Encounters with Graceful Giants: Exploring Laniakea Beach, a.k.a. Turtle Beach (updated 2023)

Located Just a few miles from Haleiwa town, Laniakea Beach, locally known as Turtle beach is a popular family friendly beach park to visit. The beach translates into wide sky and when you visit and look out towards the horizon, you’ll get the picture on why it is name appropriately for the area. The beach area is not as feasible for swimming because of rocks and rocky shelf the dominates a large part of the beach park, but it is doable in some spots if you want to get into the water.

The beach is also nicknamed turtle beach for the local residents of the beach area, the honu or green sea turtles which tends to enjoy soaking around the warm beach sands and almost looks like the many small boulders that dot the landscape around the beach area.

Laniakea Beach is part of the 7-mile miracle the area around the North Shore that gets impressive waves that come to this area during the winter time and draws in huge crowds to watch surfers and surfing competitions that bring in celebrity surfers to the area.

Where is Laniakea located in oahu?

Laniakea Beach, also known as “Turtle Beach,” is located on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. It is situated along Kamehameha Highway (Route 83), approximately 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) north of Haleiwa town. This beach is famous for its resident green sea turtles, which often come ashore to rest, making it a popular spot for wildlife enthusiasts and tourists.

Enjoy a stroll on the beach

The beach area at Laniakea is nice and wide and extends all the way out to Chun’s Reef which is a popular snorkeling spot and beach area to also enjoy.

There is a large rock limestone shelf that dominates a large part of the beach area until you get to Chun’s Reef which is nice and sandy beach area and relatively safer to swim and snorkel in depending on conditions. Always check in with the lifeguards so that you know what the conditions are like in the water.

A haven for honu or green sea turtles

The concentration of sea turtles in the beach area is typically high which gives the area the popular nickname. The turtles are drawn to the less crowded beach park and also the food from local kelp and sea moss on the rocky shores that draw in turtles to feed in the area.

Once plentiful in the area, the green turtles have been placed on the endangered list from being hunted down. You can see the turtles but don’t touch or get too close to them since they are cannot adapt to human viruses that can easily harm them.

You’ll find some turtle volunteers in the area that help to rope the beach part around the lounging turtles and are happy to help you with answering any questions about these endangered animals.

What is the best time to see the green sea turtles at Laniakea Beach?

If you are here to explore the beach areas and also look at for some green sea turtles and other marine life, the best time to see them is summer. This ranges from May to October timeframe when the waters are calm and the sand temperature tends to be warmer which the turtles like. You’ll see them them lounging around the rocky areas of the beach and around the limestone shelf that covers a good part of the beach area.

Photo by Jeremy Bishop 

Visit to Chun’s Reef

About a hundred yards away from the rocky area shorelines where the turtles congregate, you’ll find Chun’s Reef which is a nice sandy beach area that is rarely busy. Swimming and snorkeling are possible but always check in with the lifeguard on duty to find out about latest conditions.

This area is also a popular surfing spot with local surfers that love the isolation and waves that occur here when there are north shore swells that happen in the area.

Enjoy sunset on the beach

If you get here late in the afternoon, you’ll probably have better luck with a parking spot on the beach area and also get a fantastic sunset spot and view to enjoy on the beach area.

Sunset is a great time to visit the beach without the crowds and enjoy some fantastic views and sunset at the same time.

Facilities at Laniakea Beach

Bathrooms and showers – none

Life guard station – located at Chun’s beach area

Parking – available across road

Shady areas – in some areas

Concessions – visit the hotel resort for food or drinks

How to get to Laniakea Beach

You can drive to Laniakea Beach from Honolulu using the H1 Hwy to H2 Hwy and look out for Hwy 99 leading towards Haleiwa and continue past the town and merge into Hwy 83. Drive down the Hwy less than two miles you’ll see the parking area signs for Laniakea Beach on your right- hand side. Park and cross the street to get to the beach area.

Tips to visiting Laniakea Beach

Parking is across the road with limited parking area so plan on getting here early to get a coveted parking spot.

Probably the best time to see the turtles basking out on the beach would be the morning timeframe around 8-10am

Be careful when trying to cross the highway, there are no walking areas and lights to the cross traffic

There are no facilities at this area so pack what you bring in.

Please note that these honu or sea turtles are endangered and protected by law. Keep at a distance around 10 feet and do not impede their path to the open ocean.

Laniakea beach is a natural place and turtle refuge, please do help to keep it clean, pick up after yourself along with any trash you find along the beach areas.

Other things to see in the area

There are any interesting attractions to visit and enjoy in the area around the North Shore, take a look at some of these places to visit and enjoy.

Waimea Bay

A short drive from Laniakea beach brings you towards Waimea Bay and beach park, one of the most popular beach areas to enjoy in the North Shore. You’ll enjoy the expansive crescent shaped beach for water adventures like swimming, snorkeling, fishing or even jumping from the iconic rock.

Winter time brings the big waves for visitors to check out the surfers all along the coastline and surfing competitions that are very popular to watch in this area.

Check out this post on visiting Waimea Bay and what to do here.

Waimea Falls and botanical Gardens

Directly across the road is Waimea Falls and botanical gardens which takes you on a journey through ancient mock villages, gorgeous botanical gardens and garden rooms and at the end of a nice and easy hike is Waimea Falls.

This Family friendly visit to the area is worth the time and effort to get here and there is also a fun local luau experience called Toa Luau that is a must if you are looking for a more authentic experience here on the North Shore.

Check out this visit to Waimea Falls experience

Visit Hale’iwa town

The once sleepy western town of Hale’iwa has turned more hip and trendy with surf shops, cool food truck venues, art galleries and fun hang out spots to explore around town. If you’re into more outdoor fun, there’s kayaking on the river, swimming and surfing nearby and exploring some of the cool beach spots around the North Shore area.

Check out this post on visiting Hale’iwa town here for more information and photos of the area.

Other topics and places to visit

Visit the North Shore of Oahu and places to explore

Explore and hike Waimea Valley

Bonzai Pipeline at Ehukai Beach park

Free or cheap things to do in Oahu

A Diamond Head Hike in Honolulu

Family friendly beaches in Oahu

Enjoyed the post – pin it for later

Conclusion on Laniakea Beach – Turtle Beach

In conclusion, Laniakea Beach, famously referred to as Turtle Beach, offers a captivating haven where visitors can experience magical encounters with magnificent sea turtles. This pristine stretch of shoreline serves as a sanctuary for these graceful creatures, providing a unique opportunity to witness their beauty up close. Whether you observe them basking in the sun or gracefully gliding through the turquoise waters, Laniakea Beach offers an unforgettable experience for nature enthusiasts and animal lovers alike. So, embrace the tranquility of this remarkable beach and cherish the memories of your encounters with these majestic sea turtles at Laniakea Beach, a true gem on the Hawaiian coast.

Enjoyed your visit here or any other tips to share? Please share on the comments below.

Thanks for checking out this post on visiting Laniakea Beach – Turtle Beach.  Hope the post was informative and a must read article – if so please do share it with any of the social media buttons around the page.

Disclosure – some of the links above are to affiliate sites that are either reviews or recommendations if you book helps to keep our site running. We appreciate your supporting our website meanwhile.

Mahalo for visiting!