Ha'ena Beach Park — Attraction in Kauai

A little bit of a challenging drive (narrow roads and one-lane bridges) but not too difficult and well worth the effort! The sheer cliff that greets you on the left as you park near the beach on the right is amazing. And there is an old lava tube underneath it, so you will want to take a few pictures there! Beautiful and scenic beach but large, strong waves. The lifeguard shooed a few people off of an exposed rock/reef because the waves were coming in and could have easily washed them off. The lifeguard also told me that if we walked down the beach, off to the right towards the point, you would gain a vantage point of the rock formations above the sheer cliff behind us. (These would be what you see from Hanalei. My wife thought it looked like a dragon's head.) We didn't stay long as we were interested in doing some snorkeling and this was definitely NOT the place to do any of that. But very scenic and well worth exploring, maybe next time. Tunnels Beach is nearby and it is known for its good surfing and for some amazing scuba-diving. The "tunnels" part are submerged lava tubes,...

If you can find a parking spot, be sure to stay awhile and enjoy Ha'ena beach! We circled through the little parking loop several times before just waiting near the entrance for the next person to leave (this is acceptable, just leave some room behind you so a few cars can get into the line as well). We did a quick stop at the dry cave across the street before heading down to the beach. What's so cool about Ha'ena is that there is a large part of the beach that has the traditional big waves, but also a portion that is protected by a reef, which is perfect for kids and those who aren't as strong swimmers to enjoy the water. We weren't planning on staying for as long as we did, but it was so beautiful that we ended up staying for a few hours! Not only do you have the ocean and beach views, but right behind you is a gorgeous, lush mountain! It's such a uniquely beautiful place! There is also a lifeguard on duty (at least during the time we went on Sunday afternoon), and the bathrooms are fairly clean. Highly recommend if you are up near Hana'lei and need...

Amazing beach and my absolute #1 in Kauai. We came in the middle of a storm (unusual for April I was told) and 2 days after the storm (which resulted in flash flooding and road closure into Hanalei from the South for a full day) we came here, there was absolutely no driftwoods on the beach (unlike many other beaches which can make it unpleasant). The water was super clear and clean, the background to die for. There were many protective pools surrounded by rocks, I enjoyed standing in the many pools and just dip my feet (can't swim and not really a beach person!) As many other Kauai beaches in April, it was not busy and there were plenty of personal spaces. We were planning to go to the Limahuli Garden & Preserve, unfortunately they closed unexpectedly (likely d/t the storm), but thanks to the closure we discovered Haena Beach impromptu! The water was also very gentle so my...