The prevailing trade winds blow from the northeast at 5-15 miles per hour about 300 days out of the year, Therefore, the northeast sides of all the islands are referred to as the Windward Side. The best spot to view Windward Oahu is from the Nuuanu Pali Lookout off route #61, far better known locally as the Pali Hwy. Story has it when King Kamehameha the Great conquered Oahu in 1795, he pursued the last remaining defenders to the lookout where they either jumped to their death or were pushed off the cliffs in one of the final battles fought to consolidate his power. The estimated number of casualties varies considerably from a few hundred to thousands with some historians believing a battle never really occurred there.
The peninsula that juts out is Kaneohe Marine Corps Base Hawaii with Kaneohe to the left and Kailua to the right, both bedroom communities for Honolulu. With populations of more than 35,000 each, these two towns together make the second most densely populated area on Oahu.
There are several ways to get to Windward Oahu including H-3, completed in 1997, that was designed to connect the Marine Base to the Pearl Harbor area. Our real estate office is located in Kailua, very close to H-3. This enables us to reach many areas of Leeward Oahu in less time than it would take to drive to some of the Windward Oahu areas.
Both the Pali Highway and H-3 have tunnels that provide spectacular panoramic views of Windward Oahu after you pass through them,,. The following comments are by HONOLULU magazine editor John Heckathorn describing his mindset after passing through the Pali Hwy tunnel.
It's like a flower opening inside you.
Still at the wheel of your car, you feel as if you'd kicked off your shoes and had a drink.
There's a point when you look up and framed in golden light at the eye of the tunnel is Flat Island. I have to force myself to pay attention to the road..
Two of the finest beaches in the world are found in Windward Oahu, Lanikai Beach and Kailua Beach. In the 1990's, each of these beaches was selected as "America's Best Beach" by coastal expert Dr. Stephen Leatherman (Dr. Beach). Leatherman is a college professor from Florida who provides an annual ranking of the nation's best beaches. Once selected as the best beach, that beach is then retired from subsequent consideration.
Homes exist in Windward Oahu in all sizes, shapes and price ranges. For additional information select Kailua, Lanikai or Kaneohe from the links at the bottom of the page. If you're searching for properties, select Home Search from the top of the page. Then, select Conduct Your Own Search and click on the applicable area of the map. Each area is broken down into a number of neighborhoods; if you're not familiar with where these neighborhoods are located, we suggest you leave the neighborhoods blank, so you can search all of the area; e.g., all of Kailua.
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