Lanikai Beach offers the best swimming water in Hawaii - clean and clear, beside a mile of powder soft sand, with coconut palms above offering shade. A sparkling blue lagoon formed by the wide offshore reef provides a huge calm pool for the sea turtles, tropical fish, and any human swimmers who want to join in.
Onshore winds make it great for water sports and it's a popular location to sail, windsurf, kayak, or go outrigger canoeing. The tropical ambiance is highlighted by two tiny offshore islands known as the Mokuluas which are also seabird sanctuaries.
The beach is part of a residential neighborhood and access is available only by public walkways, so it's a bit more secluded than some Oahu shores.
The Koolau mountain range blocks some of the sun later in the afternoon, and you need to watch out for jellyfish and stinging seaweed in the water during summer months, but overall, this beach will make you appreciate the name Lanikai, meaning "heavenly sea."
There are no facilities available nearby. Take the Pali Hwy. (Hwy. 61) through the Nuuanu Pali Tunnel to Kailua, where it turns into Kailua Rd. For parking, turn right on Kalaheo Ave. and drive along the coast for a couple miles. Turn left at the end of that street and follow Aalapapa Dr. around a loop. Park when it becomes Mokulua Dr. and walk down one of the public access walkways to the beach.