The beautiful and secluded Papa'a Bay lies just north of Anahola. This is probably the least frequented beach in the area despite the wonderful setting and great swimming possibilities.
As seen in the photos below, the northern section of the beach has a reef protected area to swim and snorkel. The southern section of the bay is best avoided as it's prone to a strong current. This is where all the water flowing into the bay channels out, even on seemingly calm days.
Papa'a Bay doesn't see a lot of tourists because access isn't abvious. You can park at Aliomanu beach's parking lot. The following google map shows the parking area. From the parking lot, walk back up to the street (where the driveway to the home is), and then look for a path that goes toward the ocean. In the google map aerial photo you can see the hillside path in front of the home. The path will take you to Papa'a Bay. Some easy boulder hopping is required toward the end of the path.
In the 1998 adventure movie Six Days Seven Nights starring Harrison Ford and Anne Heche the beach scenes toward the end of the movie were filmed at Papa'a Bay. And in case you were wondering, the home on this beach sold for $29 million in 2009.
The hillside behind Papa'a Bay appears to be the site of a Hawaiian Heiau (temple)? We've been unable to find information about the site.