North Shore · Oʻahu · Hawaiʻi Guide

Activities on the North Shore

◦ ─ ● ─ ◦

Summer Surf Lessons in Haleʻiwa

Learn on the North Shore's gentle summer waves — bragging rights included.

May through September the winter arenas go flat and mellow beginner breaks appear off Haleʻiwa and Puaʻena Point. Local schools run small-group lessons; in winter, leave this coast to the professionals.

Price: $$
Time: 2 hours

Beaches on the North Shore

Full list →

◦ ─ ● ─ ◦

Sunset Beach

Two miles of golden sand and the wave that closes out the Triple Crown.

Winter brings world-championship surf and spectators; summer brings wide, walkable sand and swimmable water. True to the name, face west at day's end.

◦ ─ ● ─ ◦

Laniākea Beach (Turtle Beach)

Green sea turtles bask on the sand most afternoons.

Honu haul out here so reliably that volunteers rope off resting zones. Keep the required distance, never touch, and cross the highway carefully — traffic is the real hazard.

Where to Stay on the North Shore

Full list →

◦ ─ ● ─ ◦

Turtle Bay (The Ritz-Carlton Oʻahu)

The North Shore's only resort, alone on a surf-wrapped point at Kahuku.

Five miles of shoreline, its own breaks, and horseback trails — the country alternative to Waikīkī's towers. Verify current branding and rates when booking; the property changed flags in recent years.

Class: 4.5★
Price: $$$$

Eating on the North Shore

Full list →

◦ ─ ● ─ ◦

Giovanni's Shrimp Truck

The graffiti-covered truck that made Kahuku shrimp famous.

A dozen garlic-butter shrimp over two scoops of rice, eaten at a picnic table beside the original white truck. The scampi plate is the order; lines move fast.

Cuisine: Shrimp / Plate Lunch
Price: $$

◦ ─ ● ─ ◦

Matsumoto Shave Ice

The 1951 Haleʻiwa general store where shave ice became a pilgrimage.

Cuisine: Shave Ice / Dessert
Price: $

Sights on the North Shore

Full list →

◦ ─ ● ─ ◦

Waimea Bay

Legendary big-wave arena in winter, calm swimming in summer.

Time: 2-4 hours

◦ ─ ● ─ ◦

Banzai Pipeline (ʻEhukai Beach)

Watch the world's best surfers on the world's deadliest wave.

Time: 1-2 hours