This is like the Road to Hana, where getting there is the experience. We hiked 6 miles round trip on the Mahaulepu Heritage Trail from Shipwreck Beach, over the Makawehi Lithified Cliffs, around the edge of the Poipu Bay Golf course, to the Makauwahi Cave, and over the pedestrian bridge. Even in December you are strongly advised to start early, like at 8am, when the bathrooms open next to Shipwreck beach. By 11am, it is already 81 degrees. You wimps who can't do a 6 mile hike, drive on Poipu Road , past the Grand Hyatt Kauai, where the paved road becomes a hardened red clay and stone road, past the Poipu Bay Golf course on the way to CJM Stables. The vehicle shook like I haven't seen before since my African safari. Innumerable water filled pot holes and ruts will limit those trying to burn rubber. Takes 6 minutes to drive the one mile dirt road, turned muddy by the daily rains in Kauai. You can continue another mile on the dirt road to the Gillin's Beach Parking Lot, but we always stop by the Makauwahi Cave first. Turn right, with a fork in the dirt road, with right side going to the CJM stables, and left side going to the beach. Advisable to park on the dirt road alongside the CJM Stables fence, as the quarter mile narrow downward red clay road becomes serious rutted very quickly. One 4x4 Jeep got down to the pathway where the Cave trail and Heritage trails meet. There is a bathroom on the other side of the fence, but it is only for visitors to the stables, so use the bathrooms at Shipwreck beach first, next to the Grand Hyatt Kauai. Plenty of cover in case you need to use the bushes, but remember to bring TP! 10 minute circuitous walk on a downward dirt path through brush and trees, with Gillin's Beach in the background. Go past the Makauwahi sinkhole and caves, and cross a bridge to the tortoise reserve. Go toward the water and there's a long beach area, with cliffs to the north, and Gillin's Beach House to the south. Sign right on the entrance to the beach, after crossing the bridge. Says "high bacteria levels found in ocean and stream. Contact with water may cause illness", along with a no swimming and no wading sign. We hiked 90 minutes from Shipwreck Beach to find this? read more