Day 26 Oahu - Beaches on the East: Makapu'u, Waimānalo, Lanikai & Kailua Beach

August 17, 2022

Today is beach day! We explore the southeast coast of Oahu and head to Koko Head Crater right after breakfast to take a photo. Although I'm tempted to climb Koko Head, after seeing the steep "railroad track steps," we all agree that we don't have to go up there today.

You can't even take a picture of Hanauma Bay from above, the entrance is completely closed - only with a reservation. We skipped that because it all sounds like a tourist trap, and we've already done plenty of snorkeling on this vacation. I don't know what else we would see there with a bunch of other snorkelers.

Our son isn't really interested in snorkeling anyway, so today is beach day!

We stop at Halona Beach Cove & Halona Blowhole Lookout, but today there's no "blowing" at the blowhole. After 15 minutes, we give up, take photos of the nice little bay next door (Halona Beach Cove), and continue.

We stop at Makapu'u Point and Lookout and briefly consider hiking the Lighthouse Trail to the lighthouse, but we decide against it. Today is beach day - we're sticking to the plan!

From the lookout, we have a beautiful view of Makapu'u Beach, which is tempting us to swim, but the many red flags on the beach reassure me. There's nothing going on there either, hardly any swimmers in the water.

We continue to Waimānalo Beach, a dream in turquoise. Definitely suitable for a photo stop. However, the kids are torn. They actually liked the other beach much better. There were waves there!

I'm outvoted, so we drive the short distance back to Makapu'u Beach, where the parking lot quickly fills up. By now, several vacationers are in the water and having fun riding the waves. 2 lifeguards sit in their tower and watch.

However, the beach is filled with warning signs and red flags. But we've learned by now that they're always at the beach whenever the water isn't perfectly calm or there's no lifeguard on duty. A red flag doesn't seem to mean a swimming ban here, at least the lifeguards seem very relaxed.

After watching the family play in the waves for a while, I muster up the courage to go into the water myself and promptly get a "nasal shower." Armed with my camera, I dive underwater with every big wave - and there are quite a few today. We have a lot of fun, there's no sign of any dangerous currents, and bodyboarders are also riding the waves, showing off their skills.

By noon, we've had enough of the waves for now, at least my nose is clear, and we drive back to Waimānalo for lunch. There are several picnic benches not far from the beach. Surrounded by a flock of chickens, we eat crackers with dips and other snacks, and then we continue along the coast.

The next swimming stop is Lanikai Beach. Finding a parking spot here is like winning the lottery because there are only a few access points to the beach, and parking along the road is limited accordingly. When we drive "around the block" for the 2nd time, we get lucky and someone leaves. Woohoo, I snatch the parking space right across from a beach access point.

The beach is also a dream in turquoise, gently sloping, and to the kids' dismay, NO waves in sight. We enjoy the sea and relax on the beach. Real Caribbean feeling! The water feels about 5 degrees warmer than at all the other beaches in Hawaii we've been to.

In the afternoon, we stop at Kailua Beach Park. It's crowded here too, and it takes us 10 minutes of waiting to find a parking spot when someone leaves.

The kids are no longer in the mood for swimming, so my husband and I jump into the "cool" water one last time for today. Oh yes, a beach day is something special.

On the way back to Honolulu, we make a stop at the Nu‘uanu Pali Lookout. We can enjoy it for a short time in sunlight, then a thick rain cloud moves in front of it, and we get wet in the car.

As suddenly as the rain shower came, it's gone again. Just a few kilometers before Honolulu, the road is completely dry.

Since we're all hungry now, we spontaneously stop at Domino's Pizza, which is on the way, and have dinner. The pizza here is really delicious.

Afterwards, we quickly go to Walmart - we ran out of drinks. We also find some souvenirs here. The chocolate-covered macadamia nuts are on sale and much cheaper than at the ABC stores around the corner. Perfect 😊