Kauai Beaches and Wailua
Wailua Beach is a long, golden sand beach at the mouth of the Wailua River on Kauai’s Coconut Coast. It is surrounded by the towns of Wailua and Kapaa to the north, Lydgate Beach Park to the south, Wailua River State Park inland, and Wailua Bay.
There is no protective reef to protect the beach against the open ocean and therefore the swells are always large. The water here is usually murky because of the river water flowing down the mountains. Also, the river and the ocean are always clashing, creating nasty rip tides, and strong currents. These two factors makes Wailua Beach poor for swimming or for novices.
Wailua River in itself offers many activities – water-skiing boats, kayak equipment, and hiking expeditions are offered by nearby rental services. Outrigger canoe races are also held here. At the rivers mouth are several historical sites including Hawaiian heiau (temples) and petroglyphs carved by early Hawaiians.
If you have children and want to swim in more protected waters then Lydgate Beach Park is for you. Here there are two enclosed ponds that allow for fresh ocean water to enter, along with fish, yet protect swimmers in the pond from the ocean’s force. There are also bathrooms, picnic areas, playgrounds, lifeguards, and grassy areas. These extras are incredibly appealing to families with small children.
Not good for swimming
Surfing
Bodyboarding
Kayaking
Hiking expeditions
Fishing
Historical sites
Directions: Wailua Beach is across the street from the intersection of Highway 560 (Kuhio Highway) and Highway 580 (Kuamoo Road).
Please remember: When in doubt, don’t go out.
Check our Kauai Surf Report.
Kauai Beaches and Kekaha
Kekaha Beach is a beautiful, long sandy beach located on the West Side of Kauai near the town of Kekaha. It is the longest continuous beach on Kauai spanning 15 miles of gorgeous golden sand. Kekaha Beach is great for surfing, bodyboarding, sunbathing, walking, and watching sunsets, but swimming is advised only when the ocean is calm.
This is one of the best places for beachcombing, a sunset walk, or for solitude. The beach also provides a view of Niihau (and its offshore islet Lehua) across the Kaulakahi Channel. The sunsets from Kekaha Beach Park are spectacular, and the beach itself is beautiful. However, the entire beach is exposed to open ocean which produces strong waves, strong rip currents, and nasty shorebreaks, making the beach unsafe for swimming most of the time. Anyone entering the water stands an excellent chance of being dragged along the beach through the surf for several hundred yards in a matter of minutes.
For many years shoreline erosion was a major problem, and more than 16 acres of sand beach were lost and the coastal highway was damaged. In 1980, the Army Corps of Engineers took corrective action constructing a seawall to protect the highway. Kekaha Beach Park with facilities is located on Kaumuali’i Highway across the road from the beach. The majority of those who frequent the beach are surfers and bodyboarders, who have a wide choice of surfing spots with local names like Rifle Range, Targets, First Ditch, Second Ditch, Whispering Sands, Davidson, and Inters.
Long, sandy beach
Little shade
Exposed to open ocean
Swimming (only when water is calm)
Surfing and bodyboarding
Showers
Restrooms
Lifeguards
Fishing
Directions: Travel West past Waimea on Highway 50 to Kekaha. Kekaha Beach Park is between mile marker 26 and 27.
Please remember: When in doubt, don’t go out.
Check our Kauai Surf Report.
Kauai Beaches and Glass Beach
Like collecting shells or stones, combing shorelines for sea glass is a hobby many beachcombers enjoy. Sea glass is glass found on beaches that has been tumbled and smoothed by the waves, water, and sand, creating smooth, frosted pebbles of glass. Many beach-goers either simply collect the glass, or craft it into jewelry or other decorative pieces.
Sea glass is found in unusual numbers on a beach at Port Allen on Kauai. Because of the unusual abundance of glass, the beach has been appropriately named Glass Beach. The small beach is covered with millions of small, shiny pieces of dark green, kelly green, turquoise, teal, and sea foam, cobalt blue, cornflower blue, light blue, and aqua, brown, red orange, and yellow. Visit these earlier posts for more on sea glass history and sea glass colors.
Beach-combing
Sea glass collecting
Not good for swimming
Not picturesque
Directions: Driving south on Hwy 50 to Eleele take a left on Waialo Rd to Port Allen. At the end of the industrial buildings on the left, take a left on Aka’ula. The road goes past gas tanks and turns to dirt and shortly leads to the beach.
Kauai Beaches and Kalapaki
Kalapaki Beach is a wide, golden sand beach on Kauai located at the entrance of Nawiwili Harbor. It fronts the Kauai Marriott Resort and Beach Club and is surrounded by the Kauai Lagoons championship golf course, the harbor, and the Hoary Head Mountains. The crescent-shaped sand beach slopes gently outward and is protected, making it very popular with locals and visitors.
Kalapaki Beach offers a great environment for boogie boarding, surfing, swimming, sailing, and beach volleyball. Because of its protection it rarely gets high surf, rip currents or undertows to threaten your safety. As a result, the beach is a good spot for surf lessons, as well as a place to rent kayaks, and catamarans and sailboats. There are also a number of restaurants with different cuisine, and shops to scout and local artisans whose work depicts traditional Hawaiian culture. Across from the beach are the Hoary Head Mountains with the highest pinnacle, Ha’upu Peak, more then 2,000 feet above the ocean. The base of the mountains appeared in the film Indiana Jones.
Swimming
Surfing
Bodyboarding
Sailing
Volleyball
Picnic areas
Sailboat, kayak, catamaran rentals
Shops and restaurants
Please remember: When in doubt, don’t go out.
Check our Kauai Surf Report.
Kauai Beaches and Tunnels
Tunnels Beach is a long sandy beach and an excellent snorkeling spot on the North Shore of Kauai. The beach has 2-miles of golden sand, fringed with ironwood trees, tropical palms, and mountains creating a spectacular backdrop. Tunnels also offers excellent snorkeling during the summer months when the ocean is calm.
Tunnels Beach, also known as Makua Beach, is unique for having an inner and an outer reef. About an eighth of a mile offshore is a half-moon shaped reef. This inner reef is usually where families with kids and novice snorkelers spend their time, while advanced divers and snorkelers explore the outer reef, which has more lava tubes, arches, and coral formations.
The outer reef is the most interesting. In some places it has a steep drop-off of about 50-70 feet with an abundance of sea life, including parrot fish, cornet fish, rockmover wrasses, pearl wrasses, and sometimes even reef sharks. But, the outer reef often experiences strong currents, even when the ocean appears to be calm, and only experienced divers should swim here.
Snorkeling and diving
No lifeguards
No facilities
Swimming
Surfing
Kitesurfing
Directions: Traveling north on Highway 560 go 1 mile past the Hanalei Colony Resort. A little past Mile Marker 8, take a right on one of two small dirt roads. Park along the road where it is marked. You can also park at Haena Beach Park where there are facilities.
Please remember: When in doubt, don’t go out.
Check our Kauai Surf Report.
Kauai Beaches and Kalihiwai
Kalihiwai Beach is a wide, golden sand beach located near the town of Kilauea on the North Shore of Kauai. During the summer months, the ocean is usually calm and good for swimming. During the winter the waves become big, and make this spot popular with surfers. Even if the surf is too rough, Kalihiwai is a lovely beach for walking or running, with firm sand and magnificent views of the cliffs.
You’ll catch your first glimpse of Kalihiwai Bay as you drive down the narrow road carved into the side of the sheer cliff which encloses it on one side. The bay is a perfect semi-circle of blue, rimmed with golden sand enclosed by lava cliffs on each side. Shady Ironwoods trees make this beach comfortable for picnicing and relaxing.
A freshwater stream flows into the bay near the far end where shallow water allows children to splash around safely. If the water is brown after a heavy rainfall it should be avoided. You can explore upriver by kayak to waterfalls.
Good family beach
Swimming
Bodyboarding
Surfing
Kayaking
Fishing
Shade
No facilities
No lifeguards
Directions: Driving north on Highway 56, about .5 mile past Kilauea, take a right on Kalihiwai Road. Kalihiwai Beach is approximately 1 mile away.
Please remember: When in doubt, don’t go out.
Check our Kauai Surf Report.
