Puaena Beach is a nice beach on the North Shore of Oahu. This beach is famous for its surf, the turtles and the beautiful landscape. It is quite a drive to get to Puaena Beach from Waikiki, but worth it. Learn more about Puaena Beach in our short video.
The Location of Puaena Beach
Puaena Beach is close to Haleiwa. Haleiwa is on the North Shore of Oahu. Yes, the famous North Shore that you know from the surf movies. The drive to Puaena from Waikiki will take about an hour if you take the Highway. If you decide to take the scenic route it will take you probably closer to two hours. Of course the time depends on the traffic.
The short route over the Highway is easy and fast, but of course not as pretty. We recommend taking the short route if you took a tour with Daniels Hawaii before. On our circle island tours we take the scenic route along the coast. You will enjoy this wonderful drive with lots of stops to take pictures. Our guides at Daniels Hawaii are happy to share lots of stories, facts about hawaiian culture and of course ALOHA.
The Beach
Puaena Beach is a smaller beach on the North Shore. The sand is not white like the sand at Waimanalo Beach, but it is still very nice. There is a nice forrest and lots of palm trees next to the beach. If you need to get out of the sun for a little bit, just sit under one of the palm trees – hawaiian style. Please, don’t forget to put sunscreen on, the sun in Hawaii is very aggressive. Hawaii is the first state that banned some sunscreen brands. Find out more about the sunscreen ban in Hawaii in our Video on YouTube.
HINT: Walking to the beach, keep on the left. There is a swing under a tree. Great for pictures or just to relax and look out on the ocean.
The beach park has lots of parking. However, it can get crowded, especially on the weekends. It’s a nice mix of locals and tourists on the beach. Please make sure to take all your trash if you decide to bring food or drinks. And if you like to impress the locals, pickup trash if you see it. MAHALO!
Activities at Puaena Beach
You can surf, paddle, kayak, snorkel, swim, foil or just sunbathe at the beach. Lots of options! You will find a couple of surf schools in the parking lot. We recommend making a reservation. Yes, a lot of times they have open slots, but to make sure you can get a surf or SUP lesson, you should make a reservation. If you already know how to surf, you can also just rent a surfboard. Interested in Surf lessons in Hawaii? Click the link below and book your surf lesson in Hawaii, today!
Turtles at Puanea Beach
One of the many highlights at Puaena are the turtles. The green sea turtles are endangered and therefore you must keep distance. Please stay 10 feet away from the turtles at all time. If you are lucky they might come out of the water and relax on the beach. This is your chance to get a good shot of a green sea turtle in Hawaii. Again, keep your distance. The fine for touching a turtle can be up to $25,000. On our tours around the island we will stop at a famous turtle beach. Our guides are happy to tell you all the important facts about the green sea turtles in Hawaii and of course, take some pictures of you and the turtles.
