Kauai Beaches

Beaches around Poipu
The beaches on the south side of Kauai are specatcular. In Poipu alone there are 4 distinct white sand cresent beaches that are perfect for a morning walk, swimming, snorkeling, sunbathing, sand surfing and body boarding. Just be sure to wear sunscreen!!!

For up-to-date ocean conditions and safety tips, visit www.kauai.explorer.com. Some Kauai beaches do not have trash receptacles, so please help us keep Kauai clean - bring your trash with you when you leave. Mahalo.

Poipu Beach
The most popular beach on the South Shore is Poipu Beach, which is fronted by Poipu Beach Park, and a few resorts. Poipu Beach was named America's Best Beach by The Travel Channel, ranking top among the 10 "best" beaches selected nationwide. This beach is a series of golden sand crescents, strung together where beach-goers will find snorkeling, swimming, a natural ocean wading pool, boogie-boarding and surfing.

Kiahuna and Sheraton Beach
Located right in front of the Kiahuna Plantation Resort and the Sheraton Hotel. This white cresceant sand beach is loved by locals and tourist alike. This is the safest beach to learn to surf. The water is sparkling clear with a sand and coral mix bottom. Just grab a beach chair and a book and plan on staying all day. Great beach for children.

Baby Beach
To the west of Poipu Beach is Baby Beach, a sweet little protected cove perfect for very young children. Take Lawai Rd. (a/k/a Spouting Horn Road) to Hoona Road. Public beach access is located between #5142 and #5152.

Brennecke's Beach
Located at the eastern end of Poipu Beach Park, Brennecke's Beach is known for its easy to catch body boarding and body surfing waves. It is a favorite with Kauai residents and visitors alike. There is a great protected area for swimming and snorkeling - with surf breaks offshore (for experienced surfers).

Lawai Beach
Further to the west on Spouting Horn Road is Lawai Beach, a delightful snorkeling spot fronted by a resort of the same name. Although the strip of sand is narrow, the snorkeling is good and in calm waters. Further out is an offshore reef that provides several exciting surf breaks that are quite popular with local surfers.

Mahaulepu Beach
Further to the east is Mahaulepu Beach, a gorgeous and idyllic stretch of golden sand that feels truly remote. Mahaulepu is a two mile car trip from the end of Poipu Road. Travel east on the dirt cane field road to the main cane haul road intersection and turn right. There will be a security shack posting beach opening and closing hours. The beach usually closes by 6 p.m. in the winter and 7 p.m. in the summer. These are strictly enforced by the landowner that allows public access at their own risk. Mahaulepu is popular with locals and visitors, including wind surfers, swimmers, snorkelers, fishermen (or women) and sunbathers.

Shipwreck's Beach
Another lovely beach is Shipwreck's Beach, a long stretch of golden sand on the eastern end of Poipu. Shipwreck's Beach is fronted by some resorts and a county park facility. During most of the year, the waters here are best for advanced surfers due to a short shore-break. This is a great beach however, to walk along, wade a little, sunbathe or hook up with a spectacular shoreline trail that goes east for a couple miles.

Kauai Restaurants

Restaurants on the south side of Kauai

Plantation Gardens Restaurant - 808-742-2121 - Located in the historical Kiahuna Plantation Resort this restaurant has been open since 1968. It serves Pacific Rim Cuisine along with steaks, porkloin, and seafood laulau. It really has something for everyone on the menu.

Joes' on the Green - 808-742-9696 - Located on the Kiahuna Golf Course Club house , Joes' serves a great breakfast and lunch.

Casa di Amici - 808-741-1555 - Great northern Italian food. Located at 2301 Nalo Road.

The Beach House Restaurant - 808-742-1424 - Located right on the ocean, you will want to make a reservation to be sure to get a table to watch the fabulous Poipu sunset. The food is heavenly.

Casablanca - 808-742-2929 - Located in the Kiahuna Pool and Tennis Club, this restaurant has a greek menu and multiple tapas. Casual atmosphere and great food.

Breenecke's Beach Bar - 808-742-7588 - Where they are right on the beach and right on the price.

Kalapakaki Joes - Coming soon to Poipu. An excellent sports bar.

In the Poipu Shopping Center there are a variety of great restaurants. Have fun trying them all.

Poipu Tropical Burgers - 808-742-1818 - They serve over 18 different hamburgers.

Roy's Poipu Bar and Grill - 808-742-5000 - This is fine dining with a great menu. Make sure to try their signature dessert, the chocolate souffle.

Keoki's Paradise - 808-742-3534 - Great family dining experience and have fresh fish served 7 ways, all of them good. Families welcome.

Puka Dogs - 808-742-6044 - You have just have to try one of these hot dogs with lemon lilikoi mustard.

Panaleni Gelato - This place is the perfect place to go for the best gelato and sorbets on Kauai

Starbucks - Need I say more

Located in the Grand Hyatt Hotel and Spa are several excellent dining facilities

All phones numbers are the same - 808-742-1234

Donderos - Excellent Italian food and a large small plate menu. Currently an excellent value.

Tide Pools - High end steak house with an excellent reputation

Ilima Terrace - Sunday Brunch at its best. Good for lunch and dinner

Stevenson's Library - Fabulous bar with pool tables and backgammon games. Jazz music most nights. Sushi bar is exquisite.

The Kukuiula Village is providing excellent dining choices It is located on the round about at the cross roads of Poipu Road, Lawai Road and Ala Kalanikaumaka Road.

Merriman's - 808-742-8385 - Has two different restaurants, fine dining is upstairs and it is a must eat for here on Kauai. Downstairs is a causual dining experience with pizza's, fish tacos, and sandwiches.

Bubba's Burgers - If you have never had one, you should.

Duke's Dog - Wide variety of hot dogs and polish sausage. Also puts up pictures of your puppies if you give them one.

Josselin's Tapas Bar and Grill - 808-742-7117 - Brand new!!! Food and ambience are excellent and the small plate prices make it affordable to boot.

Living Market - Pizza oven and great sandwich that you can eat while you shop for dinner. Lots of organic meats and produce in this market.

Kalaheo is a short distance away from Poiup and well worth the drive. There are several excellent choices for breakfast, lunch and dinner

Kalaheo Coffee - Great breakfast and lunch. Open for dinner Thursday thru Saturday.

Brick Oven Pizza - This place is famous for its pizza. A must try!

Pomodoro's - 808-332-5945 - Excellent southern Italian food with spaghetti, ravioli's, veal picatta and a warm family atmosphere.

Kalaheo Steak and Chop - Great prime rib and an awesome Sunday brunch

Other Great Places Not To Miss

The Wine Shop in Koloa - Great selection of wines, vinegars and oils. Also a free wine tasting on the first Saturday of every month.

Koloa Deli - Coming soon

Koloa Fish Market - 808-742-6199 - Best fresh fish on the island and a great place to do a "Plate Lunch"

Kauai Surf Spots

Acid Drop
Don't let this spot fool you. Located just yards from Heroin's and near the Lawai Beach this spot looks easy from the shore but is "acid" when you're out. The right is a hollow, powerful grinder that begins with an "Acid Drop." When this spot is doing its thing in the summer months it can be "nuts" and a little localized.

Salt Pond
Located near the Port Allen harbor on the most southern point of the island. This right hander reels for at least 100 yards. Although not known for its power this wave can be really fun when it's over head and off shore.

Allerton's
This spot is named after the landowner that had exclusive rights of access to this beach. this break is known for its perfect beach break barrels, sand bottom and very limited crowds. Entry by fishing trail at Spouting Horn only!

Kukuiula Harbor
This small boat harbor has just outside its break wall a submerged live coral reef that generates a nice hollow right hander and a mellow surfable left. Very fickle and must be checked to know if it is good enough. Usually only a few people catch this spot good. But when it's good it's good. Watch out for the inside reef on the right -- very sneaky.

Heroin's
This spot is well named. Known for its large gapping, square toobs that break on only inches of water with dry land just yards away. A right only! This wave does not come recommended at all to surfers with the exception of a few pros and highly cautionary for bodyboarders. High skill level mandatory! Good during the summer months on a south or southwest swell.

Centers
Located near Acid Drop and the famous PK's in fact it is centralized between the two. This spot sports a really nice right. Not really known for its tube rides but believe me it does produce some. Breaks on a shelf and works its way over a very shallow reef. Be careful not to ride it too far. The left is for the more courageous. A little less predictable and much easier to get caught inside. Summer spot.

PK's
One of the best all around surfing spots on the south side of Kauai. This spot offers a really nice relative easy take off on the outside left then reforms to a ripable inside right. Also over reef but not too shallow. When it's big, 8 feet or larger, the take off spot transforms into "smokies" and gets a little harrier. Located directly in front of Prince Kuhio Condos.

Bazookas
This wave is just in front of baby beach, east of PK's. The wave goes from thirty feet of water then hits a shelf at about 5 feet and jacks up. Very short lefts with a hard take off and a short ride. Fun for more experienced bodyboarders. Great, hard hitting, fast barrel.

Cow's Ass
This spot is only good when it is big, and I mean big. At least 12 foot faces are needed to get this wave going. The left starts off on a really shallow clam shell type take off but then walls up and reels over a deeper flat reef, hence the need for some size. Not well known for getting pitted but a really fun, workable surfers wave. Large south swell needed in the summer months. Located outside of Koloa landing.

Cow's Head
Named after the coral head that looks like a "Cow's Head." This right hander is fun when it's average sized to giant. The bigger it gets the more hollow it will be. Ask a local how to get out -- this will save you some trouble.

Helicopters
Located just east and inside of Cow's Head this is just a really fun right. Relatively short ride but also has a really short paddle back out. Really fun for surfers and bodyboarders alike. Again a reef bottom but not too bad. The place to go if you want to catch a lot of waves in a short time. Named helicopters because of an old heliport that was once located just inside the break.

First Break
The first place to break on the south side. This is a right and left that works well from about head high but does much better when its bigger. The right breaks off of some submerged boulders and breaks along the edge of the reef and channel. Great wave for big turns and round cutbacks. The left on the other hand is only surfed by those with really big gonads. Only does its thang when its large and in charge. Shallow water with boulders appearing frequently and super hollow long left-had barrels. The only left in Poipu that can compare with Bali.

Lemon Drops
Poipu's "baby" wave. Perfect for beginners but a little too slow for serious surfers.

Waiohai
Rights and lefts that are really fun all summer long. Very gentile wave for Kauai waters but please be very careful of the inside reef. Located in front of the Waiohai hotel.

Left Lefts
This left hander can be really nice at times for the waterman family. Gentle take off near a submerged boulder pile with a nice long ride into a deep water bay.

Nukumoi Point
This right and left-hand point break is one of the least surfed spots on the south shore of Kauai and for good reason. This wave comes from deep water and hits a really shallow reef ledge and jacks up and just grinds over coral and exposed boulders. Don't even think about straightening out because you can't without running into the pointed lava formed rocks. Not recommended for anyone but experienced surfers and bodyboarders. I also claim rights to this spot because I work at the island famous Nukumoi Surf Company. See you on my lunch break.

Brennecke's Beach
This spot is world-famous for family water fun at the beach. This beach break is good all year long. Breaks on mostly sand bottom with a few rocks and a nice white sand beach. Great for boogie boarders and body surfers alike. Sorry no surfing.

Kauai Beaches

Kauai Restaurants

Kauai Surf Spots

It's our job to know EVERYTHING about Kauai - Poipu! Ask us any question. Or request a FREE information package. There's no obligation, and we promise to get back to you quickly...