Hanalei Bay is Kauaʻi's postcard-perfect beach, embracing surfers, paddlers, bodyboarders and beach bums alike. It's a perfect crescent of golden sand lining the two-mile stretch of the beautiful bay, running west from the mouth of the Hanalei River. It’s divided into four named sections, though as you enjoy a beachfront walk you can’t tell where one ends and the next begins. Each offers different conditions for swimming and surfing, so don’t assume it’s safe to enter the ocean anywhere along the continuous strip.
Black Pot Beach
The short easternmost stretch of Hanalei Bay, alongside the rivermouth, usually offers the calmest surf among the wild North Shore swells, and is popular with novice surfers. It's also known as Hanalei Pier for its unmistakable landmark jetty, perfect for a sunset stroll. In summer, swimming, snorkeling and SUP are decent – though the river itself can carry bacteria. Kayakers launch from a boat ramp on the river.
Hanalei Pavilion Beach Park
Once you’ve admired the view from the pier, slip off your shoes and walk a half-mile to Hanalei Pavilion Beach Park, absorbing the beauty of Hanalei Bay. If the waves are large, you'll see surfers charging the point break way offshore; if seas are calm, have a swim before heading south on Weke Rd.
Waikoko Beach
Protected by a reef on the western bend of Hanalei Bay, sandy-bottomed roadside Waikoko beach – literally "blood water" – offers shallower and calmer waters than the middle of the bay. It’s thus the safest for family swimming, but sadly it has no facilities. Local surfers call the break here Waikokos; watch them at work to spot where it is.
Waiʻoli (Pine Trees) Beach Park
Winter brings big swells, and locals dominate the surf spot that’s known as Pine Trees in honor of the waterfront ironwoods. There’s a more challenging shore break here than anywhere else on Hanalei Bay, and swimming is dangerous, except during summer calms.
Parking and facilities in Hanalei Bay
There's a small parking lot at Hanalei Pavilion Beach Park, and street-parking spaces are often available. Facilities here include restrooms and outdoor showers. Waiʻoli Beach Park offers respite from the sun, with with restrooms, outdoor showers, beach volleyball courts and picnic tables.