Kuilima Cove
Kahuku, HI
Kuilima Cove sits right in front of Turtle Bay Resort, a small, reef sheltered pocket that stays far calmer than the wild, wide open surf breaks the resort is named for just around the point. Hotel guests share the sand with locals who come specifically because it's one of the only reliably safe swimming spots on this exposed stretch of North Shore.
A genuinely safe, sheltered pocket on an otherwise exposed coastline, but it's small and shares parking with a busy resort.
How we score beachesThis cove is the calm exception on an otherwise rough stretch of coast, worth seeking out if the open beaches nearby look too rough to get in.
Public parking is available near the resort, though it's limited and shared with hotel guests.
A paved path leads from the parking area to the cove, flat and easy.
Calm nearly year round thanks to the reef, even when winter surf pounds the open coast just past the point.
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