Laniakea Beach + Turtle Beach

One of the most popular stops along the drive through O'ahu's North Shore is Laniakea Beach, which has earned the name "Turtle Beach" over the years. The honu, or green sea turtle, frequents the northern stretch of the beach, and they seem to be very comfortable with people. You are not allowed to approach or touch them, but you are allowed to watch them from a distance. There are often officials or volunteers on-site that put red rope around the perimeter to keep people at bay.

Laniakea, or "Lani's" for short, has a solid point break with lefts and rights. Jocko's Break just to the north toward the lava boulder seawall is a great left. The beach is not super large, but it has nice sand, and you can watch the surf from shore thanks to the break not being too far out. This place gets massive waves in the winter. The shore break is not as large here as in some other nearby beaches. Bring a mask and snorkel: There are rocky seawalls and small tide pools along the north side of the beach that harbor eels and octopi.

The tidal channel tends to be calm, a good place to stand-up paddle when the surf is not too big. There is a little bit of shade from the ironwood trees lining the road, but by the afternoon it is pretty exposed. You are surrounded by the North Shore hotspots here just north of Hale'iwa and a little south of Pipeline and Sunset Beach. Primo winter surf watching can be found here, but it gets crowded. The shorebreak can come all the way to the road on large days, so be careful.