The North shore is famous for its surf, so if you're visiting in winter, you should be either a good surfer or someone who likes watching. Other times of the year, these beaches are far less crowded than their southern and eastern counterparts, due to their distance from Waikiki. Still, even Waimea is only an hour away by car. Listed from furthest to closest - all are on Kamehameha Highway:
Waimea
Claim to fame: Waimea is the place the Beach Boys oohed and ahhed about in "Surfin' USA". I had hoped to see some surfing action but those famous raging 35 footers were nowhere in sight when we visited in September. Waimea was more like a lagoon. Boooring! I hear it's quite a show in January, though. (S,P)
3 miles N of Haleiwa
Pupukea
Claim to fame: Home to Shark's Cove, a series of interconnected underwater caves famous for great diving (but thankfully not for sharks!) Pupukea is a long narrow beach that runs parallel to the highway, with calm waters excellent for snorkeling. It's also a marine wildlife conservation area. (R,S)
Opposite a gas station - the No. 52 bus stops there.
'Ehukai
Claim to fame: 'Ehukai is home to the infamous Banzai Pipeline, rumored to create the most dangerous waves in the world. This is where professional surfers hone their skills in times other than September, unfortunately for me. When we visited there were just a few kids drifting out past the breakers, occasionally riding a wave for short periods before sitting back down on their boards. (R,S,L)
Opposite Sunset Beach School , 1 mile north of Pupukea
Sunset Beach
Claim to fame: Possibly the longest beach on the North Shore, Sunset stretches for miles along the shoreline. With its wide, soft sand and mellow crowds, Sunset seems a good place to while the day away, maybe even to meet new people. A few patient surfers floated on their boards, hopping up for the occasional weak ride. (R,L,F)
1 mile N of 'Ehukai
Malaekahana Park
Claim to fame: Overlooks Goat Island Bird Sanctuary, within wading distance. Now this is my kind of beach. Empty but for one quiet visitor with a blanket and an artist's easel, wild waves just a little too dangerous for swimming crashing against the shore, and seabirds wheeling and careening on unseen currents over the water. Wild, oblivious nature nearly at its best - though if you walk all the way to the one end, you can spot the buildings of Laie blighting the shoreline. And the park itself seemed a little seedy, although Lonely Planet raves about the camping facilities. But we really enjoyed our nature walk (bring Tevas or sneakers if planning to wade out to Goat Island - the coral can be sharp!) and the windswept bravado of the beach. (R,S,C,P)
1/2 mile N of Laie - watch carefully for entrance!