To get the right directions look for the beach parking lot on Google maps. When you get to the stables keep left at the fork. Pretty rough road. Don't suggest if you have a low riding car. You park up top and walk down the trail to get to the beach. Didn't find the trail rough or slippery as others had mentioned. Interesting caves along the way. Long strip of beach good for walking and there are tide pools at the other end which have some interesting stuff to look at. This beach was listed online as good for body surfing and boogie boarding. Absolutely not! It's very very rocky. You would be thrown into rocks and very scraped up. Shipwreck beach nearby is a bit rocky but not this much... And much more suitable for boogie boarding. read more

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I hesitate to give 5-stars (to hide it away from other) but this it fabulous. No showers and the scenery is spectacular...

This is a great place to get away from it all. If you're tired of the touristy beaches then t.f his is what you are looking for. You take Poipu Rd past the Grand Hyatt til you see a dirt road turn off that also mentions a riding stable. Very rough road....go slow. At the y go left. Its a good 2 mile hike but its worth it for the seclusion along this rugged but beautiful coast line. At the point you usually find a Monk seal. They're about as prehistoric as seals go. Not being very social they prefer a party of one. Give them at least a twenty foot distance and you'll get along fine... Around the point is the beautiful Kawailoa Bay. Really nice beach here too! Bring good walking shoes....not flip flops. You'll find lots of coral growth in the rocky tide pools. No bathrooms or any amenities here. read more

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Although it's a bit of a drive on dirt, gravel, uneven roads to get to this beach, it is very worth it! It took us about 15 minutes of driving on the dirt road, and then parked at a clearing, and from there a little bit of a walk between some trees, and voila, you are treated with a beautiful stretch of beach! We took a normal sedan car, but very mindful of the drive as there are lots of pot holes and just go like 10 mph. There was hardly any people here when we arrived. We had our own private beach for a couple hours until a few more people came. Even then, it was still soo quiet. If you are looking for a quiet beach, with lots of privacy, this is the one to go to. You got beautiful views on both sides, and the waters were so calm, and you'll avoid all the crowds unlike all the other popular beaches. It was a nice spot to setup a picnic, eat poke, read a book, have a beer, and even take a nap. There were plenty of spaces to setup, so that wasn't a big deal. Even then you are still far enough from the next person. There is plenty of beach to go around on this stretch of sand. Unfortunately, this beach was not good for swimming as there were lots of rocks, although you can find some areas of clearing to take a little dip in. I even saw some kiddos with floaties enjoying the water. This was one of my favorite beaches during our vacation in Kauai and would definitely come again for some privacy and to avoid all the touristy crowds. read more

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Is Poipu Beach too tourist-y for you? Are you looking for that secluded beach in a tropical paradise? Then the Maha'ulepu Beach is for you! This beach was beautiful - from the sand, water, and sea cliffs in the distance. It was also very quiet... not a lot of people, mainly locals, so you felt like you had the beach to yourself in some spots. The sand is whiter here than Kalapaki Beach and feels great to walk on. We set up camp further down the beach from the parking lot and soaked up some sun. I jumped into the water to cool off and finally get a swim in the ocean - between NorCal and Seattle, there aren't a lot of places where I get to do this! There are a few snorkel spots on the water, mainly along the cliff side that's near the parking lot. I saw a lot of tropical fish along the coral and there's a nice sandy area further along the beach to enter. I recommend putting on your gear further right of the cliffs, enter the water in the sandy area, then swim near the cliffs. The waves were a little rocky when I went so I had to be careful of the current dragging me along the rocks. But otherwise a good snorkel spot if you're a strong swimmer. Few things to note about this beach: - You'll have to go through about 2-3 miles of a bumpy dirt road. It's not at all smooth and there are some large pot holes that you may risk the suspension or getting stuck in if you're not careful when driving. Most of the cars going through this at regular speed had AWD and were a little more elevated in suspension, like a jeep, truck, or tall SUV. When it's dry you can probably do it in a vehicle like a convertible or an economy - we managed, but we drove very carefully, going around large pot holes and taking it slow. Also most rental won't allow you to take the car on a dirt road (Budget didn't specifically say)- so judge wisely if your car can handle it. I don't recommend coming here right after the rain, since there will be large puddles and traction will be difficult in the mud. - The first parking lot you see after going through the dirt road is actually the overflow lot. Here you have a choice - continue along the dirt road (it gets even bumpier) to the parking lot that's right in front of the beach or park here and walk to the beach. It's a short walk from the parking lot, like 10 minutes... but do be careful because it can get slippery from the mud and tire tracks digging in. We opted to just park in the overflow, not willing to risk our vehicle more and also because we found a spot. I'd be annoyed to manuever through another dirt road and find out there isn't parking in front of the beach. - Because the beach is hard to get to and in an undeveloped area... there are no facilities like showers or restrooms. - You can actually take dogs to this beach - if you adopt a dog for a day from the Kauai Humane Society (great progrram!) you can bring the dog here to play and walk. They love the beach and enjoy laying on it like humans. Overall, this was my favorite beach to visit during the trip... it's a bit of work to drive here if you're not in the right vehicle, but it was worth it when we came! The sand was soft and pretty clean, and the water felt great. As a bonus, this beach connects with the Maha'ulepu Trail if you head left from the parking lot - this part of the trail is very picturesque with the cliffs, so check it out while you're here. read more

Maha'ulepu Beach - Beautiful untouched beach - Beaches Near Me - Koloa, Hawaii

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stumbled upon this beach by accident as we were visiting the Makauwahi Cave Reserve. We saw that they had tortoises so we walked over and noticed a lot of people with beach chairs walking out of the grass area near by so we stopped by to see this beautiful beach! Not busy at all since the drive out is pretty far and you have to walk 10-15 min from the parking area read more

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Wonderful Beach, but they just make it harder and harder to drive to!!!!! There is a large parking lot at the Tortoise sanctuary and Cave Digs, as well as some by the beach. Unfortunately, they have closed and locked all the private property access gates restricting disabled access! It's sad!!!!! read more

This beach is a bit of a hike to get to, but once you're there, you're greeted by breathtaking views of sharp cliffs, white sand, crashing blue waves and endless palm trees! It's the perfect place to bring lunch and chill out on the sand watching the waves roll in. You seriously feel like you're on your own island! Nobody around as far as the eye can see (or at least that's how it was for me). Mahaulepu is not the best beach for surfing/swimming on account of the many rocks jutting out from the near ocean, but it's still a site to see! If you do decide on swimming, look around first for any signs warning of bacteria from sewage due to recent storms. You wouldn't want to end up sick the rest of your trip! If the water quality truly is poor as it was when my wife and I visited, don't fret--Shipwreck Beach is a nice close by alternative. read more

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Did a couple mile hike to the Secret Beach for my 65th birthday. Had the entire quarter-mile beach to ourselves to enjoy. It was wonderful up until the family of six parked 50 feet from us with four screaming boys highly recommend to deter people before they get settled in we had to pack our stuff up and moved to the next beach, this could've been a five-star beach if the other people had some beach etiquette read more

Towards the end of our vacation week there we made it out to this beach. I had been trying to find the sea cliffs, which I never found but we did find the caves and this beach was so beautiful. We didn't see any turtles but that's ok. WE had a great time walking around and enjoying the scenery. Nice soft sand and beautiful ocean blues. Highly recommend checking this beach out. read more

One of Kauai's most beautiful beaches with a really interesting trail. Sometimes windy. Also lots of locals on the weekend who don't seem thrilled with vacationers invading their beach. The road in used to be a disaster but it seems in much better shape now. Also check out the turn off for the Makauwahi Caves and the sea turtles. read more

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We love this area. Unfortunately like so many things on this trip... it's closed. Rented an SUV specifically so we could drive my mom down to this beautiful spot. Sure you can still hike there, but too much of a trek for her. This has been a strange trip... Tunnels (Ha'ena) Beach and Ke'e inaccessible due to flooding in early 2018 (the road is blocked near the end of Hanalei Bay)... sinkhole in the road, so a blockade on the road to Hanalei Pier... Kīlauea Lighthouse not operating normal hours (still haven't figured out why on that one)... UPDATE! because of low government funding, this is only open on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday... we figured that out because we kept going by there, and some of the people doing maintenance told us. We never found anything online. We became vaguely aware of the situation right before our trip but there is so little information available online so travelers know what to expect. I actually had to buy the online app version of Kauai Revealed to discover that This area is closed until end of February. However, the app says nothing about Tunnels and Ke'e being closed off, so even it's not that updated. I'm posting this information in a few places so others will know. If you can get here... it's great! read more

Maha'ulepu is a long and beautiful stretch of beach. You have to come prepared, however. The road to the beach is long, dusty, and very rough! There are no facilities (no water, not even an outhouse). Bring food, drinks, and plenty of sunscreen. Take the road past the Hayatt. The pavement will end, just keep going, passing the stables on your right. At the "T" in the road, make a right. Keep going until you find a turnout surrounded by wispy trees. After a short hike up and over a small hill, you'll find the beach. If you can survive the journey, you're rewarded with beautiful views, plenty of shade, and powdery sand. There are decent snorkel spots, but also plenty of soft sandy areas for swimming. Even though it's very secluded, the beach does get crowded as the day goes on. As with most Hawaiian beaches, you have to arrive early if you want to have the place all to yourself! The owner of Pohaku Ts in Koloa told us there are petroglyphs buried under the sand here. I'm not sure how deep, but I would love to see them some day. read more

Maha'ulepu Beach - Building a sand castle - Beaches Near Me - Koloa, Hawaii

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After driving a long dirt road behind the Grand Hyatt Poipu, there is a cool beach. A lot of skilled wind surfers. Fun to watch, fun to play at the beach. There are some tree shades, but for swimming, it did not look appealing to me. The ocean looked too rough. YELP 365 - 237/365 read more

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Great secret spot Keep driving past the rails, seems like there's nothing but keep going! Picnic benches near parking lot No camping allowed Beach closes at 6 pm Love the random roosters on the beach ! read more

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Gorgeous beach! Not easy to find and a long bumpy road to get there, but so worth it. Bring a cooler with food and drinks and stay a while. read more

Actually it's quite easy getting there and if you like unspoiled beaches you should definitely go. Drive about one mile on an unpaved dirt road just past the Hyatt Resort and make a right at the CS Stables Sign.Then drive a short distance to the dirt parking area on the left. It's only about a 1/4 mile easy walk downhill to the beach. There are great views on the beach and from above as well if you walk to the right, away from the beach. The beach itself is very long and wide and is best for sunrise or later in the day, since no one or very few folks will be around. Also shaded areas are prevalent during the hotter daytime hours. However, this is NOT a beach to swim in, although you can wade easily in the tidal pools. If you walk to the far end, another totally secluded beach is around the corner also with great views. Have fun ! read more

I had so much fun here. This beach is perfect for wave jumping, sunbathing, and just taking it all in. The road to get there is definitely full of potholes -- so I echo the advice to ensure bringing a SUV/4WD. Otherwise, had a great, memorable time here! read more

Good snorkeling! My, my, my it's a beautiful world! And the beauty just keeps going under the surface of the ocean here at Maha'ulepu Beach! This place has a cool camp ground but wasn't crowded at all. My party found private space to snorkel (no life guard) and it was protected by a reef. Fish and turtles abounded and beauty reigned supreme! read more

Don't miss this spot, it's the prettiest on the South Shore. Maha'ulepu and Brennecke run into each other. I recommend doing the walk to the sandstone arches, and the dry blowhole. Just start walking north/east on the beach, and you'll find the trail. The color of the water was unbelievable. We saw whales, dolphins, turtles, and plenty of snorklers. read more

Quiet, secluded beach. Dirt road ends into a parking lot (go all the way). Not the best for swimming as there's a lot of rocks and currents but great tide pools and a beautiful walk along the shoreline. We saw a baby eel! Near the cave and stables. read more

The prettiest, most secluded beach we came across in Kauai and Maui. It felt like a secret. I guess I'll share it with you.

Lovely, broad, flat beach. Few people b/c it's a bit of work to reach. Worth a couple mile's walk definitely.

Got to go to the beach next to it, but couldn't access this one by the dirt road. Was so washed out a pothole scraped the rocker panel on my car pretty good...had to stop by Oreillys to fix...not worth it. Probably would recommend an SUV, Subaru or truck to go down the access road. read more

Not drive able in a regular rental car. Seemed fine for awhile then crazy potholes and mud. I consider my hubby an expert driver and he needed to turn around. read more

This is more for the trail. Since we started at shipwreck beach and headed towards this trail. Worth the time and effort. The morning we went it was raining pretty steady. We hesitated to do the trail since the rain kept up. After a while we decided to go for it. Rain stopped as soon as we reached the summits and man the views are AMAZING. Hands down gorgeous. You have to do this one! read more

Maha'ulepu Beach - Gorgeous sunrise. Awesome rainbow. Absolutely amazing. - Beaches Near Me - Koloa, Hawaii

Wowwwww!!!!!!!! Most beautiful beach I have ever seen!! It was def a bumpy ride down!!! But worth it. You clump thru some bushes and heaven on earth is on the other side. It was like we had a private beach..... Almost :) read more

Maha'ulepu Beach - Hiking in:) - Beaches Near Me - Koloa, Hawaii

Yeah the road in, for about 1.5 miles, is super crappy and will undoubtedly void your rental agreement, but once you commit to driving over the crazy ruts and bumps - and sweat the grinding, scraping noises coming from under your Altima, you reach a sweet parking lot. You could drive further or walk like 400 steps to ridiculously insane beaches. You'd be loco to swim in either of them, but you will be high with the rough, unspoiled landscape that you will take a thousand pictures and want to be there for hours. Keep in mind, you are locked in at 6pm & that's no joke. Go. Just do it and eff the rental. read more

This beach is dope! You have to take Poipu road past the Grand Hyatt until you hit a dirt road. Follow the road past the horse stable until you end at the parking area. The dirt road is nasty! My hubby and I had an economy size car, and it took us 30 minutes on the dirt road alone. It's full of pot holes and definitely white knuckle driving! However, the beach itself is amazing. We got there around 8:30am on a Sunday, and had the beach to ourselves the whole time. There were few passersby, but other than that we were completely alone. We packed a cooler full of drinks and food and vegged out all day. We brought an umbrella that we bought from Costco and two beach chairs that were left from previous renters at our condo. This is our second time at this beach (the first time 3 years ago), and we love it just as much! read more

Probably the best beach on the island. Plenty of shade and lots to look at. Drive to it wasn't bad either. The only drawback is the gate closes at 6pm. No real swimming though, but you can wade into the water... We liked this beach so much we came back a second time on our trip. read more

Gr8 beach to get an awesome tan and some QT...The drive is a bit nauseating cuz of the massive, unreal potholes, but once you park it's time for some fun under the Kauai sun. Must go to the left to stretch out your legs to swim and to the right to surf some waves...great place for families and adults to hang and have a gr8 time. A lot of people come out to fly kites and kiteboard there. This beach is animal friendly too, just make sure the animals themselves are...or keep em on a leash. :) read more

CJM stables treated us very well today. We had a complication that was our fault and needed to do some rescheduling and they were really lovely and helpful. Thank you from Amy & Sarah! read more

This place was so quiet compared to the other beaches we visited. It is likely due to the crazy road that you've got to take to get out here, but it's worth it. We got to see some seals. Also, not a swimming beach. The surf was pretty intense, but more importantly, there were rough rocks everywhere that I think would make it pretty unsafe even in calmer waters. The rocks DO make cool little tidal ponds, so it'd be a great place for kids to play. A quick note: Google maps routed us through some roads that are private, and that are patrolled by security guards. After wasting 25 minutes tooling around on dirt roads, we had to turn around and go back down by the Mariott, turning off where the road is in really rough shape. If your GPS doesn't route you past the Mariott, you'll likely have to turn back at some point. read more

Known as a secret spot as you have to go down this dirt trail and it had major sink holes and quite an ordeal to get through! Although we had like 3 caravans of minivans. If you had a jeep or something you could probably cruise on by! When we got there, the beach was nice, but not good for little kids we had in tow so we had to go back, but quite the adventure! We saw bunches of bumpers and even a muffler along the way! Make sure to bring snacks! read more

Absolute must-see. Amazing hike and secluded beaches. One of our favorite activities of our Kauai trip. read more

Maha'ulepu Beach - Hike - Beaches Near Me - Koloa, Hawaii

One of our favorite beaches. An adventure to get back there and a feast for the eyes once you do! Used to be a well kept secret but the secret's getting out. read more

Awesome!! Need a jeep or 4 wheel drive. But just amazing, no crowds. My kids were entertained for hours with the sand crabs

If you can stomach a nasty, bumpy, 25' cane road drive- this is a great natural Hawaiian beach. Great views, hikes water and place to unwind. One of our faves read more

It's rugged, gorgeous and great place to hang out. You can dip but would be very careful because it is remote. Dirt road, pot holes, washboard - go slow and pick your way around (even if you have to go on wrong side) and you will be fine. Altima made it no problem. Two choices, first dirt lot you park and take a short walk through the trees to the beach. Right = back to Poipu Left = ah yeah, that's the way to go. We wandered down the beach by ourselves, turned the point and had an AHA moment. Walked to where a few other folks were set up in the shade then sent the hubby back down the dirt road to bring the car up from the lot to this one. Plenty of shade and chill out views. Continue taking the path around the cliffs for some fantastic scenery and another empty beach. Lot closes at 6PM so you need to be out or your car will not. read more

The road in is now gated (Jan 2018) so it is impossible to drive there. You can walk, but we didn't think it was worth the walk. Lots of tourists there and kids with flotation devices, so it is no longer quiet and a secret. read more