Kauai beaches,
by region.

Browse the shoreline descriptions, or choose “With photos” to see which beaches the resident photographed.

Explore the beach map →

120 results

East Side

Ahukini First Beach

At this small stretch of shore, aircraft are part of the experience.

Ahukini Second Beach

The original view of Ahukini Second Beach catches waves breaking among dark rocks in low sunlight.

Waves and rocks along the coast in low sunlight.

Aliomanu Beach

Aliomanu has coarse sand, a flat reef, and small patches of shade under naupaka.

Sand curves beneath a green hillside at the far side of the bay.

Anahola Beach Park

Trees shade the edge of Anahola Bay, with a green mountain ridge across the water.

Shadows fall across the sand, with the water to the right and pointed green peaks beyond the far shore.

Anahola Point

Dark rocks run from the sand into the water at Anahola Point.

Dark rocks run from the sand into the pale blue water.

Anahola River Mouth

At the mouth of the Anahola River, the sand borders freshwater on one side and the bay on the other.

A sandy bank borders the river, with trees on the opposite side.

Anapalau

Anapalau Point is one of the headlands north of Kealia.

Coconut Beach

At Coconut Beach, low plants edge the sand and driftwood rests along the high-water line.

A sandy beach with low plants and buildings beyond.

Donkey Beach (Kealia Kai)

At Donkey Beach, a hillside rises behind the bay and black rocks interrupt the white sand.

White water runs between black rocks at the edge of the beach.

Fuji Beach

The reef runs parallel to the sand at Fuji Beach.

A low reef runs parallel to the sandy shore.

Hanamāʻulu Beach Park

The view across Hanamāʻulu Bay takes in palm trees and a low ridge.

Water in the bay with palms and hills on the far shore.

Hauola Shoreline

Driftwood collects on the sand south of the Wailua River.

A long piece of driftwood lies beside the tracks in the sand.

Ka Lauau

The resident called this fishing stretch Ka Lauau.

Kaha Lani Beach

A log on the sand and rocks at the water’s edge mark the shore at Kaha Lani.

A driftwood log lies across the sand near the rocks.

Kalapaki Beach

Palms and hotel buildings follow the curve of the sand at Kalapaki.

A view across the bay toward a hotel and palm trees.

Kamalani Kai

The long sand beach and wooden play structures give Kamalani Kai two quite different views.

A sandy shoreline with plants along the edge.

Kapaʻa Beach Park

The playing fields and the shore share this part of Kapaʻa.

A sandy cove curves toward a dense stand of trees.

Kapaʻa Boat Harbor

Colorful sails over the water were the resident’s lasting image of Kapaʻa Boat Harbor.

Kapaʻa Flats

A narrow strip of sand runs beside a shallow reef at Kapaʻa Flats.

Kauai Beach Boy Shoreline

Rock ledges meet a ribbon of sand along the Kauai Beach Boy shoreline.

Sand and rock ledges along the shoreline.

Kealia Beach

A long sweep of sand beside the coastal path north of Kapaʻa.

A tall palm rises above the curving beach, with lines of surf rolling toward the sand.

Kuaehu Point

Pale sand gives way to dark rock at Kuaehu Point.

A thin strip of sand follows the water toward a green ridge.

Lae Nani Beach

Pools and dark rock break up the sandy edge at Lae Nani.

A low rock wall edges the water, with homes behind the sand.

Lae o Kailiu

The wind and the change from dense brush to open coast are what the resident remembers at Lae o Kailiu.

Lydgate Beach Park

Rock-walled ponds, Kamalani Playground, and a paved path along the coast.

A dark rock wall curves around the pond, with sand in the foreground and breakers beyond.

Marine Camp Shoreline

Soft sand and low coastal plants mark the Marine Camp shoreline.

A sandy beach with low plants and a cloudy sky.

Moloaʻa Bay

A curve of sand wraps around Moloaʻa Bay.

Foam reaches dark rocks below a wooded hillside.

Ninini Point

A rocky cove sits below a palm-covered bluff at Ninini Point.

A rocky cove with palms on the bluff above.

Nukoliʻi Beach

Driftwood and trees line the sand at Nukoliʻi.

Driftwood on a sandy beach below a faint rainbow.

Opana Point

South of Anahola Bay, Opana Point sticks out from a shore that bends back toward Papaloa.

Opoi Shoreline

From the slope above Opoi, the resident photographed low sunlight across the ocean and waves at the base of the bluff.

Sunlight on the ocean below a steep coastal slope.

Papaʻa Bay

Dark rocks frame the near side of Papaʻa Bay.

Turquoise water fills the bay between black rocks and a wooded hillside.

Papaloa at Kapaʻa Sands

The resident used to start his morning with a walk from Kapaʻa Sands.

Footprints follow a sandy shore beneath a cloudy sky.

Papaloa Coast

Papaloa is the small bend in the East Side shore between Opana Point and Lae Lipoa.

Pono Kai Shoreline

At Pono Kai, a grassy bank meets a narrow beach.

Running Waters

At Running Waters, a small sandy cove lies below a green bluff.

A small sandy cove with a rocky bluff and palm trees.

South Lydgate Beach

A strand of sand scattered with driftwood stretches south of the main park at Lydgate.

Pieces of driftwood line the long beach under a gray sky.

Waikaea

The resident remembers Waikaea as a small stretch of waterfront where people pulled up near the shore.

Wailua Beach (Horners)

The long sand beach at Wailua sits between Kūhiō Highway and the bay.

The hills above Wailua rise across the bay beyond the rocky foreground.

Wailua River Mouth

The Wailua River reaches the ocean between the wide beach at Wailua and the shore at Hauola.

Waipouli Beach

Waipouli’s sandy shoreline borders a shallow reef.

Small waves break along a palm-lined beach.

West Side

Barking Sands

Shells and dunes are the two details the resident picks out at Barking Sands.

First Ditch

First Ditch is one of two West Side spots the resident names for the ditches along this coast.

Glass Beach

At Glass Beach, the resident photographed a small reddish beach with industrial buildings beyond it.

Dark rocks edge a reddish beach below low trees.

Hanapēpē Bay

Black sand marks the shore at Hanapēpē Bay near Port Allen.

Hoanuanu Bay

Tall palms mark one end of the beach at Hoanuanu Bay.

Tall palms rise above the sand at the edge of the bay.

Honopū Beach

Honopū is one of the beaches along the Nāpali Coast with no legal kayak landing.

Kaumakani and Kaluapuhi

The resident describes two stretches of shore near Kaumakani.

Kekaha Beach Park

Sunset, wind, and shore break stand out in the resident’s account of Kekaha Beach Park.

Kīkīaola Harbor

At Kīkīaola, black sand meets a working boat harbor.

Kinikini Ditch Beach

At Kinikini, lines of white surf break beyond an open West Side beach.

A green net lies on the sand in front of three lines of surf.

Kokole Point

Soft sand and a wide sunset view are what the resident remembers at Kokole Point.

Kunakaiole

The resident remembers Kunakaiole as a hot, windy stretch on the way to Salt Pond.

Majors Bay (Waikapua Bay)

At Majors Bay, a long stretch of sand runs beside low dunes.

A wide beach with waves along the shore.

Makaweli Landing

Driftwood lies along the curved bay at Makaweli Landing.

A sandy shoreline with trees and a low building.

Miloliʻi Beach

Miloliʻi lies beyond Kalalau on the Nāpali Coast.

Nohili Point

The resident remembers Nohili Point as a West Side fishing place.

Nuʻalolo Kai

At Nuʻalolo Kai, the shore leads to the remains of a Hawaiian settlement.

Oomano Point (Davidsons)

The resident calls this West Side surf spot Davidsons.

Pāʻulaʻula at the Waimea River

The Waimea River reaches the ocean beside Pāʻulaʻula, a Hawaiian historic site.

White foam reaches the dark sand and stones beneath a low bluff.

Pakala Point (West Side)

The resident remembers surfers gathering at Pakala Point for the break over the shallow reef.

Polihale State Park

At Polihale, dunes back a long sweep of sand facing the high cliffs of the Nāpali Coast.

Poo Point

Rock and driftwood fill the foreground at Poo Point.

A rocky shoreline with driftwood and a sandy beach beyond.

Queen’s Pond at Polihale

Queen’s Pond, also called Poʻoahonu, is a named section of the sandy coast inside Polihale State Park.

Salt Pond Beach Park

Shallow reef and limestone edge the beach at Salt Pond.

Second Ditch

At Second Ditch, the resident remembers fishing in the wind and watching the sun set.

Waimea Bay (Kauai)

Dark sand, stones, and driftwood give this West Side bay a different look from the pale beaches around Poʻipū.

Dark sand and rocks with driftwood near the water.

Waimea Pier

The wooden rails of Waimea Pier lead out over the dark sand and water.

A view from the water toward the beach and buildings.

Waimea Plantation Cottages Shoreline

Shade and sunsets were the resident’s lasting impressions of the shore beside Waimea Plantation Cottages.

North Shore

Hāʻena Beach Park

Hāʻena Beach Park is a County park on the North Shore with a picnic pavilion and lifeguard service.

Palms cast long shadows across the lawn beside the sandy beach.

Hāʻena Point

The resident describes a windy stretch of coast east of Tunnels, with shallow reef near the point.

Hanakāpīʻai Beach

A stream reaches the sea below steep green slopes at Hanakāpīʻai.

Low branches frame the sand and pale water.

Hanalei Pavilion

The picnic pavilion gives this stretch of Hanalei Bay its name.

Hanalei Pier

The pier stands beside the river end of Hanalei Bay.

Hideaways Beach (Kenomene)

The resident names this Princeville beach Kenomene, or Hideaways.

Honu Point at ʻAnini

At Honu Point the tree branches are low enough to hang directly over the sand.

Low tree branches over sand at the edge of the water.

ʻAnini Beach Park

A long, tree-lined beach with a coral reef offshore and a grassy campground behind the sand.

A broad sweep of sand curves toward a point covered in trees. Two people stand near the water.

ʻAnini Road Shoreline

The resident distinguished the shore at the end of ʻAnini Road from the campground.

Ka Lae o Kowali

The resident places Ka Lae o Kowali on the ʻAnini Road stretch toward Kalihiwai Bay.

Kailiu Point

The resident places Kailiu Point east of Kēʻē.

Kakiu Point

Kakiu Point is one of the sandy breaks between the headlands on the Kīlauea coast.

Kalalau Beach

Kalalau Beach lies below the fluted cliffs at the far end of the Kalalau Trail.

Kalihikai at ʻAnini

Trees follow the sand at Kalihikai on the ʻAnini coast.

Trees overhanging a narrow sandy shoreline.

Kalihiwai Bay

Kalihiwai has both a river and a surf point.

A view across the bay toward the beach and forested hills.

Kauapea Beach (Secret Beach)

The view of the lighthouse was what the resident remembered most about Kauapea Beach.

Kēʻē Beach

At Kēʻē, trees hang over the sand and a reef lies offshore.

Sand and overhanging trees beside the water.

Kepuhi Point

Waves meet a narrow beach at Kepuhi Point.

Waves beside a narrow beach with trees and a building.

Kīlauea Bay (Rock Quarry)

The resident looked for birds by the river at Kīlauea Bay.

Driftwood lies on the sand below the wooded riverbank.

Kulikoa Point

The resident remembers a long stretch of beach, fishing, and a shallow reef near Kulikoa Point.

Lae o Kaonohi

At Lae o Kaonohi, the resident noted a shallow reef close to this stretch of North Shore coast.

Lumahaʻi Bay

The resident remembers clear water and rock at Lumahaʻi Bay.

Lumahaʻi River Mouth

A long stretch of sand meets the river at Lumahaʻi.

Makapili Rock

The shore near Makapili Rock lies low between headlands on the Kīlauea coast.

Pakala Point at Larsen’s

The photographs of this North Shore point look down from a hillside over a long beach.

A view from above the beach with waves along the coast.

Pilaʻa Beach

Pale sand borders a wooded point on the Pilaʻa coast.

The sand narrows beside a wooded point as a wave rolls in.

Pōhaku Malumalu

Along the Kīlauea coast, a sandy stretch at Pōhaku Malumalu breaks the line of rocky headlands.

Puʻu Poa Beach

Yellow sand and shallow reef are the details the resident recalls at Puʻu Poa, on the Princeville side of Hanalei.

Tunnels Beach (Makua)

At Tunnels, sharp mountain peaks rise above a beach bordered by trees.

Mountain peaks beyond a shaded sandy beach.

Waiʻoli Beach Park

Waiʻoli Beach Park sits on Hanalei Bay.

Waikoko Beach

Waikoko curves around a bay with a shallow reef.

Palms lean over a strip of sand, with waves breaking beyond the reef.

Wainiha Bay

Freshwater meets a sandy bay at Wainiha.

South Shore

Brennecke’s Beach

Brennecke’s is a small South Shore bay edged with rock.

A rocky edge beside a small beach and nearby buildings.

Haula Beach

Limestone surrounds Haula Beach.

Kamala Point

The sand at Kamala Point curves toward a low rocky headland.

A sandy beach curving toward a low rocky point.

Kawailoa Bay

A shallow reef runs along Kawailoa Bay.

Keoniloa Bay (Shipwreck Beach)

A rocky headland rises over the sand at Keoniloa Bay, also called Shipwreck Beach.

Kīpū Kai Bay

The resident describes Kīpū Kai from the seaward side, with private land behind the bay.

Kolopa (Lāwaʻi Road)

Just a small strip of beach separates the road and reef at Kolopa.

Kuahonu Bay at Kīpū Kai

Kuahonu is a bay on the Kīpū Kai coast.

Kukuiʻula Harbor

The view at Kukuiʻula is of a harbor, with little sand between the park and the water.

Lāwaʻi Bay

Shells and surf are the details the resident remembers about Lāwaʻi Bay.

Māhāʻulepū Beach

A curving sand beach backed by trees stretches along the Māhāʻulepū coast.

Waves along a sandy beach lined with trees.

Makawehi Cliffs

The Makawehi cliffs show a different side of the coast near Shipwreck Beach.

Molehu Point

At Molehu Point the coast rises into steep rock.

Nukumoi Point

Nukumoi Point is the landmark to look for in the middle of Poʻipū Beach.

Palama Pond

The pond itself drew the resident’s attention at Palama.

Paoo Beach

The resident places Paoo north of Kawailoa Bay.

Poʻipū Beach Park

A crescent of sand, picnic tables under palms, and a view of Nukumoi Point.

People stand at the edge of a curved sandy bay backed by palms.

Wahiawa Bay

A stream mouth interrupts the rocky coast at Wahiawa Bay.

Waiohai Beach

The original view of Waiohai shows a small sandy bay with palms and buildings behind it.

Compare beaches

No matching beach.