Kalapaki Beach, Kauai: Complete 2025 Guide
Kalapaki Beach, Kauai!
A beautiful beach with finely powdered golden sands and calm clear blue waters!
Situated close to Nawiliwili Harbor where most of the major cruise ships landing at Kauai dock and Lihue Airport, Kauai’s international airport, Kalapaki Beach is perfect for island hoppers, cruise ship visitors and people looking to kill some time while waiting for their flights!
We did just that on a recent vacation, when we landed in the morning on a cruise stop and had to wait for the rest of our group to fly in later that evening!
We took a shuttle from the Nawiliwili Cruise Pier to the ABC Stores and the Anchor Cove Shopping Center, but could have easily walked as well, so close is the beach!
Kalapaki Beach is a crescent-shaped beach, deeply inset and protected by ocean barriers, resulting in calm waters, and the whole family had a fun time swimming, standup paddle boarding and boogie boarding.
With restaurants, resorts like the luxurious Marriott’s Kauai Lagoons Resort, and shopping centers along the beach, we had quite a full day and a wonderful initial impression of Kauai.
While Kauai boasts many spectacular beaches, Kalapaki Beach is just the right beach for those visitors who are searching for a beach conveniently accessible from the airport, harbor or nearby resorts.
Visiting Kauai? The only way to get a real feel for the rugged beauty of this incredible island is through a helicopter tour!
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Kalapaki Beach Directions
On a stop in Kauai while on a cruise or island hopping tour? The Nawiliwili Harbor where most of the big cruise ships dock while in Kauai is just 10-15 minutes walk along Nawiliwili Road (keep to the right), which becomes Waapa Road and Rice Street.
Look for the ubiquitous ABC Stores in the Anchor Cove Shopping Center. Kalapaki Beach is behind the shopping complex, but you will have to walk past the complex and down the beach access road.
Just landed at Lihue Airport? Take an Uber or if you’ve rented a car for your stay in Kauai, drive down.
Take Rice Street southbound to Kalapaki Beach. You can turn left just before the Kauai Bound Snorkel and Golf Gear Rental and continue to the shoreline access and parking.
Kalapaki Beach Parking
Free public parking is available at the Kalapaki Beach Access Parking (expand the Kalapaki Beach map below for directions).
We’ve seen empty spots here during weekday mornings and afternoons, but finding a spot on weekends will be difficult.
You can try the Marriott Resort as a last option for paid parking.
Kalapaki Beach Map
The Kalapaki Beach map below shows the location of Kalapaki Beach, and the main attractions nearby.
Kalapaki Beach Access
A shoreline access path parallels the inside border of the beach, and you can walk across a small grassy patch onto the sandy beach from the walkway.
If you’ve parked at the Kalapaki Beach Access Parking lot, you can see the golden sands in front of you from the parking lot.
Kalapaki Beach Reservations
No reservations or permits are needed for Kalapaki Beach. There are no entrance fees either, making this one of the more popular free Kauai beaches!
Kalapaki Beach Amenities / Facilities
Location: Lihue, East Coast of Kauai
Lifeguard: No
Beach Amenities: Restrooms, showers, picnic tables, grass areas, walkway, volleyball
Food Nearby: Many restaurants near by
Parking: Free public parking at Kalapaki Beach Access parking lot
Directions: Rice Street, behind the Anchor Cove Shopping Center
Despite the proximity to resorts, Kalapaki Beach is not lifeguarded.
Waters here are typically calm, but note that during rough weather and high surf, rip currents are likely, so stay close to the shore or avoid the waters completely.
For water activities, Kauai Bound Snorkel and Golf Gear Rental is located near the shoreline access entry from Rice Street, or check with your resort if you are staying here.
Duke’s Kauai is the easiest to get to if you’re looking for something to eat, and you have many options at the Anchor Cove Shopping Center as well.
Best Things to Do at Kalapaki Beach
As with other Kauai beaches, Kalapaki Beach is a stunning beach, with golden sands and clear turquoise waters.
The setting is picturesque, resorts, golf courses and green hillsides in the background, and a large sheltered Nawiliwili Bay in front, with cruise ships in the distance entering the harbor.
Grassy areas separate the sands from the shoreline access pathway, with space for picnics and kids to have fun.
Being a city beach, weekends and evenings are typically busy, but weekdays and mornings are quite uncrowded.
We saw many families with kids here, taking advantage of the convenient amenities, nearby resorts, and kid-friendly beach and waters.
1. Kalapaki Beach Swimming
Swimming is the most popular activity at Kalapaki Beach, with the calm clear and warm waters beckoning invitingly!
When we went, virtually everyone was in the water, either taking a refreshing dip or swimming laps.
Both sides of the bay immediately in front of the beach are protected, either by lava rock walls or jetties, making the beach deeply inset and sheltered.
In addition, the ocean floor inclines gently into the waters, resulting in a shallow, pool-like area in front of the beach, where even kids can splash around.
When we were there, we noticed that by the time the waves reached the shore, they were relatively small and gentle.
That’s why Kalapaki Beach is one of the best swimming beaches on Kauai!
We didn’t see too many people snorkeling here, with the sandy ocean floor and lack of coral reefs making it difficult to spot tropical fish.
2. Kayak, Paddleboard & Canoe
Given the vast expanse of relatively calm, open ocean waters in the bay fronting Kalapaki Beach, kayaking, standup paddle boarding and canoeing are quite popular as well.
Kalapaki Beach was the first beach where we tried our hand at standup paddle boarding and outrigger canoeing.
The gentle morning waves were ideal for beginners, and we quickly got the hang of balancing on the board.
We rented our gear from the rental store near Rice Street as you enter the parking lot, so luckily we didn’t have to lug it very far.
3. Surf & Boogie Board at Kalapaki Beach
Our kids learned boogie boarding and surfing at Kalapaki Beach, an ideal place for beginners, with gentle, kid-friendly waves most of the time.
Kauai Beach Boys offers surf lessons at Kalapaki Beach, and the instructor our kids had was excellent, starting with the basics and working with them to get to a level where they could really start enjoying the waves!
4. Sunbathe or Relax with a Book on the Kalapaki Beach
Want to take it easy? After all, may be your first day of the vacation, and all you want to do is laze around!
With light golden soft sands and green grassy lawn areas, Kalapaki Beach offers you a choice of where to lounge!
Not much shade though, but an excellent place to work on your tan!
5. Admire Turtles on Kalapaki Beach
With the protection from the endangered species act and the Covid-19 resurgence of wildlife, one nice consequence has been the incredible rebound in the Hawaiian green sea turtle population!
So much so, that virtually every beach on Kauai that we visited, we saw a few turtles, and Kalapaki Beach was no exception.
We spotted a couple of these gentle giants basking in the sun at a corner of the beach, with orange cones around them, placed by volunteers to keep selfie-seeking junkies at a distance.
Our very first pair of Hawaiian green sea turtles!
Other Activities at Kalapaki Beach and Nearby
With many resorts nearby, you’ll find a ton of activities apart from those described above!
Enjoy golfing? World-class golfing with ocean-side greens are available nearby at the Ocean Course at Hokuala.
Avid birdwatcher? The Kauai Lagoons, a series of waterways near the Marriott Resort are a wildlife bird sanctuary, and you can spot even endemic Hawaiian birds like the Hawaiian stilt and the short-eared owl, the pueo, here.
Fishing is popular along the two arms of the beach, with anglers staking out quiet spots for their meditation, while waiting for the fish to bite.
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