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.

Beautiful large beach which will have barely anyone there! Beware of the waves, there is no…read morelifeguard and there is a current. There are some spots in the shade if you don't want full sun. 10 minute walk to the beach which can get slippery. We did it in flip flops and walked back to the car barefoot since we almost slipped on the way down. Not a flat walk but doable. Parking lot isn't super tiny, but it isn't big! We went in the afternoon on a weekday and didn't have any problem finding a spot.

Small hike to get here, but it was well worth it! It is a large beach, so you won't have any issues…read morefinding a space to relax without being annoyed by other people. The water was rougher than other beaches I visited on my trip, but not too rough where you can't enjoy it. There was a beautiful view of the Lighthouse, which was cool to see since I had just visited it before coming here. All around, a very pleasant beach to hangout at. I didn't walk far enough down for the Lava Pools, but that's just something to look forward to next time I visit.

A great little beach within walking distance of Princeville. The path down is fairly steep, so use…read morecaution, and it may be challenging for young children or elderly visitors. The beach has a nice sandbar but be careful in the water as there are no swimming signs and no lifeguard on duty. From here you can easily walk to Anini Beach as well.

Best way to walk to this beach is from the public parking lot at the Westin. Otherwise drive as far…read moreas you can along Annini Beach road. Long sandy shoreline, you'll miss most of the current and waves at Annini (another of our favorites). Snorkeling has been reported as good although we didn't go out far enough to see much.

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.

I read a lot of reviews before hiking to this beach. No one gave me any problems using the trail…read more(some reviews reference this regarding private property signs). The trail was very steep and covered with slick mud, but with good shoes, you can take your time and make it through the hike with no problem. I just walked very slowly and carefully. The trail isn't that long, and I would say it took about 20 mins to get to the beach. The beach has good sand, lots of shade, and a cool rock wall at the back of the beach. Some people were snorkeling and saw a sea turtle . I would say it is worth the hike in to this secluded beach if you are careful.

The first time we found this trail, we weren't sure what it was going to. It had rained recently…read moreand I was in poor shoes, and I slid and fell in the mud. We turned back that day but our whole trip, we were curious what was down there. So now, a few days before leaving, we tried again wearing water shoes- since they seemed to have better grip. I recommend keeping your hands free, as some places can still be slick when it hasn't been raining super recently. There's a few sections where there's tied up rope to help you hold on and keep your balance while climbing- make sure you use it! I wouldn't bring anyone not able-bodied on this trip. As intimidating as the hike sounds, the final points were absolutely breathtaking, the most spectacular beach I've ever seen. The snorkel water was calm, and you can see through it crystal clear without even needing snorkel goggles (although I would still bring some!). Take your time, be careful, go slow, and this trail will reward you. Right before the beach, it does turn into a bit of rock climbing, but nothing too challenging if take your time. You'll definitely feel the Hawaiian jungle vibes. The path can be tight, and you'll be touched with lots of leaves and vines; I would never do this hike somewhere snakes exist. It was a once in a lifetime experience! There were even a few chicken friends on our hike (like everywhere else here!) make sure you wear your reef safe sunscreen!

The lush mountains, gentle waves and bay breeze will just take your breath away. We loved coming…read morehere and felt a sense of peace and appreciation for the beauty of Hanalei Bay. It helps that the drive into the area already has you impressed and in aw struck wonder. It is absolutely gorgeous on the north side of the island! As far as the beach itself, it is super kid friendly. Shallow waters for yards and yards! If you're on the right side of the beach it is shallow even past the pier. With gentle yet large enough waves for you to boogie board or surf. The pier is a beautiful way to take in the scenery and if you're brave enough, jump off of. My kids loved it! There are bathrooms and outdoor shower. A taco truck on site. A great beach day!! The only downside. The time of year we came, there were a ton of gnats. It might have been because of the rain. Other than that this beach was perfect.

If you come to Kauai, you have to head up to North Shore and visit Hanalei beach. A beautiful beach…read morefull of white sand, clear waters, and an amazing backdrop scenery of lush, tropical jungles. The protected bay offers nice, calm waters for swimming and other water activities. And there are lifeguards stationed at designated areas throughout the beach. You can also walk down the pier where you'll find people diving into the deeper parts of the water, fishing, or just taking pictures of the beautiful scenery. There are the occasional bits of wood washed up onto shore. So be careful where you step when walking barefoot. A public lot is available for free parking, however it does fill up fast. You can also park along the curb in the residential areas.

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!

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!

While staying in Princeville, we decided to check out Queen's Bath, and it was absolutely worth the…read moreeffort. Parking in front of the entrance is extremely limited, and the surrounding residential area doesn't allow non-permitted parking. I ended up dropping off my wife and her friend so they could start the trek while I parked at the nearby golf course, which added about a half-mile walk to the entrance. From the entrance, the hike down to Queen's Bath is about half a mile. It's not too long, but there are a few tricky spots that require some careful footing. It's definitely manageable for most people, including kids, as long as you take your time. Once you arrive, you're rewarded with a beautiful natural tide pool filled with seawater and fish. Some people were even jumping from the surrounding rocks into the water below. The spot was lively, with plenty of tourists and families making the hike down to enjoy the view and the experience. A little extra work to get there, but the payoff is huge. Queen's Bath is a must-see if you're in Princeville.

Was pretty excited about this one, but didn't adequately research it. Just saw the 4.4* rating on…read moreYelp and assumed it would be like any other beach. Plus I had chatted with a local and while she did note that there was a walk to get to QB, she also called it "no big deal." So we show up in flip flops, wanting to check out QB quickly before heading out for another excursion at 11:00 AM. Huge mistake. It had been raining and the "no big deal" walk was an epic disaster in flip flops. One of us fell multiple times, and Kauai mud stains are VERY difficult to remove. No one even wanted to scramble down the rocks to the Bath area after getting covered in mud on the way down. We just went back to the hotel room, where I nearly used up a whole bottle of Oxi Clean MaxForce trying to get mud stains out of our bathing suits and towels. This one just isn't for me, but if you know what you're up against going in, it's probably a lot more enjoyable. To my wry amusement, we saw some little kid dropping F bombs on his way up the path as we were headed down, so we clearly weren't the only ones who had bitten off more than we could chew that day, lol.

This beach was awesome and beautiful! There are some trees for shade at the back of the beach…read more(farther from the water). The waves were a little bit gentle for bodyboarding/boogie boarding but we still made it work. When we went (on a September morning) there weren't very many people around, so it wasn't crowded at all. We didn't try to snorkel here, but it didn't seem like there was much of anything (rocks/coral etc) in the water to attract fish, so I wouldn't expect this beach to be a good snorkeling beach. At the far end of the beach, there is a large freshwater area where the water is calm, with a rope swing and shallow beach entry area, to where even babies/toddlers/young kids could sit in and play in the water. Super family friendly. There were people kayaking and doing stand-up paddleboard there, the water was calm there in the freshwater area.

One of the most beautiful and relaxing beaches I've ever visited! The Best part is it's connected…read moreto a Lagoon that is perfect for Children! It also has rocks to jump off of and ropes to swing into the warm water!!!

Absolutely beautiful beach to relax near or to go in the water. The views were to die for and the…read morebeach was incredibly clean! The chairs for the hotels are really comfortable to lay on. There wasn't many people around, so it was nice and quiet. It's a really perfect location to immerse yourself in the beauty of a Hawaiian beach, via the scents and sounds, etc, without being disturbed. Be careful though! It can be tricky in the water from all the rocks and dips, so keep your eyes open. My friends and I walked on the rocks to see lots of different fish swimming about. It was a very fun time for all of us! My guy is such a hero for saving my clumsy butt and getting scratched up for me.

Great beach. Saw lots of turtles and seals. The sunset is the best in Kauai, but only 4 stars due…read moreto the crowds