Fifty miles of white sand beaches surround Kauai. Unless you're fortunate to have the time to visit them all, it helps to consider your interests when making the difficult decision of which Kauai beaches to visit. The island's beaches are idyllic for walking, sailing, surfing, sunbathing, fishing, picnicking, hiking, snorkeling, people-watching, swimming or snoozing -- and as you will quickly discover, the list continues!
Kauai Beaches with Lifeguards
While the many Kauai beaches offer their own distinct advantages, it is important to adhere to beach safety guidelines whenever you go to the beach. Kauai's central Pacific location provides some of the largest waves on the planet. Breaking waves on Kauai beaches warrant extra caution even for the most experienced swimmers. The beaches with lifeguards on duty are
- Hanalei Beach Park
- Waioli
- Anahola
- Wailua
- Lydgate
- Poipu
- Salt Pond
- and Kekaha
Photo credit: HTJ
A great advantage to Kauai's beaches is that all of them are public; some hotels may have private areas that include some beach facilities for guests, but as long as you walk along the public access walkways, you are free to explore all of these special beaches.
Some of the fun choices you'll need to ask yourself are whether you want transparent or sapphire waters, rocky reefs or quiet sands, foamy waves or patient seas; regardless, you'll bask in glorious sunshine, fresh air, nearby mountain cliffs in some areas, and happy times. Please visit The Kauai Beach Explorer Project for current surf conditions and important beach and ocean safety information.
Snorkeling Kauai Beaches
Snorkeling is often the highlight of many people's vacation -- and Kauai offers a wide range of locations, from beginner to expert. The reefs off Kee Beach and Haena Beach Park make for great shoreline snorkeling. Tunnels Beach in Haena has a wide reef area with a lot of variety. Check ocean conditions prior to your drive there -- you don't want to go if the surf is up or if there's a strong current.
Anini Beach is perfect for beginners, with a safe, shallow area for snorkeling. Poipu Beach Park has some good snorkeling to the right side of Nukumoi Point, the tombolo area (narrow strip of sand dividing the ocean). Salt Pond Beach Park, near Hanapepe, has good snorkeling with bountiful marine life in a protected cove.