies far from busy tourist crowded areas. Always clean along the beach however be cautious of all the rocks! Best to have tubbies as well if you want to dip in the water without surprising yourself in pain wherever you step! LOL.Being part of Turtle Bay resort, respective rules to follow are no open fires, grills, and no open EZ tents. They have a couple more but those are the ones I remembered. Since no tents, there's a lot of trees along the shoreline to help assist with shade BUT when it coconut dropping season be aware with active falling Coconuts! (Just don't sit under them active trees!) You can figure that out by looking up for full mature coconut bunches and/or fresh Coconuts all around the areas around you.Last but not least, there are no trash cans in the area. So PLEASE malama the aina and pick up you opala!! Take care of the land and take your trash with you.

I came here with Michelle R. and my daughter a while back after an Elite event. We totally enjoyed the water along the beach. We wanted to hang out and my daughter wanted to get her feet wet. I managed to get some sun but didn't want to stay too long. There's a huge parking lot right in front. You have to literally walk down to get to the beach. Be careful as there's big and small rocks on the beach. There were small crabs and such along the beach so be careful. You can even find a lot of corral here. People were snorkeling as well. I would definitely come back here again. A cool spot to hang out!

Returning home from Oahu I posed the question "what's your first memory when you think of this trip?" It was a ploy, dropping bait to get him to ask me "what was yours?"It worked. My most poignant memory was twice floating around in the empty waters of Kawela Bay. If you walk far in one direction on the expanse of land that Turtle Bay maintains, their conservation easement, you'll come upon the enticing Kawela Bay, one of Oahu's most secluded beaches. Much of the pristine beach is shaded and if anyone is there at all, they tend to congregate in one area. I walk past that area, down to where the houses are, where there's a patch of sun and pretty much nobody on the sand or in the water. Swimming there (in front of the green house, where there's minimal rocks and coral) is the equivalent of letting out a long breath of "Aaaahh...". The water here is as gentle and meditative as that in Waikiki Bay but almost completely empty. There's plenty of noted beaches on Oahu's North Shore but most of them aren't "bays". When you just want to float around in calm waters with no crowds, Kawela Bay is a stellar choice. Note: Kawela Bay is also accessible via footpath off the Kamehameha Highway; park on the roadside, across from the farm stands about 2 miles south of the Turtle Bay Resort.

Definitely a hidden gem. I guessed most visitors are in Turtle Bay. Here is really a good spot to relax or do photo session cuz literally no one was here. (*Be careful with the sharp corals in the water.)

Beautiful place to come visit, unwind, and relax. Gorgeous views. Be sure to wear flip flops if you're going to venture onto the rocks because they're super sharp and you will cut your foot.

This is s beautiful secluded beach to watch surfers, learn to surf or just enjoy the magnificent trees. There is no designated parking so people park on the side of the road. The walk into the park is filled with tropical birds and beautiful trees. The largest banyan tree on Oahu is in the park. This tree is a must see, an amazing labyrinth of aerial roots. It is an easy walk to the beach where student surfers learn to use boards. The undeveloped beach is lovely with crystal blue waters and gentle waves. There are no bathroom facilities at the park that I saw.

Kawela Bay is a private residential neighborhood next to the Turtle Bay Resort. The Bay is a designated Turtle Sanctuary and no power boats are allowed. It was historical in that the "Ali'hi" (King) was the only one who could take fish from the sacred pond and anyone who violated that custom was put to death. It is a National Whale Sanctuary as well which includes the Bay plus 5 miles outside the Bay.There are 28 private residences, one being the oldest home on the North Shore and situated in the center of Kawela Bay. Turtles are often on the beach and are protected by Federal law which prevents anyone from touching or harassing them in any way...

Definitely one of the better hidden gems on the North Shore of Oahu! It's not too far from those staying at Turtle Bay Resort. There are a few other people also exploring the beach but not nearly as crowded as beaches in Waikiki. Waters are fairly calm for the most part.Best to park on the side of Kamehameha Highway across from the Kahuku Land Farms stand. You'll go through a short stretch of forest before you pass the Banyan Tree and eventually reach the shore. It's not that far of a walk.