Windward Side (Kailua to Kualoa) · Oʻahu

Activities on the Windward Side

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Kualoa Ranch Tours

Ride, zipline or jeep through the valley where Hollywood films Jurassic-anything.

A 4,000-acre working ranch beneath the Koʻolau's most dramatic cliffs, offering UTV, horseback, zipline and movie-site tours through valleys you'll recognize from decades of blockbusters. Book ahead; tours sell out.

Price: $$$
Time: 2 hours to full day

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Kayak to the Mokulua Islets

Paddle from Kailua to a seabird-sanctuary islet with its own tiny beach.

Rent from Kailua and cross about a mile of (usually) friendly water to Moku Nui's landing beach. The islets are seabird sanctuaries — stay on the beach and trails, land only where permitted, and check wind before committing to the crossing.

Price: $$
Time: Half day

Beaches on the Windward Side

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Lanikai Beach

Powder sand, impossibly turquoise water, and the twin Mokulua islets offshore.

Consistently ranked among the world's best beaches — half a mile of soft sand reached through a residential neighborhood with no facilities and scarce street parking. Come at sunrise, by bike from Kailua, or prepare to walk.

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Kailua Beach Park

Lanikai's roomier neighbor — same water, plus parking, lawns and lifeguards.

Hikes on the Windward Side

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Lanikai Pillbox (Kaʻiwa Ridge) Trail

A short, steep ridge scramble to WWII bunkers above the bluest water on Oʻahu.

Two graffiti-painted pillboxes crown the ridge behind Lanikai, about a mile round trip with a slick, rooty first pitch. The dawn view over the Mokulua islets is the island's favorite sunrise — expect company.

Time: 1-1.5 hours

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Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse Trail

Paved and stroller-able to a lighthouse overlook — with whales in winter.

Two miles round trip up the island's southeastern tip on a paved road-trail. From roughly December to April this is Oʻahu's best shore-based whale watching; interpretive signs mark the spouts' usual lanes.

Time: 1-1.5 hours

Eating on the Windward Side

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Kalapawai Market

The green 1932 corner store that fuels Kailua's beach days.

Cuisine: Deli / Coffee
Price: $$

Sights on the Windward Side

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Nuʻuanu Pali Lookout

A wind-blasted cliff edge over the whole windward coast — and a pivotal battlefield.

The gap where Kamehameha's forces drove defenders over the precipice in 1795, uniting Oʻahu under his rule. Today the lookout serves a 1,000-foot panorama and trade winds strong enough to lean into. Small parking fee; hold onto your hat literally.

Time: 30 minutes

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Byodo-In Temple

A scarlet Japanese temple replica beneath the fluted Koʻolau cliffs.

In the Valley of the Temples, this smaller-scale replica of Kyoto's 950-year-old Byodo-in sits among koi ponds and black swans against an impossibly green cliff backdrop. Ring the three-ton bell before entering; modest entry fee.

Time: 1 hour