ʻĀweoweo Beach Park — Attraction in Oʻahu

I've heard of this referred to as secret beach because not many people come here. It has pretty big waves further out (probably near some sort of a reef) and we saw an occasional surfer or person on a paddle board taking advantage of the fun. The beach is partially shaded in the morning by these trees but the waves are unpredictable (in November) aaaaaaaand we were sitting near the tree line, thinking that we were far enough away... and one particularly strong wave came in and went all the way up to the trees, lifting us up and carrying away lunches, shoes, towels, sunglasses etc. That was a bit of a shock, Haha. I don't think it was normal... but completely possible. We were there 4 hours and it was the only time anything came near us.

Bring water shoes, there are sharp rocks under the water. They also churn in the water, one son came out of the water with a small cut from a churning rock. Out of the 20 kids in our group, he was the only one, so the odds are slim... but again, possible.

We saw turtles a ways out in the water swimming and playing in the waves. Everyone says this is a common place to see turtles. We've been to many beaches and this was the first time we have seen any.

The park is a "climbing park" no swings, no slides and a little awkward for small children... but my big kids LOVED it! It is literally right above the beach. We played on the beach, attended a fun Christian singing/ playing keiki group (that meets at this park often), and then walked 15 feet to the beach. Dream day...

This place is an absolute hidden gem. My girlfriend and I snorkeled 5 times on vacation. 2 times at sharks cove, one time at Haunama Bay. My girlfriend was getting really frustrated because we saw no sea turtles at sharks cove, and I only caught a glimpse of one at Haunama Bay. We came here, and right away on the first day, I swam side by side with a sea turtle for 15min. She didn't bring her gear, expecting nothing, but she at least got to see 5 or 6 in the shallow water. It was so amazing we had to come back the next day, and we both swam side by side with 2 different turtles, then found 2 more nibbling on some coral.

Advice: if you're a beginner snorkeler, either come in the summer or very early (I'm talking like 8am). The waves and rip tide get very strong. I'm a strong swimmer, and the second day I had to call it quits because the rip tide because dangerous.

Overall, I actually preferred this spot over both Shark's Cove and Haunama Bay! I cant believe more people don't recommend it. It's super quiet on weekdays, we were the only ones snorkeling. There aren't as many fish as the other locations, but you can still find coral with several tropical fish, sea cucumbers, urchins, and of course...

Blessed to call this beach, my own personal beach, 4 minutes from home. It’s only busy on the weekends, local families have their kids birthday parties on the park side.

Sunrises and sunsets here are mesmerizing. I have gotten real got shots of them over the years. It’s a safe beach for kiddos. In summer this beach is flat, clear like a lake. In winter it can be rocky.

We have our own family of turtles living here, please don’t go to close to them and invade their privacy “For tourist it is illegal to touch or harass sea turtles as they are all protected by the Endangered Species Act. ... NOAA advises that people keep a distance of at least 10 feet for sea turtles and 50 feet for seals.”

Bathrooms are generally cleaner the first part of the day. There are showers and picnic tables on the park side.

This beach is ‘hidden’...