The town of Kaneohe is located on Oahu’s eastern (windward) coast along Kaneohe Bay. Kaneohe is one of the region’s two major residential communities along with Kailua to the east.
The commercial center of Kaneohe is located mostly along Kamehameha Hwy. and along Kaneohe Bay Drive. Across the south end of the bay is Marine Corps Base Hawaii.
Kaneohe’s three golf courses include the privately owned Koolau Golf Club and Bayview Golf Park (both open to the public) as well as the public Pali Golf Course.
Kaneohe means “Bamboo man” and refers to an ancient legend about a woman who likened her husband’s mean character a sharp piece of cutting bamboo. In ancient times Kaneohe was an important agricultural area due to its ample rainfall.
Today most visitors to Kaneohe come to enjoy beautiful Kaneohe Bay which is popular for a variety of watersports including swimming, body boarding, surfing and kayaking.
Also in the Kaneohe area is the new Hawaii National Veterans Cemetery as well as the Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden with a 32-acre lake and walking trails.
Kaneohe is home to four elementary schools as well as Castle High School, several private schools and Windward Community College. Nearby is Hawaii Pacific University’s Windward Hawaii Loa campus.