Honolulu, HI

The next really cool, out of the way place I’d like to tell folks about is one of our favorite beaches on the planet. It’s known to the locals as Eternity Beach. Some of my friends will probably want to kick me for telling the world about it, so let’s hope it remains a secret!

Eternity Beach is located on the Windward side of Oahu, exactly 1.4 miles from the turnoff into Hanauma Bay parking lot. So, just mapquest Hanauma bay, and approach it from the Honolulu side. Set your trip odometer to zero when you see the Hanauma Bay parking lot, drive 1.4 miles, and look for a place to park safely on the side of the road. The beach is right next to the famous Blowhole monument, down a couple hundred feet. However, as I write this article, the Blowhole access parking lot is closed for six months for repairs. As the locals would say, bummers! Well, maybe not – perhaps it will keep more people away

After you park on the side of the road, walk into the Blowhole parking lot on the west-ish side, looking back toward Hanauma Bay. You’ll see a pseudo trail going down over the rocks, and down below is the magnificent beach we call Eternity. You can walk down the trail in slippers (flip flops), and it’s not as steep as it looks. Just take your time and you’ll be fine.

The water is usually very warm, and we’ve often seen giant sea turtles floating in the surf! You can jump off the rocks into the water, and there are just enough waves to make it fun to float around. The snorkeling is fantastic, and there’s sand on the bottom between the rocks. As with any beach in Hawaii, be careful and aware of rip tides and currents. There are no lifeguards, so keep an eye on the little ones as well as yourself!

You may see scuba divers going in and coming out, and there are tourists up at the Blowhole lookout, often gawking down and taking pictures. I love to ham it up on the rocks and act like an Olympic diver. Sometimes the tourists rate me, on a scale of 1 to 10, after one of my cheesy dives. But, you don’t have to be a diver or an excellent swimmer to have fun at Eternity Beach.

There are no rest room facilities (other than the ocean, hee hee!), and nothing for sale anywhere near Eternity Beach. You won’t be able to get a wheelchair or stroller down the rocks unless you carry them separately. Kids can walk down as easily as adults, and you could carry a baby down, no problem.

Bring all your beach stuff, snorkel gear, a big picnic, and lots to drink, because you will fall in love with the place, and you will not want to leave any time soon. Sometimes people even drag their grills down and make an entire day of it. It’s shielded really well from the wind since there are rocks on all sides, but the sun shines straight in all morning long, and most of the afternoon. It is also an awesome place to have a romantic, night-time beach fire (hint, hint!). Make sure you bring a flashlight if you go at night.

And, once again, if you’re a fan of the ABC series Lost, you’ll recognize scenes shot taken at this magnificent place. Have fun, and I hope you enjoy Eternity Beach!