Haleiwa Town

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Description

Haleiwa town is where you go after a day watching the surf on the North Shore. Here you can browse galleries of surf paintings, try on tshirts at surf shops, and eat at casual restaurants. There is a nice development on the edge of the taro fields called North Shore Marketplace with plenty of parking, lots of outdoor seating at cafes, a coffee shop, and a store with good local books and souvenirs called Polynesian Treasures. Cholo's Homestyle Mexican is the best cafe choice there.
The rest of Haleiwa is hard to navigate because of the roadside parking and no sidewalks but it's still fun to walk around. There's a homemade icecream place called Spoon that has delicious creamy icecream and some tables outside. Kua Aina Burger is a North Shore tradition with mouthwatering burgers and Mahimahi sandwiches. Very fresh and delicious- sit outside and enjoy!
Haleiwa grew in the 1920s when Japanese sugar cane field workers held a strike and were subsequently evicted. To make a living they created stores in Haleiwa and these are the rustic woodfront and tin roof structures that you see along the road now. The Japanese store owners lived behind their stores. You can see some of the Japanese names as you walk around, e.g. Matsumoto Shave Ice.
At the northern end of Haleiwa town you will come to Rainbow Bridge, a narrow white bridge that heads over the Anahulu Stream. Here some Japanese made a living fishing out of Sampan boats. You will pass shimmering Lokoea Pond, an ancient Hawaiian farmed fishing pond that dates back to the 1650s! Queen Lilioukalani had her summer palace here. Past the pond you will find Jameson's By The Sea, a pricey restaurant with gorgeous ocean views and yummy food. Next you will come to Haleiwa Playground and Beach, a good spot if you're looking for a playground for your kids to let off some steam. A really gorgeous beach, Police Beach, is just north of Haleiwa- enjoy the tidepools, rock spires, and the campground set of the TV show "Lost".
If you head left on Haleiwa Rd instead of crossing Rainbow Bridge, you will come to Haleiwa Alii Beach, a perfect spot to learn to surf, and a pretty beach for a long stroll.

Photo Gallery

Northshore Marketplace has some nice old trees.	Breakers Cafe- looks cute but food and service were awful.	The grass shack outdoor area of Breakers Cafe. Taro fields in the background. Taro has replaced sugar as the main agricultural industry on the North Shore.
Tables and chairs at the North Shore Marketplace. Here you can grab a coffee and sip it outside.	North Shore Marketplace- a nice place to stroll around.	Historic woodfront stores in Haleiwa town.

Directions

Haleiwa Town is well marked as you head north toward the North Shore beaches or south from the beaches. Just follow the signs! It is located on a stretch of Kamehameha Hwy that is now bypassed by Joseph Leong Hwy. There are two entrances to Haleiwa that are impossible to miss!

Cholo's Homestyle Mexican Cafe, 66-250 Kamehameha Highway, Haleiwa, call (808) 637-3059.

This is an interactive map, you can zoom and move it.

Visitor Ratings

Overall Visitor Rating:

todd 07/30/2010 10:57	Hey, just came back from a 5 day stint at north shore. Got sunburnt. learned a lesson. beautiful place though. will come back.
Tyler 10/15/2009 13:35	North Shore is opposite of South Oahu in that the people are nicer, the beaches cleaner and it's not nearly as congested.