Goat Island

Goat Island makes for a fun little adventure.  You get to the island by parking at the Malaekahana State Recreational Area and then wading out to the island from the beach there.  It's best to plan this trip around low tide, leaving an hour or so before low tide and coming back soon after low tide.  When wading across, head for the big sign you can see on the island.  That's the best path with the least current.  Once on the island, there are lots of fun things to see.  There are tide pools along the front side of the island and a nice sandy beach.  There is a path that goes around the outside of the island and you can walk all the way around it in just a few minutes.  In the middle of the island is a seabird sanctuary that you can't enter.  It's lots of fun to have your own private island for the day.

It was raining when we started out

Go close to low tide and the water isn't very deep

But cleared up right when we got to the island

The middle of the island

View from the other side of the island

Really big cowrie

Bonus pic: Frog we found at Malaekahana park

Makaha Beach

Makaha Beach is pretty far north on the west side of the island, but you have to come from the south to get to it.  The beach is beautiful, and during the summer there is some great snorkeling here.  We were lucky enough to find a monk seal climbing up onto the beach when we went there.  If you are staying on the west side or are making a trip out that way, Makaha Beach is a fun one to visit.

So cute

The urchins borrow tunnels through the rock

Blake's impression of the monk seal

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Lanikai Beach

Lanikai Beach is definitely one of the most beautiful beaches on the island.  The sand is ridiculously soft and the water is brilliant turquoise blue.  I love playing in the water here and having a leisurely swim.  The waves break really far offshore so the water is peaceful and calm.  I've had the pleasure of swimming with sea turtles here.  To get there, you go into the neighborhood of Lanikai in Kailua and park alongside the road near one of the public beach access signs.  It's a beautiful place and I definitely recommend it as a must-see beach.

We got photobombed by a bird

Waimea Bay

Waimea Bay is on the north shore not too far from Haleiwa.  This is a beach that gets HUGE waves.  I made the mistake of venturing in a bit and discovered that waves less than waist height can still beat the heck out of you.  I kind of thought I was going to die at one point.  So, my recommendation is to stay on the sand and have fun watching everyone else get pummeled.

Manoa Falls Hike

Manoa Falls might be the most beautiful hike on the island.  You literally feel like you are exploring the jungle, and a huge magnificent waterfall awaits you at the end.  The amount of flow over the waterfall can vary alot depending on how much rain there has been, so I recommend going when it has been raining more, although that will mean that the trail will be more muddy.  They are currently working on renovating the trail so the first part of the trail is very nice and covered with gravel, but after that there can be very muddy spots.  For parking, you can park in the neighborhood down below and walk up to the trailhead (I think it's about a half mile or so), or park at the parking lot right where the trail starts and pay $5.  This is a nice length of a hike, not too long.  It is really fantastic and I highly recommend it. 

This plant is creepy...