Nukoli'i Beach Park
Lihue, HI
Nukoli'i Beach Park runs for two unbroken miles along Kauai's east side, fronting the Wailua Golf Course and the Hilton Kauai Beach Resort, wide open enough that even a weekend crowd spreads out and disappears into the distance. Locals walk it at sunrise before the trade winds pick up, when the sand is nearly empty and the golf course fairways beside it are still quiet.
The sheer length and emptiness make it a great walking beach, but the open shorebreak and lack of shade keep it from being a go to swimming spot.
How we score beachesUse the Kauai Beach Road entrance rather than the resort side. It's the only public access with its own small lot, restrooms, and picnic tables, and it draws far fewer people than parking through the hotel.
A small paved lot with restrooms sits at the end of Kauai Beach Road, with additional informal access along a dirt road between the golf course and the Hilton.
A flat, mostly paved path from the lot leads to open sand, an easy walk, though the beach itself is soft and unshaded for most of its length.
Trade winds pick up most afternoons regardless of season, so mornings are the calmer, more pleasant time to visit in any month. Winter can bring a stronger shorebreak and occasional high surf advisories.
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