No matter where you are staying, you need to make sure you visit Poipu Beach. It’s by far one of the best beaches in all of Kauai. It has several beach sections along its path, and the water shows a rainbow of blues you have never seen before. It goes from light blue to aqua mix with a little green, then into the dark blues and periwinkle. Poipu Beach extends almost 1100 feet and offers sand, surf, and a playground for the kids. It’s separated by a reef and provides several lifeguard stations.
How To Get To Poipu Beach
Poipu Beach is located on the south side of the Island right by Poipu. To get to it, get onto Poipu Road from whatever direction you’re coming from. Then turn onto Makai Road, followed by a last turn into Hoone Road. Visitors can park their cars at the two parking lots just across the beach for free. If you don’t find any parking, drive along the street until you find an open spot.
Things To Do At Poipu Beach
There are numerous things you can do at Poipu Beach starting with a simple picnic here. There is a nice wading pool with a reef edge that the kids can swim in. It’s one of the best places to go snorkeling due to the abundance of turtles and seals in the water. You can move down the beach a bit and snorkel, but be sure to have your water shoes on as it tends to be a bit rocky.
On my husband’s first time snorkeling, he saw a turtle and swam for about a mile offshore before he realized how far he had gotten. If you have a waterproof camera or Go-Pro you can take it below the ocean and get some amazing pictures of the fish below the surface.
Poipu is home to many of the Island’s honu (sea turtles). No matter the time of day, you should be able to find one or two swimming in the ocean or getting some sun on the sand. Be careful not to get too close as they are protected, and you’re not allowed to touch them.
Kauai has several kinds of turtles and the most common is the green sea turtle, but there are also leatherbacks and hawksbill turtles. They are amazing creatures, and you will be lucky to have one swim with you.
You will often find Hawaiian monk seals, one of the most endangered marine mammals in the world. They are protected mammals and very neat to watch. Most of the time they lay in the sun, but once in a while you can see one scoot on or off the beach and swim away.
Nearby Attractions
Poipu Beach flows right into Brennecke’s Beach. If you’re looking for something a little more exciting, you can head over to the west side of Poipu Beach on Breneecke’s Beach. Watch the waves crash and pull out your surfboard or boogie board to take a plunge in the ocean waves.
On the east side of Poipu Beach, there is a stretch of land that reaches out to a small island (tombola) and you can walk over to it. You can also see a few onus or Hawaiian monk seals there too.
Since you will probably work up an appetite, pop out that picnic basket and head over to the picnic area. If you didn’t bring your basket no problem, the Puka Dog Stand has you covered. Try one of their famous Polish sausages and veggie dogs. If those aren’t your thing you can always pick up a sandwich or pizza. For drinks, grab a lilikoi lemonade that will change how you view lemonade. Finish the meal off with a shave ice treat. Everything is located in one spot at Brennecke’s beach broiler.
If you come on New Year’s Eve, be sure to stay for the fireworks at Poipu Beach. It’s also one of the best places in Kauai for a sunset view. The sun setting over the beautiful water with the palms in the background is one to frame.
If you come at night, the turtles like to come on the shore and at times there could be up to 30 honu on the beach. If you visit Poipu Beach from November to May, you may be able to sit back and watch the whales play.
No matter what you plan to do on Kauai you will want to make Poipu beach a part of your itinerary. You won’t regret it, and the pictures you can get here are fantastic. Not too far from it, you can also make the trek to Shipwreck Beach through the Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail.
Written by: LeeAnn Reed
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