There’s just nothing like a beach. Seriously, do people actually grow tired of seeing the ocean? Do people ho-hum over sand under foot and rolling waves crashing and retreating? I choose to believe such a person does not exist. I certainly don’t want to meet the person who is unimpressed with the beach. And what’s more, the beach is one of those magical places that brings joy to kids and adults. Just like Chucky Cheese, right? Ha, joking of course. I steer clear of that germ laden cess pool but I’m sure my kids would like it.
Kauai is certainly a special place for many reasons, but I adore it for the beaches. The island is small enough that in a few short days you can sample multiple beaches to find your favorite. Hawaii has an open beach policy so all beaches in Hawaii are open to the public: “they belong to no one and everyone.” So, if you can find your way to them (legally) then you can enjoy them. Here are our favorites:
POIPU: located on the south end of the island this beach is a must visit especially during the winter months. Generally, south beaches are more suitable for swimming in the summer. There’s a little bit of everything here. There’s a small shallow protected area with a sandy bottom for kids. There’s a larger area with reef where we saw lots of beautiful fish. And there’s area to the west where you can jump waves and swim. It was here that we saw the famous monk seals lounging and (on a sepearate visit) a big sea turtle.
HANALEI BAY: Hanalei is suuuuch an adorable place. We really enjoyed our time here and the large, beautiful bay delivers big time. In the winter months it’s a great place to watch surfers and in the summer it’s a spot to swim. What can’t be beat is taking in the gorgeous beach with the beautiful mountain nestled in the background.
LYDGATE: If you want a guarantee good beach for kids, Lydgate is where it’s at. Located on the east side, this beach has big protected areas which are almost always decent for swimming. Further, right near by is a superfun play area called Kamalani. My kids loved this area and could have returned again and again.
FUJI: Also called Baby Beach and located in Kapaa this is a sweet little beach. There’s a little wading area, a stretch of great tide pools if the tide is right and sandy beautiful shore for a stroll. Our kids had fun here and found some cool lobster remnants washed up.
ANAHOLA- this was our home beach and we loved it so much. It’s absolutely gorgeous. Our favorite part was that it was clearly a locals beach. People started showing up after work hours, pulled their trucks up on the beach and enjoyed the ocean. Most nights there were a few bonfires going and little keiki splashing around. Our kids body surfed, snorkeled, wave jumped, built sand castles and explored. Swimming was easiest on the east end at the beach park.
