Beaches & Coastlines, Honolulu

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The Mokolii Island is located off the Windward Coast of Oahu. The island is commonly referred to as "Chinaman's Hat" due to its resemblance to the hats worn by immigrant Chinese farm workers.
The Story of Chinaman's Hat a children's book written by Dean Howell is an original legend about the origin of the islet. However, hawaiian legend tells a different story about the formation of Mokolii.

It is one of the most popular areas for taking pictures and is also favorite place for weddings.
It has a cove with a private sandy beach located on the opposite side from shore. There are three small palm trees.
Getting to the island is up to you: swimming, snorkeling, boating, etc. but at low tide you can walk out across a reef. If you decide to do so, wear old sneakers to protect your feet from the sharp coral.

Mokolii is the only basaltic island in Kaneohe Bay.
Directions: Off the Kamehameha Highway offshore from the Kualoa Point, about 45 minutes drive from Honolulu.

Oahu is not just board surfing, sunset sails, luau's, and high rise Waikiki. No, just head over the Pali Pass from Honolulu to Kailua/Kaneohe. No secret , the white powder sand will amaze you, but the waters are for windsurfers and kitesurfers, The windward side of the Island makes it the paradise all windsurfers and kitesurfers are looking for, and the best part about it, is that it's a big ocean.

Rentals are available in Kailua and the beaches have grassy areas to picnic in to avoid the blast from the sand that can kick up. It is the windy side, remember. Up the beach from Kailua, toward Kaneohe, the sand mellows out to a less blasting feel and the beaches are not that touristy. Lay back and relax.. the little ones, keiki's, if you have children, will enjoy the beach. aloha.

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BETWEEN THE HALE KOA HOTEL AND THE ARMY MUSEUM IN WAIKIKI IS THE FORT DERUSSY PARK ..A REALLY NICE PLACE TO VISIT AND RELAX AND ENJOY THE SUN Visit Fort DeRussy Beach where in addition to picnic tables, volleyball courts and excellent surf, you'll find Battery Randolph Museum on the military grounds.

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We were staying on the West Coast of Oahu at the JW Marriott at Ko Olina and decided to see how far we could go up the road along the coast. As we traveled North we knew the road would dead end at some point, but we had nothing else to do and were in an adventuresome spirit. We were shocked at how many homeless people had set up tents and such on the beaches along this drive. It makes perfect sense though, if you happen to be homeless, I don't know if there is a more beautiful or temperate place on earth to spend your time. Hawaii is very sensitive to this issue and hopefully good things happen for all involved. Anyway, we continued for about 15 miles and it became way more desolate, but still enough tourists so you at no time felt like a loner or anything like that. It was very comfortable. The surf was up when we there so the pics are probably more dramatic than usual but you will get the idea. We definitely enjoyed visiting whatever it was called.

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THE CHURCH I GO TO HAD AN EASTER SERVICE AT THIS REALLY AWAY FROM THE ORDINARY BEACHES ON OAHU.
HERE ARE SOME PICTURES THAT INCLUDE HULA DANCERS AND OTHERS DOING CHURCH
Located at the entrance to Honolulu Harbor, Sand Island was extensively used by the military during WWII for coastal defense. Today, bunkers and lookout towers stand deserted and appear totally out of place among acres of grassy park land. Long white beaches extend around the tip of the island and are never crowded. Park benches and giant trees provide shady areas to watch the sunset or the ships sail in and out of the busy harbor.. TAKE SAND ISLAND ACCESS ROAD FROM NIMITZ HIGHWAY

Rent a car for a day or 2 and take a trip up to the North Shore of Oahu. See the pineapple and sugar cane fields. Find a beautiful, secluded beach where you can count the people on one hand. Or go to the legendary Sunset beach and witness the Bonzai Pipeline, the most famous and dangerous surfing location in the world. See Waimaia Bay, where in the summer the bay the water is like a sheet of glass, but come the winter months the waves can be 50 feet high.

Pretty beaches at nite... take a sunset drive! Just about sunset is the best time to drive around. If it is clear skies, even at night, it is nice to be at the beaches. Sandy's is nice... Makaha is nice... Lanikai is nice... And if you like to camp, Malekahana near Laie is nice too at night!!!

One of Hawaii's best spots for swimming, gold-sand Lanikai's crystal-clear lagoon is like a giant saltwater swimming pool that you're lucky enough to be able to share with the resident tropical fish and sea turtles. Too gorgeous to be real, this is one of Hawaii's postcard-perfect beaches: It's a mile long and thin in places, but the sand's as soft as talcum powder. Prevailing onshore trade winds make this an excellent place for sailing and windsurfing. Kayakers often paddle out to the two tiny offshore Mokulua islands, which are seabird sanctuaries. Because Lanikai is in a residential neighborhood, it's less crowded than other Oahu beaches; it's the perfect place to enjoy a quiet day. Sun worshipers should arrive in the morning, though, as the Koolau Range blocks the afternoon rays.

There are no facilities here, just off-street parking. From Waikiki, take the H-1 to the Pali Highway (Hwy. 61) through the Nuuanu Pali Tunnel to Kailua, where the Pali Highway becomes Kailua Road as it proceeds through town. At Kalaheo Avenue, turn right and follow the coast about 2 miles to Kailua Beach Park; just past it, turn left at the T intersection and drive uphill on Aalapapa Drive, a one-way street that loops back as Mokulua Drive. Park on Mokulua Drive and walk down any of the eight public-access lanes to the shore. Or, take TheBus no. 56 or 57 (Kailua), then transfer to the shuttle.

Beautiful and rugged coastline along the eatern part of Oahu.Many people miss this picture postcard view because they only travelas east to Haunama Bay.This famous coastline is often seen in many movies and tv shows:Magnun P.I., Hawaii Five-0,Baywatch Hawaii,
Pearl Harbor with Ben Afleck,and Here to Eternity.

Most people stay in the heart of Waikiki because that is where all the action is, but there are lots of famous beaches around the island that host huge surf tournatments in the winter. If you rent a car and plan to drive around the island (only 90 miles around the island) then you must visit the North Shore, Pipeline and Sandy Beach. Even if you are not a surfer these are great places to experience the local life.