Kailua beach on the east side of Oahu in Hawaii is truly an amazing beach. Not too far from Waikiki Beaches and you can take the bus there, but we recommend renting a car to get there. Fin our more about transportation in Hawaii in our video and article. Make sure to bring some snacks, since there are no vendors and no variety of restaurants close by. More about Kailua Beach in our short video… enjoy!
The Location
Kailua Beach is on the east side of Oahu. It is about a 40 minute drive from Waikiki. Yes, we recommend renting a car and driving to Kailua. You can go by bus, but that would take more than an hour. There are not a lot of restaurants or shops in walking distance to the beach, another reason to rent a car to get there. Parking is tough, so be there early or expect to spend some time to find parking on a busy day. If you like to explore more beautiful beaches all over Oahu, come on tour with Daniels Hawaii. On our tours you will see beaches on the southside, east side and on the famous North Shore of Oahu.
The Beach
Kailua Beach is about 2.5 miles long. The sand here is finer than the sand you will find in Waikiki. It almost looks white, whereas the sand in Waikiki is more yellow. Depending on where on the beach you settle down, there are bathrooms close by. There are a few less popular beach access paths with smaller parking lots and no bathroom facilities. It will most likely be less crowded to enter the beach there, but it comes at the price of even lesser parking stalls and no bathroom facilities. Kalama Beach Park is part of Kailua beach and that’s where we started filming in our video – Small bathroom facilities right at the beach entrance and about 15 parking stalls.
Kayaking from Kailua Beach
Want to be active while in Kailua? Rent a Kayak in Kailua, roll it over to the beach and paddle to the Mokes. “Located off Wailea Point on Oahu’s windward side, “The Mokes” are a pair of tiny isles roughly a mile and a half off of Kailua Beach Park. Formed over a million years ago, they’re part of the summit caldera of the Ko’olau shield — the balsatic volcano that formed the eastern half of Oahu.“
Kayak over to the Mokes and enjoy a wonderful view. Paddle your way over and see Green Sea Turtles swim by, Hawaiian Monk Seals in the water or even relaxing close to you on the beach. PLEASE: Stay at least 10 feet away! Green Sea Turtles and Hawaiian Monk Seals are endangered. Mahalo!