KKauai East Shore - Kapa`a & Wailua

Island of Kauai

Adventures on Water - Beaches

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Lydgate State Park is a great place to bring the entire family for the day. It’s one of the safest beaches on the island. The park sits on 40 acres at the mouth of theWailua River. The beach is safe for swimming, snorkeling, windsurfing, surfing, diving, fishing or just to hang out and catch some sun.

What makes the beach so safe is the rock barrier that was installed in
1964. The pools are named after Alfred Morgan, who would take his family to Lydgate for a day at the beach. At the time, the beach area wasn’t protected for swimming. Upon a trip to Sorrento, Italy, Morgan became inspired by the protected area within the bay. He returned to Kaua`i and worked with Senator Billy Fernandes. Together, they put the plan in motion to create the pools at Lydgate.

There’s a large picnic pavilion and there’s also Kamalani Playground, which was built in 1994 by a whopping 7,000 volunteers. It has a maze of caves, swings, tunnels. It’s a kid’s dream. Don’t forget about the 2.5-mile bike path around the park. There are plenty of facilities – restrooms, showers, lifeguards.

Getting to the park is easy. Take Kuhio Highway to Leho Drive. You won’t be able to miss the park on Leho Drive.

Wailua Beach is directly across from the old Coco Palms resort on Kuhio
Highway. The 100-foot-wide beach runs about half a mile north of the river. It’s popular with surfers and bodyboarders, as there’s a surf break at the northern part of the bay called Horners. Other than that, the swimming isn’t that good here and there are no facilities or lifeguards. During the spring, high surf can create dangerous conditions. You can see the ancient heiau sites at the mouth of the river.

Waipouli Beach runs behind the hotels and condos at Coconut Marketplace. It’s a long, narrow beach that makes for a pleasant stroll in the morning or evening. The beach has a mostly rocky bottom and can have particularly strong currents, which makes swimming uninviting.

Kapa`a Beach Park is a 16-acre park in Kapa`a Town that’s used primarily by locals. There’s a community swimming pool, picnic area, restrooms, showers and barbecue grills. Here’s another beach that is nice to walk around at sunrise or sunset. There is a rocky bottom. It’s used for fishing more than swimming.

Kealia Beach. This half-mile beach is a popular spot for surfers and bodyboarders. It has a sandy bottom, which makes for good surfing. During periods of high surf, there are strong rip currents. The beach is easy to get to. Take Kuhio Highway about two miles north of Kapa`a and turn on the dirt road on the right side.

Donkey Beach is named after the donkeys Lihu`e Plantation Company kept in the area. The beach is secluded and therefore popular for nudists (although letting it all hang out is illegal). The beach is very rocky and not a good place for swimming. To get there, take Kuhio Highway north toward
Anahola. Park before mile marker 12 and walk about 10 minutes to the beach. Keep in mind that this is private land, although there is usually some sort of public access available.

Anahola Beach Park is very popular with locals, especially in the summer. There’s a narrow area with a shallow reef that protects the beach and is good for swimming. The beach has great sunbathing and good swimming conditions since board surfing isn’t allowed in the area. The facilities include restrooms and showers, along with picnic and camping facilities. To get there, take Kuhio Highway to Anahola. Turn right onto Anahola Road and right on Manai Road.

Aliomanu Beach is typically secluded and you will probably see occasional nude sunbathers. The beach has an extensive offshore reef and is a popular fishing spot for locals. It is a beautiful beach fronted by one of the longest and widest fringing reefs on Kaua`i. Even though the beach is protected, the bottom is too rocky for swimming. From mile marker 15 on
Kuhio Highway take Aliomanu Road toward the ocean. Take the first left to Aliomanu Estates. Continue until you see a beach access sign on the right side. Turn right and drive down to the parking lot. Follow the trail to the shore.

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