Poipu Beach Park — Attraction in Kauai

This beach was such a find for us! We started at the beach in front of the Sheraton and it was a bit rough for us to be honest! We were staying at the Koloa Landing Resort (check out my in depth review on that incredible Marriott Autograph Collection property) so we had access to umbrella rentals, etc. but we were looking for novice level seas, some snorkeling, swimming, that sort of thing. Our hotel recommended Poipu Beach and it was only a short, 4 minute drive by car and there is also a path to walk to it if you want.

First, get there early for parking! Second, bring shade if you need it unless you plan to sit under the canopy with picnic tables. It’s nice, but it’s a bit back from the beach. We rented an umbrella and although it got windy, our umbrella worked out great!

There is an active lifeguard tower and they are working hard to keep folks safe. Although there is a protected area to swim, there is also a section where the tides converge and they were constantly monitoring and using the megaphone to tell folks to come back in.

There is a cute little island just across the way and there were plenty of fish to see! We even saw them right up my close to the shore! And if you get lucky, you will see a turtle or two on the shore as it is mating season now and we saw 3 large turtles out there! Also, there is a place near the shaded picnic tables to spray yourself off, I just did not see...

Grew up swimming and body boarding on the the Garden Isle. There were many spots to choose from depending on the tide patterns. Especially the sunny south shore. In the early 90s there was a sand bottom beach with a tall retaining wall that over looked Brennekes beach in Poipu. This is where my love for body boarding began. Now some thirty years later I still visit the area for it's fishing, and water activities, and various picnicing areas. Parking can sometimes be a task, but once parked you'll be in for a treat. Good for the whole family, Poipu beach Park offers snorkeling, swimming pond for all ages thanks to the protective rock barrier providing calm and relaxing water when the weather and surf conditions permits it. There is a playground centered near the pond if swimming isnt your thing. Oh and don't forget about our fur-riends as they too are welcome. There are showers, restrooms and changing rooms as well. Brennekes Beach Broiler located across the street has a beach deli below, and a concession store at the entrance to the restaurant if I'm not mistaken. The location next door, Nukumois, offers board rentals, surf lessons, and beach attire as well. Poipu Beach is family inviting and kid friendly. Check'm out for yourselves and the 'āina will provide the rest....

We just bought our own snorkel set from Costco and some underwater shoes from Amazon to protect against the coral and explored on our own. We saw a bunch of fun fish when we snorkeled here, the coral didn’t look as colorful as I expected but there was still plenty to see. We also saw 6 Hawaiian sea turtles come up to nap on the shore while the sun was up, and about 40 made their way up after sunset! They don’t like flashlights disturbing them in their rest, so the docents remind people regularly to turn their flashlights off. Bring a red light if you want to see those or come out on a full moon for better light.

We also spotted two Hawaiian monk seals napping on the shore as well! We asked around and the turtles come out almost regularly near sunset but not always as many and not always as long, same with the seals. The seals are solitary so they don’t stick around in groups. It’s rare for more than one to surface at a time but when they do they don’t group together like the turtles. It was pretty neat to watch and I especially appreciated that the docents protect the wildlife and make them feel safe enough to want to return to these...