Top Ten Kauai Hawaii Beaches

Here’s our list of the Top Ten Kauai Beaches.

1) Poipu Beach.  Inviting all year long, Poipu Beach is especially appealing in winter when most of the north shore beaches are too rough for swimming.  There’s usually a lifeguard on duty.  The snorkeling to the right of the little offshore islet is great.  And aspiring surfers can rent boards and take lessons here.  The adjacent Kiahuna Beach in front of the Sheraton Kauai and Kiahuna Plantation is another fun spot for swimmers and boogie boarders.

2) Ke’e Beach.  In summer, Ke’e is a great destination in its own right with a beautiful lagoon and fantastic snorkeling just outside the reef.  It’s also popular as the gateway to the Kalalau Trail.  If you’re staying in Princeville or Hanalei, come to Ke’e late in the day for  Kauai’s best sunsets.

3) Hanalei Beach.  This is actually four beaches, not one.  And the swimming here isn’t great. But with a backdrop of 4,000-ft. mountains and plunging waterfalls, Hanalei Bay is surely one of the most beautiful beaches in Hawaii.   A wide range of facilities and rentals make it easy to spend a full day here.

4) Tunnels.  Another great snorkeling spot, Tunnels has a wide, fringing reef that’s also popular with divers.  Despite its appeal, the lack of a convenient parking lot keeps it relatively uncrowded.

5) Anini Beach.  The three-mile long beach here has a shimmering lagoon on one side and verdant cliffs on the other.  An outer, fringing reef — the longest in Hawaii — keeps the water calm, and this is usually a great place to snorkel and dive.  Anini has all the requisite facilities so it‘s good spot for families.

6) Queen’s Bath.  Although not a beach in the conventional sense, the Queen’s Bath is a summertime must-do.  A natural swimming pool carved into a lava rock shelf, it’s only accessible on calm days.  The warm, crystal-clear water is usually shared by only a few fish and a few locals.

7) Polihale Beach.  This 15-mile stretch of white sand is as close to a desert island as most people will ever get.  Accessible only in summer, and by 4-wheel drive vehicle, Polihale actually consists of a series of beaches, ranging from Kakaha Beach Park to the Queen’s Pond.

8) Donkey Beach.  Named for the mules that were used to work the sugar plantations, Donkey Beach has good snorkeling, an uncrowded cove, and a parking lot that’s a ten-minute walk via paved path from the beach.

9) Secret Beach.  It’s not really a secret, but because it takes some effort — a 15-minute hike — to reach, it’s usually not crowded.  With its small waterfall and broad expanse of golden sand, this is one of the most beautiful Kauai beaches.  When you reach the beach, if you go left instead of right, you can take a dip in some hidden lava pools.

10) Sea Lodge Beach.  A 15-minute hike from the nearest parking, this beach outside Princeville is set into a cliff.  It’s only safe when the sea is calm, and on those days, it’s a secluded slice of heaven.

Find the top beaches on Kauai’s South Shore.