Tucked away on the east side of Oahu, this picturesque beach has surf, sand and epic views of the island sunrise. I love this place because the name of the island really does speak for itself and typically, you'll have the shoreline to yourself.
Plan
Overview
Skill level
Easy
Accessbility
Hours
Anytime (No access fee before 8AM)
Fee
Free
Pack
Wide-angle lens (33mm)
Tripod
Swimsuit
Sandals
Flashlight
How to get there
N21° 30' 23.274"W157° 50' 46.9464"
This image was taken on the shore of Secret Beach, which is on Secret Island and has a view of Mokoli'i (Chinaman's Hat). There will be no access fee if you go before working hours; however, you can reserve time on the dock with the company at any time you want.
In order to get here before sunrise, you'll have to park outside the Kualoa Regional Park gate on the grassy area, either before or after the actual entrance to the park. I have not experienced any break-ins, however I recommend taking all of your valuables with you.
Once parked, you'll have to enter the gate on foot, and follow the road all the way down to what is known on Google Maps as Kualoa Point. If you take no stops or breaks, it should take you 30-45 minutes and it's a nice casual walk through a park and a beach. Walk towards the beach till you reach the coast and from there, turn right and walk all the way down the beach until your Google Maps takes you to a place called Secret Island.
Secret Island is a beach and tour area run by Kualoa Ranch, which is a part of Kualoa Regional Park. There'll be some workers walking around in bright neon shirts or company shirts (which are usually green). Talk to them, and ask them if you can kindly check out the dock in the back of the campground. They will say yes, but will also urge you to leave once tours start arriving — meaning you will have a limited time period to shoot. If you don't see any workers you can still make your way back there. If you're in a group of people, maybe take turns or be conscious to make sure you are being respectful of the area. Do not flock, make loud noises or ruin the campgrounds. In order to access this beach, you do have to walkthrough the work area.
You'll know when you reach secret island when you see canoes/kayaks on the far side of the beach; however you don't need to walk that far.
To get to the exact spot where I took this photo, reference the GPS coordinates. You will see Chinaman's Hat Island directly east of you.
Tips
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