Hidden treasure of Oahu - the remote Kawela Bay

Coconut trees, calm waters and fine white sand beach. Kawela Bay is one of Oahu's hidden treasures and one of the beaches that have retained their natural beauty. Visitors can enjoy the tranquillity to the fullest, spread out the snacks they brought with them on the picnic blanket and, with a little luck, watch sea turtles in the nearby Turtle Bay.

The round curved Kawela Bay is secluded in the north of Oahu and thanks to its curved shape, it is the best-protected bay in the north of the island. While there are gigantic waves at other beaches during the winter months, Kawela Bay offers its visitors calm, shallow waves all year round. On the western edge of the bay, the Turtle Bay Resort was built a few years ago. Apart from this, there are very few beach houses near the beach.

The entire beach is lined with trees which provide sufficient shade for visitors. Nevertheless, caution is advised here, in order not to be hit by a falling coconut. The coconuts on the palm trees should be kept in mind. Thanks to the calm waves, swimming here is possible all year round without any problems. Unfortunately, due to the strong surf outside the bay, which stirs up sand, the sea water is rather turbid and you cannot see the seabed. If you go swimming here, you should slowly move forward while walking in the water, because there are rocks on the seabed in some places which could be sharp. For exactly the same reason, snorkeling is not recommended here. Unfortunately, the murky visibility does not offer spectacular pictures.

For action lovers, it is generally possible to surf at Kawela Beach but the waves break almost outside the bay. The current is also very strong and only experienced surfers should plunge into the waves here. This does not mean, however, that activities have to be renounced. The calm water invites you to take a round in a kayak or to try stand-up paddling.

Right next to Kawela Beach is Turtle Bay, which makes the beach special. Many years ago, the turtles laid their eggs at this place but nowadays the sea turtles only come to the beach to feed. There are not many visitors on this part of the beach, if at all a few hotel guests of the hotel next door. So the sea turtles can be observed during a picnic in peace. At Turtle Bay, there are many rocks as well as reefs in the sea and the current can be very strong. Therefore, this place is not recommended to go swimming.

Helpful information

Facilities for visitors:

Kawela Bay shines in its nativeness and therefore does not offer any facilities to guests. No picnic areas, washrooms and toilets are offered. Also, there are no beach attendants on-site. Those who engage in water activities should take care of themselves and others.

Directions and parking:

There are only two ways to get to the remote Kawela Bay. One of them is staying at the hotel next door. Alternatively, there is beach access from the Kamehameha Highway or rather across from the Kahuku Land Farm stand. The path leads through a shady part of the forest, past a huge Banyan Tree, which might look strangely familiar to some. If you don't know where it's from, many well-known movies or series, such as Lost, were filmed here.

Getting there by bus from Waikiki is generally possible but involves some effort and, depending on the time of day, changing buses two or three times. The better option is to get there with your own car via Kamehameha Highway. Parking right at the beach is not available here, though a few parking spaces are provided for the public at Turtle Bay Resort.