This lovely crescent of white sand slopes gently into the water making it a great swimming beach that is well visited by locals as well as tourists. About 1/3-mile long and quite wide, Kalapaki Beach fronts the Kauai Marriott Resort & Beach Club and is located in a somewhat protected cove that opens to Nawiliwili Bay and Kauai’s main harbor. A strip of perfectly maintained grass lines the sand providing nice places to relax beneath palm trees. A concession on the beach offers surfing lessons, catamaran cruises, and sailboat rentals. Kalapaki is a good surfing beach for beginners, with shallow waves rolling across an offshore sandbar. The beach is also popular among volleyball players with several courts located along the beach. Nearby is Nawiliwili Park as well as the Kauai Lagoons Golf Course.
Great For
Swimming, bodyboarding, surfing, stand-up paddleboarding, windsurfing, volleyball, picnics.
Highlights
This popular beach has gentle water, scenic mountain views, and lots of activities going on.
Need to Know
During east and southeast swells the surf outside of the cove can be quite large and strong rip currents may form near Kalapaki Beach. Swimmers should stay very close to shore and never go in the ocean during times of high surf or rough seas.
Lifeguard
No
Facilities
Water sports equipment concession, nearby hotels, restaurants, picnic areas, Anchor Cove Shopping Center.
Access
Kalapaki Beach is located in Kauai’s main town of Lihue. To get to Kalapaki Beach from Kauai’s south shore follow Hwy. 50 north and turn right on Hwy. 58 (Nawiliwili Rd.). Follow the road for about two miles to the beach. From the north follow Hwy. 56 which becomes Hwy. 51. Continue on for about 2.8 miles and then turn left on Rice Street and go about 1.5 miles to the beach. You can park in the lot next to the Anchor Cove Shopping Center. Kalapaki Beach can also be accessed through the Kauai Marriott Resort.