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Roundup of Kauai Beaches
Kauai has more sandy beaches per mile of coastline than any other Hawaiian island, and if you've seen one, you certainly haven't seen them all. Each beach is unique unto itself, for that day, that hour. Conditions, scenery, and intrigue can change throughout the day and certainly throughout the year, transforming, say, a tranquil lakelike ocean setting in summer into monstrous waves drawing internationally ranked surfers from around the world in winter.
Kauai is encircled by a variety of beaches. There are sandy beaches, rocky beaches, wide beaches, narrow beaches, skinny beaches, and alcoves. Generally speaking, surf kicks up on the North Shore in winter and the South Shore in summer, although summer's southern swells aren't nearly as frequent or big as the northern winter swells.
All beaches are public, but their accessibility varies greatly. Some require an easy half-mile stroll, some require a four-wheel-drive vehicle, others require boulder-hopping, and one takes an entire day of serious hiking. And then there are those "drive-in" beaches onto which you can literally pull up and park your car. Kauai is not Disneyland, so don't expect much signage to help you along the way. One of the top-ranked beaches in all the world -- Hanalei -- doesn't have a single sign in town directing you to the beach.
We've divided the island's best beaches into four sections in clockwise order: the North Shore, the East Side, the South Shore, and the West Side. We'll take you from the road's end on the North Shore to the road's end on the West Side, and a bit beyond. If you think of the island as a clock, the North Shore beaches start at about 11; the East Side beaches start around 2, the South Side beaches at 5, and the West Side beaches around 7.
The North Shore. If you've ever dreamed of Hawaii, you've dreamed of Kauai's North Shore. Lush, tropical, abundant are just a few words to describe this rugged and dramatic area. And the views to the sea aren't the only attraction -- the inland views of velvety green valley folds and carved mountain peaks will take your breath away. Rain is the reason for all the greenery on the North Shore and winter is the rainy season. Not to worry though, it rarely rains everywhere on the island at one time. The rule of thumb is to head south or west when it rains in the north.
The waves on the North Shore can be big -- and we mean huge -- in winter, drawing crowds to witness nature's spectacle. By contrast, in summer the waters can be completely serene. The beaches below are listed in order -- west to east -- from Hanakapiai to Kalihi Wai. Remember to gear up before you head to the beach. Try one-stop shopping at Ching Young Village in Hanalei, which has several stores that will fill your trunk with goodies such as snorkel gear, surf and body boards, beach chairs, umbrellas, snacks, coolers, and more.
Kee Beach. Highway 560 on the North Shore literally dead ends at this beach, which is also the trailhead for the famous Kalalau Trail and the site of an ancient heiau (a stone platform used as a place of worship) dedicated to hula. The beach is protected by an offshore reef -- except during high surf -- creating a small, sandy bottom lagoon and making it a popular snorkel destination. If there's a current, it's usually found on the western edge of the beach as the incoming tide ebbs back out to sea. Makana (a prominent peak also known as Bali Hai after the blockbuster musical South Pacific) is so artfully arranged, you definitely want to capture the memory, so don't forget your camera. The popularity of this beach makes parking difficult; but, it's worth the struggle. Start extra early or, better yet, arrive at the end of the day, in time to witness otherworldly sunsets sidelighting Na Pali Coast. End of Rte. 560, 7 mi west of Hanalei. Toilets, showers, parking lot.
Haena Beach Park. This is a drive-up beach park popular with campers year-round. The wide bay here -- named Makua and commonly known as Tunnels -- is bordered by two large reef systems creating quite favorable waves for surfing during peak winter conditions. In July and August this same beach is usually transformed into lakelike conditions and snorkelers enjoy the variety of fish life found in a hook-shape reef made up of underwater lava tubes, on the east end of the bay. During the summer months only, this is the premier snorkel site on Kauai. It's not unusual to find a couple food vendors parked here selling sandwiches and drinks out of their converted bread vans. Near end of Rte. 560, across from lava tube sea caves, after stream crossing. Lifeguard, toilets, showers, food concession, picnic tables, grills/firepits, parking lot, camping.
Lumahai Beach. Famous because it's the beach where Nurse Nellie washed that man out of her hair in South Pacific, Lumahai Beach's setting is all you've ever dreamed Hawai'i to be. That's the drawing card and if you're adventurous and safety-conscious, a visit here is definitely worth it. The challenges are, it's hard to find, there's little parking, and there's a steep hike in; too many people misjudge the waves, even those never intending to step foot in the water. There's a year-round surge of onshore waves, massive sand movements (especially around the river mouth), and a steep foreshore assaulted by strong currents. Like the mythical creature from the deep, rogue waves have actually washed up on lava rock outcroppings and pulled sightseers out to sea. Lumahai Beach has the second-highest drowning rate on Kauai, behind Hanakapiai. Our advice: look from the safety of the scenic overlook or walk on dry sand only; play in the water at another beach. On winding section of Rte. 560 west of Hanalei, east of mile marker 5. Park on makai side of road and walk down steep path to beach. No facilities.
Hanalei Bay Beach Park. This 2-mi, crescent-shape beach surrounds a spacious bay that is quintessential Hawaii. After gazing out to sea and realizing you have truly arrived in paradise, look landward. The site of the mountains, ribboned with waterfalls, will take your breath away. In winter Hanalei Bay boasts some of the biggest onshore surf breaks in the state, attracting world-class surfers. Luckily, the beach is wide enough to have safe real estate for your beach towel even in winter. In summer the bay is transformed -- calm waters lap the beach, sailboats moor in the bay, and outrigger canoe paddlers ply the sea. Pack the cooler, haul out the beach umbrellas, and don't forget the beach toys, Hanalei Bay is definitely worth scheduling for an entire day, maybe two. In Hanalei, turn makai at Aku Rd. and drive 1 block to Weli Weli Rd. Parking areas are on makai side of Weli Weli Rd.Lifeguard, toilets, showers, picnic tables, grills/firepits, parking lot, camping.
Anini Beach Park. A great family park, Anini is unique in that it features one of the longest and widest fringing reefs in all Hawai'i creating a shallow lagoon that is good for snorkeling and quite safe in all but the highest of winter surf. The reef follows the shoreline for some 2 mi and extends 1,600 feet offshore at its widest point. During times of low tide -- usually occurring around the full moon of the summer months -- much of the reef is exposed. Anini is unarguably the windsurfing mecca on Kauai, even for beginners, and it's also attracting the newest athletes of wave riding: kiteboarders. On Sunday afternoons in summer, polo matches in the fields behind the beach park draw a sizeable crowd. Try the "Sara Special" at the lone food vendor here -- Anini Beach Lunch Shak, which is really a lunch wagon. Turn makai off Rte. 56 onto Kalihi Wai Rd., on Hanalei side of Kalihi Wai Bridge; follow road left to reach Anini Rd. and beach. Toilets, showers, food concession, picnic tables, grills/firepits, parking lot, camping.
Kalihiwai Beach. A winding road leads down a cliff face to this picture-perfect beach. A jewel of the North Shore, Kalihiwai Beach is on par with Hanalei, just without the waterfall-ribbon backdrop. It's another one of those drive-up beaches, so it's very accessible. Most people park on the sand under the grove of ironwood trees. Families set up camp for the day at the west end of the beach, near the stream, where young kids like to splash and older kids like to boogie board. This is also a good spot to disembark for a kayaking adventure up the stream. It's not a long paddle but it is calm, so it's perfect for beginning paddlers. (Haul in your own; there's none for rent on the beach.) On the eastern edge of the beach, from which the road descends, there's a locals' favorite surf spot during winter's high surf. The onshore break can be dangerous during this time. During the calmer months of summer, Kalihi Wai Beach is a good choice for beginning board riders and swimmers. Turn makai off Rte. 56 onto Kalihi Wai Rd., on Kilauea side of Kalihi Wai Bridge. Toilets, parking lot.
The East Side. The East Side of the island is considered the windward side, a term you'll often hear in weather forecasts. It simply means the side of the island receiving onshore winds. The wind helps break down rock into sand, so there are plenty of beaches here. Unfortunately, only a few of those beaches are protected, so many are not ideal for beginning oceangoers, though they are perfect for long sunrise ambles. On super-windy days, kiteboarders sail along the east shore, sometimes jumping waves and performing acrobatic maneuvers in the air.
The beaches below are listed in order from Kealia in the north to Kalapaki in the south. Fill your cooler with sandwiches and drinks at Safeway or Foodland in Kapa'a before you hit the sand. Snorkel and other beach gear is available at Seasport Divers, Snorkel Bob's, and Play Dirty, among others.
Kealia Beach. A half-mile long and adjacent to the highway heading north out of Kapaa, Kealia Beach attracts body boarders and surfers year-round (possibly because the local high school is just up the hill). Kealia is not generally a great beach for swimming or snorkeling, the waters are usually rough and the waves crumbly due to an onshore break (no protecting reef) and northeasterly trade winds. A scenic lookout on the southern end, accessed off the highway, is a superb location for saluting the morning sunrise or spotting whales during winter. A level dirt road follows the coastline north and is one of the most scenic coastal trails on the island for walking, running, and biking. The toilets here are the portable kind, located by the lifeguard stand. At mile marker 10 on Rte. 56. Lifeguard, toilets, parking lot.
Lydgate State Park. This is hands-down the best family beach park on Kauai. The waters off the beach are protected by a hand-built breakwater creating two boulder-enclosed saltwater pools for safe swimming and snorkeling just about year-round. The smaller of the two is perfect for keiki (children). Behind the beach is Kamalani Playground -- designed by the children of Kauai and built by the community. Children of all ages, that includes you, enjoy the swings, lava-tube slides, tree house, and more. Picnic tables abound in the park and a large covered pavilion is available by permit for celebrations. Recently, Kamalani Bridge was built, again by the community and again based on the children's design, as a second playground south of the original. (The two are united by a walking path that will some day go all the way to Anahola Beach Park.) A second, smaller pavilion is the newest addition to the park -- built near the bridge -- and is surrounded by campsites, perfect for group outings. This park is perennially popular; the quietest times to visit are early mornings and weekdays. Just south of Wailua River, turn makai off Rte. 56 onto Lehu Dr. and left onto Nalu Rd.Lifeguard, toilets, showers, picnic tables, grills/firepits, playground, parking lot, camping.
Kalapaki Beach. Five minutes south of the airport in Lihu'e, you'll find this wide, sandy-bottom beach fronting the Kauai Marriott. One of the big attractions is that this beach is almost always safe from rip currents and undertow because it's situated around the back side of a peninsula, in its own cove. There are tons of activities here, including all the usual water sports -- beginning and intermediate surfing, body boarding, bodysurfing, and swimming -- plus, there are two outrigger canoe clubs paddling in the bay and the Nawiliwili Yacht Club's boats sailing around the harbor. Kalapaki is the only place on Kaua'i where sailboats -- in this case Hobe Cats -- are available for rent (at Kauai Beach Boys, which fronts the beach next to Duke's Canoe Club restaurant). Visitors can also rent snorkel gear, surfboards, body boards, and kayaks. A volleyball court on the beach is often used by a loosely organized group of local players; visitors are always welcome. Duke's Canoe Club restaurant is one of only a couple restaurants on the island actually located on a beach; the restaurant's lower level is casual, even welcoming beach attire and sandy feet, perfect for lunch or an afternoon cocktail. Off Wapa'a Rd., which runs from Lihu'e to Nawiliwili. Toilets, food concession, picnic tables, grills/firepits, playground, parking lot.
The South Shore. The South Shore's primary access road is Highway 520, a tree-lined, two-lane, windy road. As you drive along it, there's a sense of tunneling down a rabbit hole into another world, à la Alice. And the South Shore is certainly a wonderland. On average, it only rains 30 inches per year, so if you're looking for fun in the sun, this is a good place to start. The beaches with their powdery-fine sand are consistently good year-round, except during high surf, which, if it hits at all, will be in summer. If you want solitude, this isn't it; if you want excitement -- well, as much excitement as quiet Kaua'i offers -- this is the place for you.
The beaches below are listed in order from Mahaulepu west to Po'ipu Beach Park. The best places to gear up for the beach are Nukumoi Surf Co. across from Po'ipu Beach, and Seasport Divers at the junction to Spouting Horn on Poipu Road.
Mahaulepu Beach. This 2-mi stretch of coast with its sand dunes, limestone hills, sinkholes, and caves is unlike any other on Kaua'i. Remains of a large, ancient settlement, evidence of great battles, and the discovery of a now underwater petroglyph field indicate Hawaiians lived in this area as early as 700 AD. Maha'ulepu's coastline is unprotected and rocky, which makes venturing into the ocean hazardous. There are three beach areas with bits of sandy-bottom swimming; however, we think the best way to experience Maha'ulepu is simply by roaming, especially at sunrise. Continue on Poipu Rd. past Hyatt Regency (it turns into dirt road), to T-intersection and turn makai; road ends at beach parking area. Parking lot.
Brennecke Beach. Pending surf and tides, there's little beach here on the eastern end of Poipu Beach Park; however, Brennecke Beach is synonymous on the island with board and bodysurfing, thanks to its shallow sand bar and reliable shore break. Because the beach is small and often congested, surf boards are prohibited near shore. The water on the rocky, eastern edge of the beach is a good place to see the endangered green sea turtles noshing on plants growing on the rocks. Turn makai off Poipu Rd. onto Hoowili Rd., then left onto Hoone Rd.; beach is at intersection with Kuai Rd.Food concession, parking lot.
Poipu Beach Park. The most popular beach on the South Side, and perhaps on all of Kauai, is Poipu Beach Park. The snorkeling's good, the body boarding's good, the surfing's good, the swimming's good, and because the sun is almost always shining, that's good, too. The beach can be crowded at times, especially on weekends and holidays, but that just makes people-watching that much more fun. You'll see keiki (kids) experiencing the ocean for the first time; snorkelers trying to walk with their flippers on; ukulele players; birthday party revelers; young and old; visitors and locals. Even the endangered Hawaiian monk seal may make an appearance. From Poipu Rd., turn right on Ho'one Rd. Lifeguard, toilets, showers, food, picnic tables, grills/firepits, playground, parking lot.
The West Side. While Kauai's North Shore is characterized by the color green, the West Side's coloring is red. When you look closer, you'll see the red is dirt, which happens to have a high iron content. With little vegetation on the West Side, the red dirt is everywhere -- in the air, a thin layer on the car, even in the river. In fact, the only river on the West Side is named "Waimea" which means "reddish water." The West Side of the island receives hardly enough rainfall year-round to water a cactus, and because it's also the leeward side, there are hardly any tropical breezes. That translates to sunny and hot with long, languorous, and practically deserted beaches. You'd think the leeward waters -- untouched by wind -- would be calm; but there's no offshore reef system, so the waters are not as inviting as one would like. The best place to gear up for the beaches on the West Side is on the south or east shores. While there's some catering to visitors here, there's not much!
Salt Pond Beach Park. A great family spot, Salt Pond Beach Park features a naturally made, shallow swimming pond behind a curling finger of rock where keiki (children) splash and snorkel. This pool is generally safe except during a large south swell, which usually occurs in summer, if at all. The center and western edge of the beach are popular with body boarders and bodysurfers. On a cultural note, the flat stretch of land to the east of the beach is the last spot in Hawaii where ponds are utilized to harvest salt in the dry heat of summer. The beach park is popular with locals and can get crowded on weekends and holidays. From Rte. 50 in Hanapepe, turn makai onto Lele Rd., Rte. 543. Lifeguard, toilets, showers, picnic tables, grills/firepits, parking lot, camping.
Polihale State Park. The longest stretch of beach in Hawaii starts in Kekaha and ends about 15 mi away at the start of Na Pali Coast. Na Pali end of the beach is the 5-mi-long, 140-acre Polihale State Park. In addition to being long, this beach is 300 feet wide in places and backed by sand dunes 50 to 100 feet tall. Polihale is a remote beach accessed via a 5-mi haul cane road (4WD preferred, not required) at the end of Route 50 in Kekaha. Be sure to start the day with a full tank of gas and a cooler filled with food and drink. Many locals wheel their 4WD vehicles up and over the sand dunes right onto the beach; but don't try this in a rental car, you're sure to get stuck and found in violation of your rental car agreement.
On weekends and holidays Polihale is a popular locals' camping location, but even on busy days this beach is never crowded. On days of high surf, experts only surf the waves. In general, the water here is extremely rough and not recommended for recreation; however, there's one small fringing reef, called Queen's Pond, where swimming is usually safe. Neighboring Polihale Beach is the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF), operated by the U.S. Navy. Since September 11, 2001, access to the beaches fronting PMRF is restricted. Drive to end of Rte. 50 and continue on dirt road; several access points along the way. Toilets, showers, picnic tables, grills/firepits, parking lot, camping.