Aulani beach - water shoes? Nearby turtle beach?

[glassslipper2004]

Hi! Can anyone tell me if we need water shoes for the beach at Aulani - is it rocky? What about the nearby beach where turtles can be found? And if anyone can link me to the directions for how to walk to the turtle beach from Aulani I'd be grateful. We're going next week and I can't wait!!

 

[buffettgirl]

sandy bottomed in both places. The only rocks would be if you walk by the shore from Aulani to the beach at Paradise Cove, but I wouldn't recommend it as it's often very slippery.
Walk out of aulani and turn left on the main road. Follow down the road until you get to the public parking area at paradise cove. Cut through the small lot and you'll see a pathway that's marked.

 

[rocketriter]

The best turtle watching is often along the north shore rather than west, where Aulani is located. If you rent a car it's a longish but very pleasant drive. The north shore is completely different: more rural, more surfer friendly, even more casual. As you drive along the north coast you'll encounter one beach after another. Look for ones that have a bunch of cars parked nearby, which means either that the waves are good for spectacular surfing or the turtles are in view. There are lots of informal restaurants and shrimp trucks along the way.

 

[nkereina]

We didn't find the beaches rocky, but they were hot. Its a darker sand so it burned our feet. Definitely need flip flops or something if walking on the sand.

Agree with PP about the turtle beach near the North Shore - Laniakea Beach. Its a small beach, not a place you'd spend the day at, but there are frequently at least 1 or 2 sea turtles to be found there. It draws crowds and its not easy to get down to it for the handicapped. Its just past Haleiwa, so definitely worth stopping in Haleiwa for some shopping, a meal, Matsumoto's shave ice, etc.

We tried twice but never saw a monk seal or a sea turtle at the beach next to Paradise Cove. YMMV.

 

[cgattis]

We didn't find the beaches rocky, but they were hot. Its a darker sand so it burned our feet. Definitely need flip flops or something if walking on the sand.

Agree with PP about the turtle beach near the North Shore - Laniakea Beach. Its a small beach, not a place you'd spend the day at, but there are frequently at least 1 or 2 sea turtles to be found there. It draws crowds and its not easy to get down to it for the handicapped. Its just past Haleiwa, so definitely worth stopping in Haleiwa for some shopping, a meal, Matsumoto's shave ice, etc.

We tried twice but never saw a monk seal or a sea turtle at the beach next to Paradise Cove. YMMV.

Ditto for us—never saw anything over there...except the gorgeous views down the coast. But I’m still glad we checked it out a few times.

 

[MrsJanmik]

The Aulani beach was very soft all the way into the water. However, the beach at Waikiki you definitely needed water shoes once you got into the ocean. I was surprised how rocky it was.