Keʻe Beach

If I have to choose a favorite beach on Kauaʻi, this is it. At the very end of the road on the north side, Keʻe is about as close to a natural swimming pool as you will find. Itʻs a snorkeling and shallow water play beach, not a surfing beach. Keʻe beach has a life guard, restrooms, and outside showers.

North shore beaches are usually calm in the summer, and Keʻe is one of the more protected, but especially in the winter the surf can get very big. Outside the reef the current can be strong and thereʻs nothing but ocean north of here for thousands of miles, so always respect the ocean for safety.

The photo (shot from the Kalalau trail which begins right here) shows the beach and reef clearly. Looking out from the beach the right side is where the best snorkeling is, along the inside edge of the reef where it is extremely well protected (provided the ocean is reasonable smooth). You can also snorkel along the rocks on the left side. On the left (obscured by palms in the photo) the reef opens to the ocean. In front of the reef is a big expanse of shallow water ideal for water play.

You can walk down the beach to the right (away from the camera in this photo); further down you may have to walk over some rocks but you can walk at least back to Haena State Park. Thatʻs not a bad beach either and it has wave action but if in the neighborhood I always head for Keʻe myself. Beyond that is the fabled Tunnels beach, ...


Directions: drive north on Kuhio Highway 56 which becomes 560, through Hanalei, past Haena, parking at the end of Highway 560. Arrive early or the parking lot will be full. There is overflow parking in a dirt lot makai of the road a few hundred yards before which also can get full fairly fast. This area daily gets overloaded with visitors and people park haphazardly (ignoring no parking signs) for which I am told you can expect to get a ticket.


More on this area at Saturday north shore day.