Lanikai Beach(Mokulua Islands)

Located in the town of Kailua, Lanikai Beach - also known as Kaʻōhao Beach - is a spectacular white sand beach on the island of Oahu. While many people claim that the beach’s name means "heavenly sea" in Hawaiian, it is an incorrect translation. It is often said that the beach's main name (Lanikai Beach) was invented by a real estate developer named Charles Frazier and the area around this beach was earlier known as Kaʻōhao to Native Hawaiians. This approximately half mile-long beach has an amazing backdrop of palm trees and oceanfront mountains. Lanikai Beach has been named one of the Top 100 beaches in the United States by Randall Kaplan, the world’s foremost beach expert who is known as Mr. Beach.

 Lanikai Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities, so plan your trip accordingly. Dogs are allowed on Lanikai Beach. 

Lanikai Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, fishing, wildlife watching, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, kitesurfing, windsurfing, jet-skiing, water-skiing, surf-skiing, boating, and snorkeling. The water near Lanikai Beach is generally calm, making it ideal for beginner swimmers, kayakers, canoers, and paddleboarders. The water here is also popular with snorkelers, who enter it to explore its vibrant biodiversity - the water here has patchy coral reefs and you can view many kinds of fish here including parrotfish, wrasse, and surgeonfish. In addition, you can also view sea turtles here on rare occasions. However, despite its vibrant marine biodiversity, the water here is not an extremely popular snorkeling spot due to low visibility. If you are planning to enter the water near Lanikai Beach, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to have unpredictable rip currents. In addition, jellyfish are also present in the water here and can inflict a powerful sting if disturbed. The water near the beach is also known to have stinging seaweed (also known as limu) particularly between June and September, which makes aquatic recreational activities difficult here. If you are planning to fish in the water near Lanikai Beach, we recommend following the local fishing regulations. Two offshore islets collectively named Nā Mokulua are also present near the beach. Visitors also launch their boats/kayaks/ canoes from Lanikai Beach in order to explore the northern islet of the Nā Mokulua islets. If you are planning to fish in the water near Lanikai Beach, we recommend ensuring compliance with the local fishing regulations. A hiking trail named the Lanikai Pillbox Trail starts near this beach. This trail leads up along a hill to a World War Two-era military installation named Lanikai Pillbox which offers Instagram-worthy views of the Lanikai Beach, the Pacific Ocean and the Oahu shoreline.

In order to access Lanikai Beach, you need to divert towards Kailua Road from Hawaii Route 61/ Pali Highway North. You need to follow Kailua Road until it leads you to South Kalaheo Avenue, which eventually merges into Kawaiola Road. From Kawaiola Road, you need to turn left towards Mokulua Drive. Street parking is available in the roads around Mokulua Drive and near Kawaiola Road. However, we recommend being extremely careful while parking on the street here as illegal parking is punishable with heavy fees here. Access points to Lanikai Beach can be found along Mokulua Drive. We recommend visiting this beach early as the parking spaces here can fill up quickly.

There are many attractions near Lanikai Beach. The Lanikai Monument is a pillar which was constructed in the 1920s and was apparently designed by the locally renowned architect Hart Wood. While this pillar earlier was a simple marker for the boundary of a subdivision of residential houses, the marker is now associated with the commercial and technological growth of the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Ulupō Heiau State Historic Site has an ancient Hawaiian religious temple called the Ulupō Heiau. As an interesting fact, local legends often claim that the area around the temple was inhabited by dwarfs (known as Menehune) and this temple was constructed in a single night. Ulupō Heiau State Historic Site is a part of the United States’ National Register of Historic Places and it offers an interesting insight into the history of Hawaii and the island of Oahu. If you are looking for another attraction near Lanikai Beach, Friendship Garden is a beautifully landscaped park that is spread over ten acres. This park has amazing forests which can be explored via hiking trails. In addition, the park also offers splendid Instagram-worthy views of the Kaneohe Bay and it is also a great bird watching site.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Lanikai Beach. Haleiwa Joe’s is an upscale restaurant which is a 23-minute drive away and it also has a koi pond and a tropical garden. This restaurant also offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Ko’olau mountain range. This restaurant is primarily known for serving amazing seafood and steaks. Kono’s Northshore - Kailua serves excellent Hawaiian-inspired fare for breakfast and lunch including wraps, sandwiches, quesadillas, and tacos. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Lanikai Beach, Maui Mike’s Fire-Roasted Chicken serves amazing roast chicken, fries, and sandwiches.

If you are looking for a hotel near Lanikai Beach, there are many great nearby options within a 40-minute drive. The 5-Star The Kahala Hotel & Resort offers many amenities including five restaurants, a spa, a private lagoon with dolphins, a bike and beach towel rental service, and a fitness center. In addition, the hotel also offers complimentary surfing and paddle-boarding lessons along with a complimentary local shuttle service. As another upscale hotel, the 4-Star Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa offers many amenities including five restaurants, a spa, two pools, and an exercise room. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Paradise Palms Bed and Breakfast offers many amenities including complimentary breakfast and beach gear loaner facilities. As another moderately priced hotel, the 3-Star Courtyard by Marriott Waikiki Beach offers many amenities including two pools (including a saltwater pool and a freshwater pool), a spa, a gym, a restaurant, and a bar. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Lanikai Beach, the 2-Star Pagoda Hotel offers many amenities including a pond and a restaurant. The hotel also offers access to a pool, a sundeck, and local shuttle services for a resort fee. In addition, the hotel also offers laundry facilities for a fee.