Kauai North Shore Beaches

Kauai is a wonderful Hawaiian island to visit if you want to get away from the crowds, enjoy the ocean and take in gorgeous vistas. Kauai's north shore is dotted with beautiful beaches and according to the locals, it only takes 20 minutes to get to anywhere you are going on the island - convenient considering you want to see every bit of it.

We were staying in Poipu which is on the southern part of the island. It took us about 40 minutes to get to Lihue, the largest town and governmental center of Kauai. It sits on Nawiliwili Harbor, the island's major commercial shipping center and cruise ship port. Following Kuhio Highway to Anini beach took another hour and the scenery is definitely worth it. Although the driver will be focused on the sharp turns and single lane bridges, passengers will have great views of homes along rivers and lush plant life.

Anini beach is a great place to stop and have lunch, it also has camping facilities, clean bathrooms and shade trees. The water is warm and you will need water shoes because the sand can irritate city feet. Snorkeling is good because of the diversity of fish and sea life, we saw sea cucumbers, sea slugs, and loads of brightly colored fish in spite of the fact that the water was murky at times.

Twenty minutes later as we continued on down the highway, we hit Hanalei Beach Park which was packed with families picnicing on the beach, swimming, boating and paddle surfing. It was far more popular than Anini which in comparison seemed rather quiet. There are barbeque grills, restrooms, shade trees and lots of beach front area for parking. We stopped to eat the sandwich lunch we had packed which saved us time because we avoided having to spend time looking for a place to eat.

Another nice feature at Hanalei is its great roof covered pier which was being used as a diving board by scads of dripping kids and adults. The pier also offers a great view of the boats anchored out at sea, floating hypnotically on the waves. They're a lovely sight and make for great photos.

At the end of Kuhio Highway is Hanae Beach Park, another terrific Kauai beach, this one lined by tree covered cliffs making their way to the Napali coastline. It was a spectacular looking but rather intimidating beach, as there were signs posted everywhere warning of possible riptides and undertows. It was sober swimming but it was evident by the number of swimmers that the water was too tempting to give into fear. Plus, Haena is also one of the more romantic beaches, with lovely sunsets and lush, green mountain views. You can't help but be affectionate with your special someone in this beach setting.

Another plus are the bathrooms and outdoor showers, conveniences not to take for granted, and the park is much smaller than the other two which adds to the feel of intimacy about the park. I think it also sees less visitors since it is at the end of the highway.

The drive to see each of the beaches took about 4 hours, from our spot in Poipu to Hanae and back again. We passed some of the nicest scenery on Kauai and got to see a good chunk of the island on our adventure.

Route - Lihue to Haena