Kauapea (Secret Beach)

Oct 11, 2006 8:05PM

Secrets is great but watch out for the strong waves and shady people.

Dec 20, 2006 9:15AM

Be careful at this beach ! I had to pull a father of two out of a rip current this August. The shorebreak really breaks hard here and I noticed lots of inexperienced swimmers and kids in the water seemingly unaware of the situation. I wouldn't let my kids go in (10 and 12 years old) but ultimately I had to go in to rescue the dad who got in trouble. Listen to the lifeguards and swim where they can help you out. Even the best swimmer who is unfamiliar with the currents and breaks in Hawaii can get in big trouble fast. Most importantly, use common sense and be safe! thanks ray

Justin Britt

Jan 30, 2007 12:50PM

I was body surfing last week and a tourist came out into the water. He was sucked over the falls on a medium sized wave, and to my surprise, he came out for some more punishment.

He was waving for his friend to come join him, but his friend was smart and didn't want any part of it.

Within a matter of minutes the man was sucked out to sea by a rip current. He was struggling and swimming against the current. He was done for and was screaming for help. My friend and all around nice guy, Ryan Hanneberg, made the rescue. The man was so relieved to get back to shore he gave Ryan a huge shaka.

Moral of the story. Just because you see people in the water, it doesn't mean it's safe to go out. Many locals are experienced water people. Ask before you go out. Play it safe. It's not worth dying for.

Mar 01, 2007 10:17PM

This is my favorite beach on Kauai. The visuals are stunning: The deep brown of the rocks, the green of the trees, the white of the sands, the blue of the ocean, all elemental colors, all juxtapose to create a whole which is greater than the sum of its parts. Remote. Untamed. Raw. Very primeval experience. FYI: Both I and my friends have drunk from and showered in the water dripping profusely from the mountain rock, with no adverse reactions. Tastes clean. This is truly paradise. I pray that access will always be granted to this beach. I was there in January 2007 and someone had attempted to grade the dirt parking lot with a bulldozer. The lot was all mud. Wassup with that? Do you know?

Mar 16, 2007 6:49AM

Hi Steven,
My husband, Glenn and I hiked down to Secret Beach and it is exactly as you described... including the "shower"... just beautiful. We noticed that dozed area you are talking about and there was a construction gentleman present & we asked him regarding the moving of dirt... new homes are being built up there ~ Hopefully, the beach will still be accessable ~ I would think, that the trail would be a "Grandfathered" trail to this hidden gem keeping it allowed in the future ~ What a place, huh? The surfers there are great to watch on 1st Beach and Glenn and I were the only ones present on the shhhh!! Secret ~ beach~! All ours.....

Makes me want to hurry back.. another Nor'Easter is slamming us today ~ it's snowing out, the winds ripping and I so badly want to be there... I'm there in spirit, for sure...

Aloha ~ Kitty

Matt

Apr 17, 2007 12:05PM

I went to kauai about 3 weeks ago. I was determined to find this beach. I live and grew up on oahu and there aren't many beaches that sound like this one.

My friends and I had an idea where it was. We knew it was left of the lighthouse and right of the bay. I knew we had to find some type of dirt parking lot (from this website), yet we couldn't see any. We drove up the road that leads to the light house, although before you get to the lighthouse, we took a left into a road that leads to houses that face the ocean.

We couldn't find a beach access/path anywhere. I was so determined to find this beach that I walked down someone's property and asked the construction guys who were working on the property "how do we get to this beach!?" a local guy told us just to drive down a little more and a huge empty lot will be there. it had a trailor/office there and nothing else. we parked right outside of the fence and hopped it. we walked all the way down the field towards the ocean and then a trail started to appear. I was so excited. we followed this trail down and then a manmade stairs started to appear. we were hiking down these stairs when a opening in the trees appeared. there it was........the most beautiful site i've seen. the beach was exposed and lookin so beautiful. once we got to the bottom i saw a huge open open with perfect shorebreak. i was ecstatic and ran to the ocean. i discovered a nice sandbar to help with the shore break. and top it off, there were two local chicks already there lookin at shells. when i looked behind myself there were beautiful treefilled cliffs surrounding this gem of a beach.

i will definitely return to the beach again one day. i'm sure a house will be built on the property we walked through to get to the trail. i just hope i can find another way to this beach!!!!!

May 22, 2007 2:17PM

However, in the summertime the waves have dropped off quite a bit and the shorebreak is not so monstrous {remain ever vigilant, nonetheless}.
While beaches 1, 2 and 3 are fabuloso, there is a beach to the left we like to call "Zeroes" which forms some lovely pools with the high tides.
Sometimes a few shells do find there way to this beach, so if you find any live ones, please toss them back. Mahalo.

James Smallwood

Jun 19, 2007 11:50AM

Awesome site. Secret beach looks like a place I need to go visit. The waves look a little flat in that picture though for surfing.

Jul 06, 2007 4:49AM

In regard to most of the beaches on the northshore area of Kauai, what sort of "general rules" are there when swimming and playing around in the ocean. We are inexperienced ocean swimmers, so should we stay within a certain distance from shore or only go out when it's calm? What are some tips you can give a couple ocean rookies? Thanks.

Jul 10, 2007 10:51AM

I went to Secrets for sunrise back in early May and it was amazing. I was amazed how strong the currents are and how beautiful the surroundings are. This is what you come to Kauai for. Mahalo!

Sep 08, 2007 7:00PM

Im going to Kauai for Christmas this year and would love to see a good sunset, which beach would be the best place to go? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Dec 08, 2007 8:25PM

Star, Go to The Beach House near Poipu for the sunset that time of the year it is spectactular there. We go ever year the in Dec. and send our last nite there for dinner. We leave tomorrow morning for the Island! And I made my reservations for dinner 3 weeks ago!

Jan 09, 2008 5:03PM

I am going to Kauai in June. Does anyone have an update on the access to this beach. I saw the "secret" on the travel channel, and have wanted to go for a couple of years. Some of the earlier posts talked about construction, and homes being built where the access is. Anyone know if there is still a way to get there, or do you have to trespass?
Thanks,
-Dan

Jan 11, 2008 10:33AM

I\'ve lived on Kauai for seven years and Secrets is one of the beaches to respect. There are many sacred spots on this iana (land), and this is one of them. Please respect the uniqueness of this place and pack out what you pack in. Keep it that way and it will be there for many generations to come. Mahalo and aloha

Jan 27, 2008 1:56AM

I'd take it a step farther than Doug. Just got back and after visiting most of the beaches on Kauai I'd have to say that not only should people pack out what they pack in, they shouldn't hesitate to pick up any litter they may encounter. Be the better person and don't ever say to yourself, "Well, I didn't put it there..."

Mahalo

Feb 23, 2008 4:24PM

Planning my DREAM trip in April. Should I add this to my "Top 10 things To Do" list, as I only have just 7 short days on Kauai? I hear the surf is more "manageable" during this time. Is swimming possible?? i would appreciate ANY info.!!! Thanks, Tina

Mar 03, 2008 11:17PM

i am planning to go with my wife and 9 month old son. Any suggestions on a good spot to stay that has easy access to a great spot to sit and just watch the sea.

Mar 22, 2008 4:12AM

is this a nude beach?

Mar 31, 2008 5:30PM

I am planning on hitting Kauai in September this year and really want to see this beach. On the map it looks like there are a couple different stretches of Kalihiwai Rd. Can you tell me which leg to take the dirt road off of? Is it the west leg or the east leg and if it's the east leg it looks like it splits so which way at the Y? Thanks for help in advance.

Apr 01, 2008 10:35PM

I love your site -- great information. We will be staying in a house on the Kilauea River (in Kilauea) in late June and early July. It looks like this is the closest beach. However, it looks like it might not be the safest beach to swim in with our 10-year-old. Can you recommend nearby beaches that would be good for swimming and snorkeling with a 10-year-old (first time ocean swimmer; the water in Oregon, where we live, is COLD!)? Also, approximately how long does it take to drive from Kilauea to Anini Beach, Tunnels, Hanalei Bay, and Ke'e? Thanks so much!

Jun 11, 2008 6:17PM

One of Sarah\'s questions, from 4-1-08, didn\'t get answered yet and I\'m kind of curious myself about travel times since there are sooooo many beaches and so little time!
She asked: approx how long does it take to drive from Kilauea to Anini, Tunnels, Hanalei Bay and Ke\'e Beaches? I\'d like to add Haena to that mix.
I\'ll be driving in off season traffic (late October-early November) but Sarah might be vacationing during the summer...she didn\'t say in her post.
Thanks for your thoughts on this.

Harrito

Jul 04, 2008 12:23PM

Our favorite beach in Kauai is Kahili (Rock) Quarry Beach. We're concerned that flood waters from the Ka Loco dam left a lot of debris on the beach. Can you update me on conditions? This was such a sad event to have happened at a place we love so much.

Mahalo!

Jul 11, 2008 4:30PM

My husband and I were ticket for public nudity at Secret Beach last October. We weren\'t doing anything nasty, just tanning and snoozing, nobody else around either, so keep your suit on or pay the fine.

Aug 16, 2008 6:28AM

We\'re leaving for our honeymoon in Kauai in 6 hours! It\'s going to be a dream vacation for both of us. I bought a travel guide a few weeks ago and Secret Beach was the first beach we read about that we decided we couldn\'t miss. We\'re going for isolation and privacy. Our own tropical paradise. Do you reccomend it for honeymooners?

Sep 10, 2008 8:34AM

Aloha,
We'll be visiting Secret Beach tomorrow after spending the entire day today at Larsen's, about 3 miles the other side of Kilauea.

However, whassup with Larsen's. There were several guys there with chain saws essentially landscaping the entire beach by cutting out much of the undergrowth just landward of the high water line, i.e. between the beach and the farm road. This pretty much destroys the ambience of sitting under the trees. I'm assuming that the owner of the property hired them to do so, but I'm wondering what's next?: Development? A coastal road? Larsen's was so cool, but it now looks like a damn park.

Aloha, Curt

Curt

Sep 11, 2008 9:06AM

We visited Secret Beach today as well as the Queen's Bath. Photos and narratives of yesterday's visit to Larsen's and today's visits posted on the web site linked to my name shown to left. Enjoy!

Sep 13, 2008 8:00PM

We will be in Princeville next year, early Sept. What should we expect the waters to be like at Secret Beach or other beaches at that time of year? We aren\'t great swimmers and so only really interested in wading and scenery..so what would be our other beach best choices that time of year?

Sep 17, 2008 7:49AM

Secret beach has to be one of our favorite beaches in the whole world. It has nearly everything an experienced vacationer could want (minus good snorkeling) as well as providing a fun escape from the typical hawaii beach scene. It's sad thet nudity is no longer allowed, as there are many places you could do so without disturbing fellow beach go-ers. Extremely fun surf, but only those who respect the ocean and have experience in big waves dare go there. The tides] pools were especially amazing. It's like haveing your own mini aquarium/infiti pool. Glad directions aren't posted anywhere. Having said that, we still found quite a bit of trash lying around, and took it upon ourselves to take it with us when we left. If you do happen to find this beach, i suggest doing the same as a sort of payment for the incredible beauty mother nature unfurls.

Dec 16, 2008 1:51AM

The Kauai Explorer Staff are promoting disinformation about the subject of nudity in Hawaii. On March 23, 2008 post and July 15, 2008 post they state nudity is illegal. This is not accurate. Only nudity where the sunbather INTENDS to affront or alarm is illegal. Kauai Explorer Staff refers to signs put up at the trail to Secret Beach. These are published by (name omitted), a Republican and Mormon who is terrified of nude persons. She and her (name omitted) employs a Mormon Japanese vigilante named (name omitted) at 15 bucks per hour to harass beachcombers. He has, until stopped by complaints by Kauai Naturist, harassed beachgoers for years. The Hawaii State Supreme Court in 2000 in HI v. Milford and HI v. Kalama ruled nudity is only illegal if INTENT to offend is made. (Name omitted) and the Mormons ignore the ruling of the court and create the bogus signs. The tourism officials in Hawaii also will never volunteer to tell you that topfree bathing in Hawaii is perfectly legal, except at State Park beaches which are very few in number. The religious elements in Hawaii, and Kauai, are bigoted and do not care what the law actually is. To Mandy: if you were innocently sunbathing at Secret and got a ticket it was an illegal ticket. Law enforcement had no authority to ticket you as Secret is unencumbered land, not a a State Park. You should challenge it in court.

Dec 30, 2008 12:41AM

Love your comments. I would like to bring my wife of 30 years for a joint maui/kaui vacation. We have maui covered but are virgins when it comes to kaui. Can you suggest some places to go. I'm not a swimmer but am looking for a lagoon where the water is not more than 5' deep yet offers that swim through an aquarium experience. Anything come to mind? We'd like to visit in May. Thanks so much.
Kimo & Paula Paula

Jan 04, 2009 6:59PM

Had an incredible day yesterday at Polihale. Not a sole in sight. We had to hike about 5 miles to get to it due to road closures. Lots of mud and signs saying it was hazardous driving. Once we got to the park head, we saw a gate and a closed sign. Having walked for 1 hour we ignored it, went on to the beach, and had the entire place to ourselves for 2 hours. Do you know why Polihale is \"closed\"? Is it just the roads or is there another reason. It\'s Jan 2, 2009. Is it possibly seasonal?
THANKS!

Jan 09, 2009 11:35PM

Dave, I was so happy to read your comment. We will be coming to Kauai Jan 16-22. We were planning to go to Polihale but read that it was closed. Did you just park your car before the dirt road? I am guessing I could still get fined and ticketed if I walked to the beach?

Jan 13, 2009 6:56PM

2 Issues:

1. I've heard about another beach on Kauai - Aliomanu Beach. Please comment if you know it's location or anything about it: popularity, conducive to nude sunbathing, easy to find and get to, etc.

2. Is Barking Sands Beach the same as Polihale Beach? And, of course, are either or both of them open in March?

Great forum !
THANKS

Jan 14, 2009 8:21AM

Wow.. 30-35 feet on the North Shore. Absolutely insane. I would love to see a photo of what those suckers look like breaking at Hanalei or Ke'e or even here.. Wish I was there to see it.

Jan 17, 2009 1:55PM

My partner and I are visiting Kauai for our first time in feb to march. He is a novice surfer and I am very cautious of riptides in even the most calm conditions. I respect the power of the water. What would be some good hang out beaches for us?

Jan 20, 2009 10:00PM

Is Secret Beach still open? We will be visiting in February and the beach sounds wonderful.

Feb 14, 2009 6:29AM

My husband and I will be spending the last week in February in Kauai. I love to snorkel. Can you suggest where the best spots would be this time of year?

Feb 22, 2009 11:46PM

I will be visiting Kauai in May and I have heard from friends that there are good bouldering and climbing locations at Secret Beach and I was just wondering if this was true?

Mar 07, 2009 10:12PM

at the far end of secret beach, there is a decent traverse-able area. Just be careful of rock breaking (you won't be high anyway) and sometimes there is not so nice stuff in pockets (bugs, choss, icky stuff). the only other almost climbable (boulderable) rock is at glass beach (little cave - it's neat with a nice landing but folks tell me people sometimes urinate in the sand under it) and a little rock at the west end of Gillin's beach.
take it from a prev climber now living in Kauai, when Chouinard used to visit Kauai, he didn't climb, he surfed.

Mar 09, 2009 5:42PM

Aloha, Thanks so much for running this site and forum. we should all treat secret beach with respect--a special place for the spirit. Since this is traditionally a clothing optional beach and a place where freedom lives & breathes, I have looked into the issue mentioned by another poster and find it to be true--that simple nudity, absent any intent to offend, is not illegal in Hawaii. Simply being nude in itself does not demonstrate an intent to offend and is not illegal in Hawaii--this is clear. And a woman being bare breasted is perfeclty legal in Hawaii.

Thanks to all and keep the aloha flowing...Peace.

Mar 23, 2009 8:47PM

I was there in 2000. And it was very much a naked beach. But everyone was so nonchalant....60 year old overweight woman stolling in nothing but her straw hat, asks \"how are you today\"? The sand blew in my open mouth....when I replied...\"ahhhh Great\"! Long walk down to get there, and VERY harsh waves...If you want to get in the water, plan on a long shower, to get the sand out of your nether regions.

Mar 31, 2009 8:45PM

My wife and I are visiting in May for our first trip to Kauai and I\'m looking for the most secluded beach any suggestions?

Apr 01, 2009 4:17PM

Any suggestions on what beach to start with, we have no problem walking hiking to get into any of the beaches.

Apr 21, 2009 12:18AM

My wife and I were just looking for the trail to Secret Beach. We took the second Kalihiwai left coming from Princeville. The first right turn had a chain across the entrance so we took the second right and followed a dirt road to the end where there is new home construction. We did not see any area for parking. Did we miss something along the way that would direct us to the trailhead. Thanks for your help

May 19, 2009 9:25PM

I've been coming to the islands for over 20 years and Kauai is still my favorite. The wife and I have had plenty of great times here and just now, because of your website, I now know that my wife can go TOPLESS at the beach and can't wait to go exploring to find a secluded part of the beach. Beautiful beaches, great weather, warm water and my wife au naturalle.. YES.

May 27, 2009 7:00PM

What a beautiful beach! We had a great time playing in the water.. but watch for the Huge waves and strong current. We kept the kids out of the water, but most of the adults had a blast in the waves..

May 29, 2009 4:22AM

On google maps, it shows a 'Secret Beach Road' off 'Kalihiwai Road'. Is that the one to take ?

Jun 06, 2009 9:39PM

My wife and I would like to have a romantic picnic on a beach next week.... are there specific beaches that allow/don't allow food/wine on the beach? Thanks

Jun 17, 2009 12:12AM

We vacationed in Kauai in Dec 2006 and fell in love. One of our favorite spots was Secret Beach. We are now engaged and are planning on returning to get married in April 2010. Do you think that Secret Beach would be a good spot for our ceremony? Would you recommend any other locations that would allow privacy for the event? Any advice would be appreciated.

Jun 23, 2009 2:00AM

So, explorer staff, can you confirm the nudity issue. "Intend to Offend" is pretty straight forward if you're just lying on the beach nude. Especially after a ten minute hike down the beach then another 1/2 mile hike to the nude area. What are your thoughts? Thanks in advance.

Sep 23, 2009 3:28AM

We visited Secrets today and were thoroughly amazed and satisfied! We hiked to what appeared to be the furthest point west and got lots of footage of huge waves pounding the rocky coast. We loved the cool and sometimes warm lava pools. We only saw two couples make it to where we were but they turned back and left us alone. We will definitely be back to this beach when we return to beautiful Kaua'i. Thanks for all of the tips.
Angel and Allen

Oct 27, 2009 5:04PM

This is my favorite beach in the world, it is kind of like being on another planet. Also, a GREAT place to learn the true power of cross-currents, riptides, whatever you call them. In November, wade in to ankle-depth and try to stay standing!
If you like spiders, the cliffs here are covered with huge ones.

Dec 29, 2009 4:36AM

Please Be safe! DO NOT go in during the winter months when the tides are high. Plenty of people have drowned and there are no life guards..

Dec 29, 2009 3:39PM

While we understand that "legally" there are no nude beaches in Hawaii; we have been told that Secrets is often frequented by those seeking to sun and enjoy the beach au' natural. Are there specific locations on this beach that the nude tend to go or is the entire beach often visited by nude beach goers?

My wife and I prefer to enjoy beaches au' natural and are coming to Kauai soon.
Thanks

Jan 12, 2010 2:30AM

In fond memory of Dr. Jason Fleiss, of Vancouver, WA who drowned at this "Secret Beach" January 4, 2010. He lived a good life, a fun life, a life full of action. His brother was saved by a surfer.
Please listen to those that tell you that the currents are strong and unpredictable. No matter how strong of a swimmer you may think you are, you will never over power the strength of the ocean! This is not a beach to casually swim at!

Jan 14, 2010 1:28PM

My cousin, Dr. Jason Fleiss was an excellent swimmer. He was only 41 years old when he drowned at "Secret Beach". He leaves an extended family and friends in mourning. If it happened to Jason, it could happen to anyone. Don't swim here.
Sounds like Kauai needs to place a lifeguard station here or do something so that visitors know that this is a dagnerous place to swim. Maybe a memorial to Jason should be placed near where the trail comes out on the beach.
Be careful!

Jody & Mesha Jobe

Jan 19, 2010 3:13PM

We sampled a lot of Kauai's beaches. Secret beach was by far the best! Pictures don't do this beach justice. I was concerned when shopping for a destination that it would be a little cold with the wind blowing and the water would be cold. That's the impression I got from some photos and video clips but that wasn't the case at all... It's bright and colorful. Warm and beautiful! The air temp was always perfect and the water was warmer. Perfect golden sand contrasting with beautiful black rock and stunning blue water. Waves crashing, sun shining, warm tide pools that refilled as waves crashed over the rocks and tunneled over into the sand, lava pools, waterfalls, just amazing! We walked safely across the lava rock platforms and found breathtaking views, shelves in the rock where we lounged and ate lunch, a perfect day at a perfect beach.
Caution should always be used. It's just common sense in my opinion. Don't try to defy physics. Thousands of gallons of rough water are too powerful for one person. We did not encounter any nude bathers, security persons or shady people, just a few other people enjoying the beach and a couple of locals netting some fish.
All in all it was the best beach I've ever encountered. Swimming, sun bathing, diving off rocks into the surf, soaking in tide pools and strolling across the sand. We got married on secret beach in Sept 2009 and stayed at the Secret Beach Hideaway. Can't wait to go back!

Feb 06, 2010 6:09PM

I will be staying for 5 weeks on Kauapea Road this summer. We would like to spend a night or two down on the beach. Is it possible to get a permit to do this, or would I just have to camp illegally? I do not see Kauapea Beach listed on the county website.

This will be our third visit to Secret Beach and so far we have not seen any nudity. Hopefully, our luck will hold out, since we have children. :)