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East Shore

Kauai’s east shore is rich in variety. It’s an ideal area to experience the beauty of Kauai, especially with a visit to the Wailua area with many sacred sites, petroglyphs, and other unique points of Hawaiian culture. Kayaking/boating up the Wailua River is a favorite for visitors and locals alike.

Generally, East Shore beaches are some of the more easily accessible beaches on the island.  The condominiums, vacation rentals, hotels and island residents in  Kapaa, Wailua and Waipouli make these beaches very popular on weekends and holidays. These beaches are subject to onshore breezes, which make for almost constant and windy conditions in most spots.

 

Beaches

15 beaches
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Anahola Beach Park Zoom

Anahola Beach Park

Anahola Beach Park is a local favorite because it has something suitable for everyone. It’s located on the east shore of Kauai. Many believe this is the safest beach on the windward coast of Kauai. White sand shores are protected from high surf by a reef. The ocean bottom has a few pockets of sand, so kids can swim here. There is a surf break at the outer edge of the reef providing for calmer waters.

Closer to the mouth of the Anahola River, the beach is generally less protected but has a break closer in that’s great for bodyboarding. The center part of the beach is a no board area.  Surfing is only allowed on the northern side of the beach. Snorkeling and diving is also a good for beginners. Extra caution should be taken near the river mouth because rip currents can be strong here.
The shore is 0.42 miles long with a backdrop of the Kalalea Mountains. Trees fringe the back of the shoreline which provide beachgoers and picnickers plenty of shade. You may see children frolicking at the nearby Anahola River and locals pole fishing at the river.
This beach park is one of the few overnight campgrounds on the eastern coast of Kauai.  Follow this link for more information on camping and getting permits for overnight camping.   In the summer, Anahola Beach Park can get pretty crowded with tents and campers.

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Donkey Beach Zoom

Donkey Beach

Donkey Beach or in Hawaiian, Paliku Beach is on the East Side of Kauai about 1.5 miles from Kealia Beach. It’s a great beach for sunbathing, offering plenty of sand and some shade trees.

Donkey Beach used to be one of the best nudist or topless or clothing optional beaches on the island. The secluded location made it a perfect spot for nudist or clothing optional beach goers. However, the beach has never been great for swimming.  As Donkey Beach’s fame grew surrounding land owners rallied for enforcement of anti-nudity laws. So you won’t see many nude sunbathers now.

Today, Donkey Beach continues to be visited as a good beach for sunbathing. It is not excellent for swimming or snorkeling since the water is choppy and rough. When conditions are good, surfers and bodyboarders can be seen at the beach. Because of its popularity, Donkey Beach is no longer as secluded as it had been years ago.

The beach has been referred to as Donkey Beach for a long time. The official name is Paliku, however it is also called Kuna Beach and Kumukumu Beach. It was nicknamed Donkey Beach after the mules that were present in a pasture nearby used for hauling cane (some claim there were never any Donkey’s near the beach, just mules).

To get to the beach requires about a 15 minute walk from the parking area.

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Hanamaulu Beach Zoom

Hanamaulu Beach

This beach is usually murky from the nearby Hanama’ulu Stream. Further out where the waters are clear some scuba diving and snorkeling can be done.

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Kalapaki Beach Zoom

Kalapaki Beach

The white sands and gentle waters of Kalapaki Beach are ideal for sunning, swimming, and sailing. Kalapaki Beach also is the home of the Kauai Marriott Resort & Beach Club, and Kauai Lagoons 40 acres of freshwater tropical lagoons that serve as a sanctuary for exotic wildlife.

You can also enjoy beach front dining with several shops and restaurants to choose from.

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Kapaa Beach Park Zoom

Kapaa Beach Park

As the name implies this beach is in the heart of the east side town of Kapa’a. The beach park has plenty of easy beach access and parking areas right off the highway in Kapaa. This white sand beach is good for strolling or biking. You can catch the bike and pedestrian path from here. 
When the surf is calm some swim at this beach but it’s not recommended. Locals can be seem in the water with children when water is calm. An offshore reef breaks the surf and wind chop creating a usually quiet lagoon. However in winter months, this beach is subject to large eastern swells, and strong currents out of the channel.
Baby & Fuji Beach
The adjoining canal is used as boat launch, and provides boats a area to launch with adequate depth. It also has a protected swimming area called Baby Beach, Waipouli Beach Park or Fuji Beach, not to be confused with the Baby Beach on the south shore, near Poipu. In the evenings you made see fisherman practicing lamalama or torch fishing. Kapa’a Beach Park is a common spot for shoreline fishing. You will see most of the fishermen near the footbridge that connects both sides of the canal. Also if you can get out of bed, make sure to watch the sun come up here.
This beach is about 1 mile long and runs from from the Waika’ea Canal (south) to the community swimming pool and Kapa’a Library (north). The Waika’ea canal is also called Fuji Beach by some. This beach is used by locals, and certainly doesn’t have a “resort” feel and isn’t pristine by any measure.

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Kealia Beach Zoom

Kealia Beach

Once the town of Kealia was a thriving plantation town, with a train depot and at the nearby landing an inter-island steamer would stop for passengers. Little is left today except a post office, store and of course a large beach. The word kealia means “salt encrusted”. Also, nearly every Hawaiian Island has a beach or stretch of sand called Kealia.

This white sandy beach is about one half mile long and is a local surfing and body boarding beach. Swimming also can be good here when conditions allow. During winter months you may be able to spot some whales. The northern end of this beach is generally calmer and better for swimming and body boarding. However, just because you see surfers and body boarders in the water, don’t disregard the strong currents that are present nearly all times of the year. At high surf, it’s not recommended to surf or attempt water activities at this beach.

The paved Kapaa Costal Path is accessible from Kealia Beach which is great for biking, jogging and walks along the shore.

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Lydgate Park Zoom

Lydgate Park

The best family-friendly beach on the island is Lydgate Beach Park in the town of Kapaa on the east shore. 

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Nawiliwili Beach Park Zoom

Nawiliwili Beach Park

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Niumalu Beach Park Zoom

Niumalu Beach Park

This is a great place to launch your kayaks and head up the Hule’ia Stream. This stream is featured in the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark. Camping is allowed by permit only but there’s not much else to do in the water here.

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North Aliomanu Beach Zoom

North Aliomanu Beach

This beach is composed of two sections of beach north and south Aliomanu. North Aliomanu beach is gorgeous and serene. The waters are rocky and swimming is limited. 

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Nukoli Beach Park Zoom

Nukoli Beach Park

This beach is also known as Kawailoa Beach and offers two miles of white sand beach, which makes it the longest beach on the east shore of Kauai. The nearshore waters are shallow and somewhat rocky providing only fair swimming. Snorkeling and scuba diving can be excellent when the water is calm. Fishing is also good in this area with the protection of an offshore reef. Nukolii Beach borders Lydgate Beach Park. Fronting Nukolii is the Wailua Golf Course and Kauai Beach Resort.
The offshore break at this beach is known as Graveyards to surfers. 

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Papaloa Beaches Zoom

Papaloa Beaches

There are a couple of public walkways for beach access from Papaloa Road. Beaches fronting condos or hotels are public, however parking and access may not be.

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South Aliomanu Beach Zoom

South Aliomanu Beach

This beach is made up of two sections of beach: north and south Aliomanu. It’s a beautiful stretch of sand, although it is one of the lesser-known beaches on Kauai. South Aliomanu beach is the more popular of the two and is used by locals for fishing, octopus hunting and seaweed harvesting right off the offshore fringing reef. The south section of this beach also has a lagoon which allows for some swimming.

Parking is limited to just a few spots in the designated lot, and can be very tight if full. The path to the beach is next to a beautiful stream area, with homes that come right up to the water.

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Wailu Beach Zoom

Wailu Beach

This beach is at the mouth of the Wailua River and is a popular surf and kite board location. The water can be murky and the parking is limited. The beach is located at the mouth of the only navigable river in the State of Hawaii, the Wailua River. Wailua Beach usually has strong surf and equally as strong currents. Access to this beach is easy but parking can be difficult and conditions are not ideal for swimming.

If you love to surf and are experienced, Wailua Beach has some very nice conditions for surfing.
Lae Nani
On the north end of Wailua Bay you will find a little stretch of beach fronting private condos. Known as Lae Nani this stretch of beach has a small rock protected pool for small children. The public access is located across the street form the Shell gas station just after the stretch of beach along the highway. Turtle watching and the pebble like sand make this a nice beach on the East Side. Lydgate Beach just a few minutes south of here is as better choice for swimming, snorkeling and has better facilities.
Nearby:
  • Lydgate Beach

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Waipouli Beach Park Zoom

Waipouli Beach Park

Waipouli Beach and Waipouli Beach Park are separate but adjacent beach locations.

Waipouli Beach
Waipouli Beach is between the Beachboy and Coconut Beach Resort. Good walking/jogging trail above the beach, however the water is usually not safe for swimming. The beach itself is long and fronts the Kauai Sands Hotel, Islander on the Beach and Aston Kauai Beach at Maka’iwa. The ocean bottom is rocky in most areas which is another reason swimming is not so good. However, the area is beautiful and on the southern end of the beach is a small cove where sea turtles can be seen near a rocky outcropping. A public access trail leads from the road to this cove. There is also a paved trail along much of the rest of the beach.

Waipouli Beach Park
Just north is the Waipouli Beach Park, which is not as scenic as Waipouli Beach. It is a gathering spot among local residents and popular fishing spot. There is a boat ramp and a pedestrian bridge that leads over a stream to the neighboring Kapa’a Beach Park. The swimming at Waipouli Beach Park is good when the ocean is calm especially nice for novice swimmers and children because the nearshore waters are shallow . A natural breakwater offshore acts as a barrier to incoming waves in one section of the beach (between Panihi Road and Makana Road). Waipouli Beach Park has the restrooms, parking, picnics and more, which you won’t find at Waipouli Beach.

Fuji & Baby Beach
Waipouli Beach Park is also called Fuji beach and baby beach, is a small beach that’s a great place for small children to play. A rocky sea wall creates a shallow tide pool where infants can play in. This is not the beach in front of the Waipouli Beach Resort which is located about half a mile south of here, and is called Waipouli Beach.

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