As a long secluded shoreline on the north shore of Kauai, Anini Beach Park is accessible by car via…read morea paved and winding road from the Kuhio Hwy. Another beautiful, worth-visiting beach park on the north shore of Kauai. The central point is the park, that provides plenty of paved parking (parking is also available on the side of the road that hugs the coastline). This park has dedicated camping sites, and we saw many backpack tents set-up further in from the shoreline, usually underneath shade provided by the false kamani trees. The park contains a lot of green space and facilities. My wife and I ate our deli lunch at a nearby picnic table. Turtles often come on shore here, though there were none today (probably because we came in the afternoon). One thing we noticed were all the multi-million dollar homes right on the other side of Anini Road once you pass by Anini Beach Park traveling to the west (it's a dead end, so would need to circle back to get out). They are rentable via the typical companies, and would be great for beach loving families who want to spend some secluded time near the ocean. Also in the area are small pockets where one can park their car and go out into shoreline. From there, one can see and explore the large coral reef that rings this area.

Parking here is hit or miss. The beach is long, but narrow. So it could get crowded quickly. I…read moream not a fan of this beach because there are so many rocks/stones in the water. Unless you have water shoes, I would be super careful when getting in/out of the water here. These rocks are lava rocks and they will cut you open if you are not careful. Also, the waves can be choppy due to weather. One thing I do like is that it's also a park and there are a lot of trees at the beach if you want shade.

We enjoyed checking out this side of the island this time. It was kind of tricky to find parking…read morebut just be patient and you'll find some. We ended up finding a spot on the street and walked down an alley to the beach. Didn't need an umbrella here as there are plenty of shade trees right on the beach. So beautiful and relaxing. It is very popular and busy, but you only really notice that in the water because of everyone wanting to snorkel. The snorkeling was really cool here! Some of the best I've seen! I spent a lot of time in the water, but tried not to go too far out as the tide can be a little tricky here in some parts as well. A must-see when on Kauai!

One of the secret, beautiful beaches in Kauai. This is the…read moreplace that is depicted in the musical " South Pacific" or the famous fictional place "Bali Hai". Use Makua Beach /hAena state beach park to park is the access you can use to get to tunnels beach! Once you get there it's super gorgeous! Definitely worth the 1 hour drive from lihue for a sunrise/sunset in Kauai!

One of the most famous/ not so secret place to park when going to both Hā'ena beach park and…read moretunnels beach. This area to park is the access you can use to get to tunnels beach! Once you get there it's super gorgeous! Definitely worth the 1 hour drive from lihue for a sunrise/sunset in Kauai!

By far our favorite beach! The colors of the water were…read moremagical and snorkeling wasn't bad. The waves were stronger in front of the lifeguard station but there is a little inlet that was pretty calm. The beach was true beauty in all directions. We wanted a family picture in front of the water but when we stood there we realized greenery on the backside was even prettier! There is a quick stop near by at a dry cave. Was a wonderful stop. Wished we had more time there Parking is limited so get there early. We went at 2pm and circled a couple times before parking on the road side

Managed to snag a parking reservation just a few days before (there was a cancellation), and got…read morethere just before noon for the 12:30PM ticket - was let in early (there were plenty of parking spots left). Did the hike first before coming to this beach to snorkel. Water was warm, smooth sand and very few rocks on the ocean floor, saw some fish closer to the rocks on the side. Nice spot, appreciated the showers! Definitely well worth it, would recommend! Reserve early otherwise you might not get a spot!

This is a great beach to go to. I just don't like the fact that you have to pay for park entrance…read more I remember the first time I came here in 2013, we could drive right up to the parking lot. Though, parking was not ideal back then, it was still free. But now you have to either reserve a parking spot or if you can't, reserve a shuttle seat. We were here on a Wednesday and it was nice and quiet. There weren't a bunch of people here and it was great. Was not crowded whatsoever and we pretty much had the run of the place. The beach is beautiful and there's a reef that protects you from any big waves. The water is, for the most part, calm. The water is clear and the sand is fine. There's no rocks or stones I have to watch out for when walking around. Unlike Anini Beach, where there are stones and rocks all over the place, this is a very nice calm beach to go to. If you can wake up early enough to reserve a parking spot, then do it. If not, make shuttle reservations.

My favorite beach on the north shore accessible by foot from most Princeville condos/rentals. Was…read morealways a rough path accessible by able-bodied in good weather (no recent rains). Currently closed for renovations which will include a small parking lot (yay) and improved path to the beach. Didn't get to go this summer (boo construction) but I'm excited to see what this beach will look like after renovations. Check if open before going since the renovations are supposed to continue until late August 2026.

This beach is tucked away down a mini steep hike by 1 Hanalei Bay Resort. It's right outside the…read moreproperty and the trail head is at the back of their valet parking, before the gate guard. There are rope handles to help guide you as you go down. The beach itself is gorgeous and has ample shade under a massive spread out tree. It's perfect for snorkeling with honu (sea turtles) and plenty of fish. The water is calm and great for kids if they make the trek down. It takes about 5-10 minutes depending on your speed. The only downfall is the parking. There are 10 spots in the public lot. You cannot park anywhere else in the surrounding lots, nor can you valet at the hotel for this particular beach. Your other option is the golf course lot about a mile down the road.

Great little calm beach with shopping and eating. We walked here from The Pride of America cruise…read moreship on our last day of cruising and had a blast.

The public beach of Lihue in Kauai, it also serves as the easily accessible beach for the Marriott…read moreVacation Club and for cruisers coming off of ships at the nearby Port. The crescent shaped area has distinct edges/ends, and the flat sandy beach is easy for short walks on the water (the beach is about a quarter mile in length). The water is protected by the bay and its calmness and easy entry encouraged paddleboarders and swimmers. As for the beach, it has calm, clear, no-debris waters and the water was warm during our day visit. The golden sand didn't get too hot, even under the afternoon sun. It had a lot of unused loungers for the guests of the hotel, which slowly filled up as the afternoon went on.

Initially coming here to kill a little time before a reserved tour, my wife and I really admired…read morethe planning and execution of the building/landscaping of this family park. Named after a pillar in the community who came to Kauai in the late 19th century, Lydgate Beach Park is 62 acres, with the Lydgate Park pathway encompassing 2.5 miles, a small part of the much larger Ke Ala Hele Makālae costal trail. There is plenty of parking, with both dedicated surface lots and street parking on the paved road. We immediately noticed surfers on electric surfboards out pretty far, even on this windy day. At the northern part of the park is where most people gather, close to modern facilities and a manned lifeguard station and a large covered event area with plenty of parking. Closer to the shore, we saw a seal just lying on the land, bathing in the sun, completely ignoring the people milling by. The very large safe man-made swimming/tide pools are great for the kekei and others, with constant refreshing of sea water over the lava rocks. There are picnic tables nearby as well with a lot of green space. My favorite feature are the man-made protected swimming pools, What I loved about it was how spread out everything was, with so many amenities. It just never felt crowded, even if a lot more people came. As we were leaving, my wife mentioned that Lydgate Beach is one of those rare parks where an ocean-loving family would intentionally live close by, just to be near this park.

This snorkeling spot has tons of parking. We found that the fish were mostly towards the back by…read morethe rocks, if that's what you're there for. We found a spot, setup towels on the sand and headed to the water. The bottom was mostly sand so very "feet friendly."

Very nice hidden gem in Anahola on the north shore of Kauai! Pretty quiet as well and not very…read morecrowded. Aliomanu Beach is not the easiest beach to access, as you will have to park at the designated parking lot, then hike about 5 minutes through tall grass and weeds, then another 5-10 minutes boulder-hopping until you reach the sand. But it's well worth the effort and you get beautiful views of the bay!

Growing up in Anahola, Anahola Beach was always a go to for sun, surfing and fishing. Very relaxing…read morebeach!