This sandy beach and sheltered bay is tucked between a marina and the mountains. It's overlooked by the Marriott resort, which faces the bay, and by an enviable collection of houses atop a rocky ridge to the east. Its easy-access location and versatility make it popular with families, but the sandy bottom and river outlet here often make for murky water. Calmer waters toward the east are good for swimming. Swells to the west draw bodyboarders and both novice and intermediate surfers.
Getty Images/Perspectives
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
19.44 MILES
Hanalei Bay is Kauaʻi's postcard-perfect beach, embracing surfers, paddlers, bodyboarders and beach bums alike. It's a perfect crescent of golden sand…
Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge
19.01 MILES
The gloriously scenic wildlife refuge that marks the northernmost tip of the major Hawaiian islands protects both nesting seabirds on the coastal cliffs…
22.98 MILES
Perhaps the most beautiful spot on an island of unsurpassed beauty, this magnificent garden is a must-see stop on any North Shore itinerary. Besides…
23.34 MILES
Long renowned as one of the North Shore’s most glorious beaches, lovely Ke‘e Beach, beside the Kalalau trailhead at the end of Kuhio Hwy, has been given a…
National Tropical Botanical Garden
10.54 MILES
Two superb gardens in lush Lawa‘i Valley, run by the National Tropical Botanical Garden, are open to visitors. Allerton Garden, spreading back from a…
22.44 MILES
Besides the two Na Pali lookouts at the end of the paved highway, Koke‘e State Park is the starting point for almost 50 miles of outstanding hiking trails…
21.71 MILES
This magnificent scenic drive traces the entire length of Waimea Canyon’s western rim and continues into Kokeʻe State Park, climbing 19 miles from the…
Black Pot Beach Park (Hanalei Pier)
19.77 MILES
The short easternmost stretch of Hanalei Bay, alongside the rivermouth, usually offers the calmest surf among the wild North Shore swells, and is popular…
Nearby Lihuʻe attractions
0.5 MILES
You don't want to swim here (the surf is often too rough), but the water is pretty and there are some good tide pools nearby. Access is by a very steep…
0.55 MILES
Accessible from the grounds of the Ocean Course at Hōkūala, this gorgeous beach is perfect for a picnic (but bad for swimming because of sometimes rough…
0.98 MILES
Surrounded by rugged coastal scenery, this slender whitewashed lighthouse was built in 1906. It's been automated, so alas, no lighthouse keeper. You can…
1.28 MILES
Once ranked among Kauaʻi's most productive sugar companies, Grove Farm was acquired in 1864 by George Wilcox, the Hilo-born son of Protestant missionaries…
7. Alekoko (Menehune) Fishpond Overlook
1.43 MILES
This roadside overlook offers an oft-photographed vista of the Huleʻia Valley, where the Huleʻia River winds beneath a ring of verdant peaks. The river is…
1.56 MILES
The island’s largest museum is set in two buildings – one of which was built with lava rock in 1960. Come here for a quick grounding in Kauaʻi’s history…