Kauai Snorkeling Guide
Ke'e Beach (Ha'ena State Park)
To get to this Kauai snorkeling beach, you have to drive through lush farmlands, winding country roads, all the way to the end of the road. And it is worth it just for that.
Besides being a fine snorkeling spot, Ke'e Beach is also the start of the Kalalau Trail, a burly hiking trail that goes for miles down the Na Pali coast. Even if you don't go for miles, if you just hike it for a half mile up the hill you get some great views and picture opportunities looking back at Ke'e Beach.
The parking lot fills early here, so you have to arrive pretty early. But then you may not have much sun on the beach. We have found parking before 9 a.m., but the next parking lot is a long ways down the road (a long walk). So if you are going to drive all the way out here, you might as well come early and hang out for the sun.
Site Snorkeling Details - Ke'e Beach (Ha'ena State Park)
Kauai Snorkeling
The snorkeling at Ke'e Beach is a mixed bag. The scenery around you is world class, truly tropical island stunning. There is a nice softly sloped sandy beach to get in the water. There are tons of fish, and some decent visibility when the water is calm.
On the other hand, the area inside the reef is not particularly big, there is very little coral, and the underwater topography is a little boring. Also, like many places on Kauai you have to be pretty careful about the channel on the left hand side that the current may be running out of into the ocean. If the waves are up and coming over the reef, then this channel is to be carefully avoided. And when we were there, that is what it was like.
We have heard that if the waters are very calm the better snorkeling is on the outside of the reef. It probably is. But we have not yet experienced that, and you would need to be super careful about offshore currents. They are not to be fooled with on Kauai.
If you do snorkel here there is more to see at high tide.
Driving Directions - Ke'e Beach (Ha'ena State Park) from Princeville
Kauai Snorkeling
Princeville is on the north shore of the island off of Hwy 56 (Kuhio Hwy). Head west on this highway, which will become Hwy 560 shortly past Princeville. To reach Ke'e Beach (Ha'ena State Park), simply follow this road to it's end. If the parking lot at the end of the road is full, there is another one back on the road, but it is a bit of a walk.
Check out the next snorkel spot - Tunnels
Return to the Kauai Snorkeling Main Page
|
