Oʻahu region
Windward Oʻahu (Kailua, Kāneʻohe, Kualoa & Lāʻie)
Turquoise bays under the Koʻolau cliffs
The green, breezy east side: Kailua and Lanikai beaches and their offshore islets, Kāneʻohe Bay, Kualoa Ranch’s valleys, and a quiet coastal highway north to Lāʻie and Mālaekahana.
Photo: Robert Linsdell via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
Stay here if…
You want a slower, small-town base with morning swims at Kailua and are fine driving into Honolulu over the Pali or Likelike highways.
The trade-off
Hotels are scarce. Outside a few properties, such as Paradise Bay in Kāneʻohe, lodging is mostly long-term rentals because the City tightly restricts short-term rentals. It rains more than Waikīkī, and Lanikai parking is heavily restricted.
Hotels in Windward Oahu
Turquoise bays under the Koʻolau cliffs
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Where to stay
Hotels in Windward Oahu
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Tours leaving from Windward Oahu
Things to do
Our picks in Windward Oahu
Swimming BeachesWindward Oahu
Kailua Beach Park
The water color is unreal, the sand is fine and the morning swim before the wind comes up is one of Oʻahu’s simple joys.
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Secluded BeachesWindward Oahu
Lanikai Beach
Sunrise over the Mokulua islets from this sand is one of the most beautiful sights on the island, and the water is usually gentle.
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Secluded BeachesWindward Oahu
Mālaekahana State Recreation Area
It feels like old-time Oʻahu: a long walk of sand with few people, ironwood shade and a view of the islet instead of hotels.
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National & State ParksWindward Oahu
Kualoa Regional Park
Wide lawns, a long sandy shore and the Kualoa ridges behind you make it the best free picnic stop on the windward drive.
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Culture & HistoryWindward Oahu
Byodo-In Temple
The red temple against the green, fluted Koʻolau cliffs is one of Oʻahu’s most striking sights, and it is calm even with visitors around.
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