Archive for category: Kauai Beaches

Photo: Claire Fackler, NOAA, NMS

If you just cannot wait to see a Green Sea Turtle on your trip to Kauai, you are not alone. Encountering a Green Sea Turtle in its natural environment is an exciting and memorable experience.

On Kauai’s South Shore, there are a number of areas where turtles can be viewed safely from shore. Green Sea Turtles tend to congregate around feeding areas that grow marine algae and sea-grass or provide the turtles with shelter, and the necessary species to set up cleaning stations.

If you are lucky enough to see a turtle up close and personal, just remember that sea turtles are protected by state and federal laws, which prohibit you from harassing them. Here are some responsible viewing guidelines recommended by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the State of Hawaii:

• Always keep a safe distance. Do not chase, approach, swim with, try to touch or ride a turtle.
• Never try to feed or entice a sea turtle.
• Remember that loud noises and abrupt movements can startle a sea turtle.

Best South Shore locations for viewing turtles from shore:

Sea turtles can be easily spotted from shore near Brennecke’s Beach. You can either cross the grass at Poipu Beach Park where you can overlook Brennecke’s beach to the left, or walk along the road past Brennecke’s and look back toward the beach. Either way, you are nearly certain to see turtles.

Turtles can also be viewed from the Whaler’s Cove overlook. From the traffic circle in Poipu, take the leg that exits toward the Sheraton. Just past the gravel road that leads to Koloa Landing on your right, find parking and stand by the cement wall where you can overlook the cove.

In fact, most of the rocky shoreline on the South Shore provides feeding habitat for turtles. So no matter where you are, if you are patient, you are likely to see one. One of these places is just past Lawai Beach on the way to Spouting Horn. Pass the beach and the resort and park along the side of the road. You will see a large rock wall on the ocean side of the road that separates the beachfront homes. This is another great turtle viewing location.

You may also encounter sea turtles while swimming or snorkeling. One note of caution however is that millions of years of evolution have made sea turtles remarkably adapted for life in the ocean. As a resulted, turtles can safely feed in rough surf. However, these areas are extremely dangerous for snorkeling and swimming. Snorkel in areas that are safe and you may still get lucky enough to encounter a turtle.

If you want to see turtles in the water, Lawai Beach is your best bet. Just be careful where you snorkel, following a sea turtle too far out can get you in trouble. For more info about snorkeling at Lawai Beach, check out the Best Place to Snorkel on Kauai’s South Shore.

If you want to learn more about Hawaii’s Sea Turtles, check out the following titles: The Book of Honu by Maui authors Peter Bennett and Ursula Keuper-Bennett, Sea Turtles of Hawaii by Kauai author Patrick Ching or for your Kindle, Hawaii’s Green Sea Turtles by Kauai Author Monika Mira.

What are the Best Beaches on Kauai? Well that depends what you’re looking for. Are you looking for seclusion, long walks, snorkeling, kid friendly or just the perfect mixture of sand and water to soak up some rays? The Garden Island of Kauai has more than just gardens. Kauai has more beach per coastline mile than any of the other Hawaiian Islands. Kauai is truly a beach-lover’s jackpot of pristine, soft, white sand – perfect for sunbathing, castle-building, shell hunting – beaches.

Best Beaches on Kauai

Haena Beach is simply put- a piece of heaven. Tropical jungle meets turquoise waters and white sand beaches. During the summer months Haena Beach Park offers good snorkeling, beach strolling and sunbathing. This beach has a backdrop that is very recognizable. Mount Makana (Bali Hai) looms mysteriously and offers a spectacular backdrop for sunsets and photo opportunities. Across the street from Haena Beach Park is the Maniniholo dry cave one of Kauai’s many natural attractions.

Mahaulepu Beach is a special place all of its own. This is a treasured part of our Island heritage and the last stretch of beach on the south side that is not developed. This magical stretch of coastline is so deserving of preservation. To access this gem of a beach you must drive down a unpaved dirt road or hike the coast along the Mahaulepu Beach Heritage Trail. The trail begins at the east end of Shipwrecks beach and winds along a coastline of sand dunes, lava tubes, tide pools and stretches of white sand beaches perfect for beach combing.

Salt Pond Beach Park on the West side of Kauai is often overlooked. Salt Pond has a number of protected shallow pools that offer great snorkeling. The water is generally quite clear here and the fringing reefs help keep the water fairly calm. Explore the tide-pools and discover additional Hawaiian marine life and always a beautiful spot for viewing a Kauai sunset. A lifeguard is posted here and you will find restrooms, showers and shade pavilions in the park. Adjacent to the beach park are the salt beds where only certain families are allowed to harvest the salt.

Hanalei Bay  by far the most popular beach, especially with the 2011 filming of the movie “The Descendants” starring George Clooney used this as the backdrop and  filming location.The two mile long crescent shaped bay offers activities for the whole family. The center of the bay is known as Pavilions and is a popular beach for swimming, surfing and boogie boarding. Lifeguards man this section of the beach. A large pavilion, restrooms, showers and BBQ areas make this an easy spot for the whole family to enjoy a day at the beach. Visit Hanalei Bay in the summer, where sailboats from around the world anchor in the bay, on there last stop before heading back to the west coast from Mexico or the South Pacific.

Poipu Beach will satisfy a wide range of interest. The beach park is perfect for families with children of all ages. A fun playground structure sits above the shoreline and offers hours of fun. Across the street from the beach you will find food and a cool treat of Hawaiian shave ice and ice-cream. Adjacent to the beach park Brennecke’s Beach has exciting waves for boogie boarding. West of the park several beachfront hotels offer surfboard rentals and lessons as well as a nice place to sit and enjoy a meal while watching the sunset into the Pacific.

Polihale Beach Park Definitely off the beaten path Polihale Beach is a magical place that offers a get away from it all vibe.   Best for beach walks and watching the sunset.

While each of the beaches on Kauai have their similarities, they also have their differences. Some are more apt for surfing, some for snorkeling, some for swimming or just a perfect place to relax and watch the the most remarkable sunsets. Seasonal weather fluctuations that Kauai experiences can cause drastic differences in the ocean’s conditions. As beautiful as the beaches are, it is extremely important to know about the particular beach you’re visiting before heading into the water. Always ask a lifeguard for the best place to swim and current water conditions.

During the summer season (May – October), North Shore beaches usually mild conditions where you can expect flat and small waves except for a few specific areas that are exposed to the trade wind waves. East Side beaches have pleasant trade-winds that blow fairly consistent off the water during the year and can create larger waves with accelerated trades. The south and west sides of Kauai side surf conditions during the summer bring larger waves and frequent swells creating a deceptively high and powerful surf.

During the winter months (November-April), the North Shore beaches experience a pretty consistent bombardment of huge, fairly dangerous swells. On Kauai’s East Side waves stay relatively similar to the summer months. The south side surf usually flattens out and the sunny weather and light trades offer great opportunities for snorkeling and beginning surf lessons.

Many of the beaches on Kauai are equipped with facilities – public restrooms, drinking water, showers, outdoor picnicking areas with nice tables, seating, waste and recycle receptacles, ample parking, and some with lunch and dining facilities within walking distance. Lifeguard beaches are located on each side the island. Of course you can explore a much more secluded shoreline, where facilities are non-existent, but a surrounding landscape gives you the feeling of being on an untouched tropical island paradise. Always use caution when exploring Kauai beaches.

There is hardly a more romantic time than your honeymoon. And there is hardly a more romantic place to spend your honeymoon than on the Island of Kauai. With more miles of beach per miles of coastline than any other of the Hawaiian islands, you are sure to find the perfect spot to watch the famous Kauai sunsets. And with hundreds of different kinds of honeymoon accommodations available – boutique hotels to luxury resorts to private vacation rentals and secluded campsites, there are plenty of spots to spend your romantic evenings and create a lifetime of memories..

Hawaii was voted a hotspot for honeymoon destinations by Honeymooner’s Review Guide, the Wedding Channel, and among the top ten best honeymoon locations as seen by the Travel Channel, Woman’s Stalk, and the Knot. Honeymooning on Kauai in particular is a favorite destination among the Hawaiian island chain.

Kauai’s uniquely stunning natural beauty and peaceful, less crowded Beaches gives you the total experience of a tropical island paradise. With dozens of amazing beaches on the island, there is plenty of room for long, romantic walks, and private dining by the sea. Though with Kauai’s diverse natural landscape, beach activities aren’t the only thing to enjoy on the island.  For the more active honeymooners, there is over 100 miles of trails to hike or take a land tour on horseback or an exhilarating ATV tour through rain forest,canyons, mountain valleys and cattle ranch land. pastures.

There are also the Napali coast boating tours, and trips to the Forbidden Island of Niihau where sea turtle and whale watching are naturally inclusive.  Besides, “forbidden” island tours are always more romantic, aren’t they?

For those couples who want less outdoor activity and more indoor indulging, Kauai is also abundant with luxury resorts, day spas, gourmet dining, and nighttime entertainment. Traditional island music, hula dancing, and luau shows are a long running novel favorite among honeymooning couples – all of which are nearly nightly activities on Kauai.

With all accommodations and things to do on Kauai, coupled with the pristine and natural beauty of the oldest member of the Hawaiian islands, it’s easy to see why Kauai is one of the most popular honeymooning destinations in the world. The only thing better than just honeymooning on Kauai, is perhaps getting married on Kauai too. Plan your destination wedding and honeymoon all in one.

Finding a message in a bottle is one of those things that stirs up stories of sea adventures, long lost love, serendipity and chance. And this time of year there is always a bit of nostalgia surrounding stories of such things. On Christmas Eve of 1996 my husband Thor proposed to me with a message in the bottle. This happened off our tiny beach catamaran, with a blue moon Christmas Eve on Kauai. Before the proposal in the bottle there were years of build up and anticipation about a real message in the bottle that he had sent from a sailboat, at the equator, between Mexico and the Marquesas. During this time I lived in Costa Rica, he was sailing the Pacific. Thor always told me that during our time of traveling, separately for a year, he tried to contact me by mail and phone with no luck. So he tried Bottle Post.

There was always a bit of intrigue surrounding his story. “What did it say?” …He would never reveal. “Where would it end up?”….probably on a deserted reef, and  “Would it really be found?”… highly doubtful. Well crazier things have happened and did. We were married six months later.

Now the story could end here with a romantic proposal and happily ever after, but there is more. A  week after our wedding a letter addressed to my maiden name arrived at the home of my parents on Kauai. With not much thought to it I opened the letter expecting it to be a congratulations from one of the friends I had met it my years of traveling. As soon as I opened the letter it was clear that the sender of this letter was not from anyone I knew, but they seemed to know me. Included in the letter was a xerox copy of a hand written note and a photo of a barnacle crusted wine bottle. The question from the sender was, “Are you still best friends?”

James King from Surfers Paradise, Australia found the bottle.  A bottle that was sent  years before from the sailboat at the equator, between Mexico and the Marquesas and the only wine bottle aboard a small sailing yacht headed to Fiji. This glass bottle would be the courier of a message that would be delivered four years later, after traveling 5,000 miles by way of wind and ocean currents, and the more amazing part is that  Mr. King found it within days of our wedding.

So part of our Christmas Day on Kauai is always spent on the beach, and yesterday was no exception. The strong winds of the past week had died down and the sun was shining. So we packed up our kids and headed to the beach for some sun, surf and beach exploring.

After fun in the waves Thor took the kids on a beach walk along the same stretch of coast, where 15 years earlier where we got engaged. Today a new chapter in the message in the bottle story was added. Thor the sender of our message in a bottle found his own barnacle encrusted bottle and message. There was no cryptic message of long lost love, no S.O.S from a deserted island, just a lone business card from a T.Hunter from Chino, California. The Christmas day discovery  was enough to ignite excitement and nostalgia in all of us.

When we got home we emailed T. Hunter ( a lot faster than bottle post) to find out his story. His bottle was sent only months ago from the coast of California and included  some jabs and teasing from friends. He said he would appreciate it we would send it on to further destinations. So to carry on the fun experiment we too will send this off with an additional note and T. Hunters business card. Hopefully to be found again and spark intrigue in someone else on a far away shore.

This story is a reminder to myself and others to Dare to Dream and Believe in the impossible.

Stranger things have happened!

Happy New Year!