Ke'e Beach
Ke'e Beach (about 30 minutes from Princeville) is a great beach located at the trail head to the Kalalau Trail in Hāʻena State Park, and reservations are necessary to get into the park (click here for reservation info).
From the parking lot it is a quarter mile walk to the beach and the trail head to the Kalalau Trail. The picture of Ke'e Beach above was taken from the Kalalau Trail at the 1/2 mile marker.
Ke'e is almost always a good swimming beach, as it does have reef protecting it from the winter swells. It is also a fantastic snorkeling beach in the summer, but many winter days the water is too choppy for good snorkeling. The snorkeling is particularly good on left side of the beach.
Our advice is to bring a beach wagon, beach chairs, a cooler with food and drinks, etc, and haul everything from the parking lot to Ke'e Beach. Set up your beach chairs and stake out a place on the beach, hike the Kalalau Trail (or at least part of it), then after the hike relax at Ke'e Beach and snorkel if possible. We've never had anything stolen when we do that, but of course we cannot take responsibility if you do (our attorneys said we needed to write that!).
Hāʻena Beach
Hāʻena Beach (about 25 minutes from Princeville) is a large, fun beach with beautiful scenery. It has a relatively large parking lot (though parking can sometimes be difficult to find during peak times) and public restrooms, and there is usually a food truck with snacks and drinks.
You do not need a pass or reservation to go to Hāʻena Beach.
The waves in the winter can be dangerously high, so be very cautious of going in during winter months. The waves break fairly close to shore, only very experienced surfers should ride these waves.
Tunnels Beach (aka Makua Beach)
Tunnels Beach (about 25 minutes from Princeville) is considered by many people to have the best snorkeling on the north shore. The beach is large and rarely crowded, the views are spectacular, and the snorkeling is excellent.
Tunnels is a great beach to go to all year, but "good" snorkeling days are a little less common in the winter months, while the snorkeling is pretty consistently fantastic during the summer months.
Parking at Tunnels Beach can be a little tricky, you can either park down an unmarked alley with about 8 - 10 parking spaces along the side, or park at Haena State Beach and backtrack (east) to Tunnels Beach.
Lumaha'i Beach
Lumaha'i Beach has two separate beaches; the western portion (which we call Lumaha'i Beach and is next to Lumaha'i Stream, pictured above) and the eastern portion (which we call Kahalahala Beach, and is discussed below).
The western portion of Lumaha'i Beach is a large beach with nice scenery. It can have good conditions for boogie boarding as well as surfing.
The parking lot is right next to Kuhio Highway and it is a relatively easy and flat walk from your car to the beach. The "parking lot" is slightly uneven, with cars parked somewhat haphazardly.
We've seen surfers at Lumaha'i Beach when the conditions are good. In the winter the waves can be treacherous, so be cautious about swimming at this beach particularly in the winter.
Kahalahala Beach (aka eastern Lumaha'i Beach)
Kahalahal Beach is one of our favorites. It is very beautiful, and when the waves are calm in the summer, a very fun place for swimming and snorkeling. In the winter the waves can get very high and it becomes dangerous to go in the water, but it is enjoyable to watch the waves crash over the outcropping lava rocks.
It is relatively easy to access: there is legal parking along the road at the top of a hill just after a bend in the road, just before mile marker 5 on the Kuhio Highway. There is a trail down to the beach that is not terribly steep or difficult.
Kahalahala Beach was made famous when Mitzi Gaynor filmed her song "I'm going to wash that man right outa my hair" in movie South Pacific. But if you look that scene up on YouTube, then actually go to Kahalahala Beach, you will find that the actual beach is much more beautiful and scenic than how it was depicted in the movie.
Hanalei Bay
Hanalei Bay has a two mile beach that is one of the best beaches in the world. It has beautiful views of the Nāpali Coast, is easy to access, is a very good swimming beach, has excellent surfing, and has a pier that is both picturesque and fun (you can jump off the pier into the ocean, then climb back up).
Hanalei Bay is about a 15 minute drive from our condos, with pretty good parking options. The far eastern end of the beach has a new parking lot (built in 2019) that is fairly large and near the pier. Other parking lots along Weke Rd include opposite Pilikoa Street, and off Hee Rd, Amaama Rd, and Anae Rd. In all cases there are no hills or stairs, and access to the beach is relatively easy.
The during surfing season, the larger waves are towards the western side of the beach, while the more gentle waves are towards the eastern side of the beach.
The beach at Hanalei Bay is bordered on the west side by the Waioli Stream, and on the east side by Hanalei River.
Hanalei Bay is a great place to swim, relax, boogie board, and enjoy spectacular views.
Puu Poa Beach
Puu Poa Beach is located at at the 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay resort (formerly the Princeville Resort, formerly the St. Regis Resort).
There is a very small parking lot just before the guard gate into 1 Hotel Hanalei, and a public beach access sidewalk to the left of the guard shack with 182 stairs leading down to the beach (emphasis on long - from public parking, it takes about 20 minutes to walk to the beach.
Puu Poa Beach has fantastic views, but it is relatively small, and doesn't have great snorkeling. If you are staying at 1Hotel Hanalei, it is a great beach for relaxing, otherwise it is difficult to reach and probably not worth the effort.
Note that while this beach is called Puu Poa Beach, it is not located at Puu Poa Resort (Puu Poa Resort is a short distance away, and is above Hideaways Beach).
Hideaways Beach
Hideaways Beach is a great little beach with views of Bali Hai, and has excellent snorkeling when the waves aren't too big. The very small parking lot is a little less than 2 miles from from our condos. If the conditions are ok for snorkeling, the right side of the beach (as you face the ocean) has the best snorkeling, and you will often see giant sea turtles.
The main problem with Hideaways Beach is parking. There is a small public parking lot between Puu Poa resort and 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay that holds about 8 - 10 cars, and the beach is popular enough that the parking lot often full. If you park on the road it is highly likely that you will get a ticket. You can ride bikes to this beach and lock them up next to the fence.
The trail down to Hideaways Beach is just on the other side of the fence from the parking lot, and runs along the west border of Puu Poa resort. It is a very steep trail that requires use of railings and sometimes ropes (when it is wet) that are already in place. Be careful on this trail!
Surfers also come to Hideaaways Beach for a surf break that is ~100 meters or so out from shore.
Sealodge Beach (aka Kaweonui Beach)
Sealodge Beach is a hidden gem mostly used by guests who stay at Sealodge Resort or at Orchid Point. It is rarely crowded, we've never encountered more than 4 - 6 other people there, and many times we've had the beach to ourselves.
If you are staying at Orchid Point, Sealodge Beach is a 10 - 15 minute walk. If you are staying at Alii Kai or The Cliffs, it is about a mile away, and you can park in the Public Parking marked by dashed lines in the image above (four public parking spaces, but generally at least one is open). Click here for directions on how to get to the beach from Orchid Point (or from the public parking spots).
Sealodge Beach has good snorkeling at high tide, not so good at low tide (the water is shallow, and there isn't a lot of clearance above the coral at low tide). We recommend that you check the Hanalei Bay tide schedule before you go snorkeling at Sealodge Beach: https://www.usharbors.com/harbor/hawaii/hanalei-bay-hi/tides/
This beach is fairly well protected from ocean swells, so many winter days this is a good snorkeling destination.
Wyllie's Beach
Wyllie Beach is below the Westin Resort, is relatively easy to access and can be a great place to relax. It is not particularly well known, and you can often have the entire beach to yourself (such as the day I took the above picture of the chicken at low tide).
The small parking lot / trailhead is about a mile from our condos, with ten public parking spaces. I've always been able to find an open parking spot. The trail down to the beach is relatively steep, probably too steep to use a beach wagon, I usually carry a towel and beach chair down to the beach with me.
On the east side of Wyllie's Beach is 'Anini Stream, and on the other side of the stream is the western edge of 'Anini Beach. Wyllie's beach is pretty, with very gentle waves. It is protected by a large reef, and is a nice beach for small children, particularly in the winter when waves at other north shore beaches can be large. Wyllie Beach does not have particularly good snorkeling, and the waves are not large enough for boogie boarding or surfing. It's an ideal beach for swimming or reading a book.
'Anini Beach
'Anini Beach is about a 12 minute drive from our condos, and is probably the best snorkeling option on the north shore in the winter. The beach is protected by 'Anini Reef, the largest reef in the state of Hawai'i.
There is a relatively large public parking lot, the beach is easy to access, and there are public restrooms.
It is a nice beach, and the snorkeling is pretty good - you do have a good chance of seeing giant sea turtles here.
Kalihiwai Beach
Kalihiwai Beach is a great beach that is about a 12 minute drive from our condos. It is easy to find, and easy to access - no difficult trails, you can park right next to the beach.
In the fall and winter Kalihiwai Beach is a popular surf destination, and in the summer the calm waters are great for kids.
Kalihiwai Beach usually isn't very crowded and has plenty of shade, making it a good picnic destination.
Waiakalua Beach
If you are looking for a deserted beach, you've got an excellent chance of finding it with a trip to Waiakalua Beach. There are actually two beaches here: Waiakalua Iki to the west and Waiakalua Nui to the east. The trailheads for both are at the end of the road, about a 17 minute drive from our condos.
The picture above is Waiakalua Iki, and I was the only person on the beach that day (other than a monk seal who joined me for an afternoon nap). It isn't a swimming beach, as the coral comes right up to the shore, but it can have good snorkeling in the summer when the ocean is calm.
The trail down to Waikalua Iki is not particularly easy, as it is a bit overgrown and somewhat steep in places. The trail down to Waiakalua Nui is a bit easier, and you are a little more likely to find other people on the Nui beach.