Kauai’s South Shore Beaches - Maha’ulepu Beaches

The Maha’ulepu Beaches are made up of three areas called Gillin’s Beach, Kawailoa Bay and Ha’ula Beach. These beaches are unbelievable to walk around on and explore and provide sights and experiences the other beaches can’t. Swimming at these beaches can be dangerous and is not recommended, yet the beaches are still worth a visit.

You can reach the Maha’ulepu Beaches by driving until you reach the dirt road after you have passed the Hyatt, taking a right at the dead end and following the telephone poles until you reach the beach.

Gillin’s Beach
This beach has some interesting sights like the sandstone sinkhole that has an open roof. It is really amazing to see and some archeology studies are being conducted in the area. You can really see some things at Gillin’s Beach that you won’t see anywhere else.

Reaching this sinkhole is not too hard. Simply park on the side of the road to the right when the road begins curving to the left. You will see a home to your right, walk by it and look for the stream. Take the trail in front of the stream and keep walking for a few minutes. Then you will come upon the ancient sinkhole and can see all it has to offer.

Kawailoa Bay
Kawailoa Bay runs right into Gillin’s Beach, or the other way around, and between this stretch you can see some amazing windsurfing. If you are a windsurfer then you might want to try your skills on this stretch of water because it is simply outstanding.

Reaching Kawailoa Bay is easy because you just keep driving down the dirt road until the road is right beside the beach. When you reach this point you are at Kawailoa Bay.

Ha’ula Beach
The beach at Ha’ula Beach is breathtakingly beautiful, although few people actually visit this beach. It requires about a 10-15 minute walk on lithified sand. The sandstone has been carved into strange shapes and points from the never-ending sea spray. When you visit you might see some local fisherman or riders on horseback, but you will more than likely be alone. You can sit back and enjoy watching the water slam into the cliffs or just relax and let all of your stress go. You don’t want to swim while you are at Ha’ula Beach because it is dangerous more often than not.

If you are into exploring you might want to take the ridge to the northeast and follow it until you reach Kipu Kai Beach. The only way you can access it is to follow that ridge. This beach is beautiful because it is completely secluded and it allows you to feel as if you are all alone in the world. Simply enjoy what nature has provided before you head back to the real world.