Tips to Find the Best Beach to Snorkel in Kauai
Written: Dec 28 '99 (Updated Jan 11 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Lots of fish, water often calm and warm
Cons: Rocky bottom - wear fins or aqua socks
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| randilyn's Full Review: Kauai |
I've been to Kauai twice, for 10 days the first time and 15 days the second time. This gave me plenty of time to explore most of the beaches on all corners of the island. The BEST beach to snorkel on really depends on the time of year, and on the weather.
My personal favorite is Poipu Beach, which is on the south side of the island. There are two places to snorkel there, and they are separated by a sand bar. The best side to snorkel on depends on the surf. There are a wide variety of fish there, and if you go a little deeper, you will probably see sea anenomes and small eels.
Other good places to snorkel are: Kee Beach (far north end of the island at the end of the highway), Tunnels Beach (almost as far north as Kee), and Hideaways Beach at the Princeville Hotel (there is a *long* path for public access, and you can use their outdoor showers and restrooms also, which is very nice), and Queen's Bath, also in Princeville.
I don't like Kee as much because there are a lot of pine trees there, and the trees litter the beach with lots of pine needles and other "tree junk". There are also lots of biting bugs there. If you head to the Kalalau Trail, you will definitely need bug spray. The snorkeling is great, though, if the surf is calm.
When you go to Tunnels, head right when you get to the beach if you take the north entrance. The snorkeling is much better there (look for all the people!). If seclusion is what you crave, head left. Tunnels can be hard to find, though.
Queen's Bath is actually in a lava shelf. When the tide is high, water (along with fish) are added to the pond. You won't be able to find it when the surf is high. When the tide is lower, you will have a nice, calm pond to snorkel in. The water is crystal clear, and there are lots of fish. This is the best place to take underwater pictures, because of the clear water and you aren't being tossed by the waves. Be aware, though, of eels that might have gotten washed in there. When I was there last, someone got stung by one. It is a 10-20 minute hike to the bath.
To illustrate my point on the snorkeling depending on the weather, for the first two weeks of my second stay, snorkeling at Poipu was the best on the island. The water was calm and clear, and I got lots of good pictures of the fishies. However, the day before I left I wanted to go snorkeling one last time. I went down to Poipu and to my shock waves were CRASHING due to high surf conditions, and the sandbar that separates the beach into two parts was submerged in water. The lifeguard had to jetski out to rescue several surfers... needless to say there was no snorkeling at Poipu that day!
If you go somewhere to snorkel and are disappointed at the conditions in the water, drive to another portion of the island. It is quite possible that you will find much better conditions there.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
randilyn
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Location: Las Vegas, NV
Reviews written: 101
Trusted by: 56 members
About Me:
I own a candle and spa accessories business. My real job = financial analyst.
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