Lawai Beach, Kauai: The Best 2024 Visitor Guide
Experienced snorkeler looking to explore the incredible underwater marine life near Poipu on the southern shore of Kauai?
Lawai Beach! Calling Lawai Beach a beach is a bit of an euphemism. The sandy portion is so small, the beach often disappears during high tide.
Why then should you visit Lawai Beach?
Two reasons. First, Lawai Beach offers some of the best Kauai snorkeling near Poipu!
Second, easy access – you can literally park your car and be snorkeling in less than five minutes!
The best time to snorkel at Lawai Beach is in winter and at low tide, when the waters on the southern shore of Kauai are relatively calm.
With a rock strewn beach and potentially strong rip currents, snorkeling at Lawai Beach is best suited for experienced snorkelers.
Waters too rough to enter? Stay safely on shore and gawk at the surfers riding the large waves or stay back to admire spectacular sunsets!
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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Lawai Beach Directions
Lawai Beach is a tiny beach on the sunny south shore of Kauai.
From Koloa or Poipu, head west on Poipu Road to a roundabout, where you’ll take Lawai Road towards to ocean (southwest). There will be a sign for Spouting Horn, a beautiful natural ocean geyser, a few miles from Lawai Beach.
In a few miles along Lawai Road you will see the Beach House Restaurant on your left and the Lawai Beach Resort on your right.
Lawai Beach is just past the Beach House Restaurant (that’s why its also sometimes called the Beach House Beach), and directly in front of the Lawai Beach Resort.
Lawai Beach is also often called Prince Kuhio’s Beach since the prince’s birthplace is just a few minutes away.
Lawai Beach Parking
Parking for Lawai Beach is roadside on Lawai Road, across from the beach.
Lawai Beach Map
The Lawai Beach map below shows the location of Lawai Beach, and the main attractions nearby.
Lawai Beach Access
Cross Lawai Road in front of the Lawai Beach Resort, and you’ve reached Lawai Beach.
Lawai Beach Reservations
No reservations or permits are needed for Lawai Beach. No entrance fees!
Lawai Beach Amenities / Facilities
Location: Poipu, South Shore of Kauai
Lifeguard: No
Beach Amenities: Restrooms, shower (across Lawai Road)
Food Nearby: Beach House Restaurant, Riptide Shave Ice & Snacks
Parking: Roadside on Lawai Road (across from the beach)
Directions: Poipu Road to roundabout, take Lawai Road to beach
The beach itself is quite small, with no facilities at the beach. However, restrooms and outdoor showers are just across Lawai Road.
Unfortunately, Lawai Beach doesn’t have lifeguards, and if that is a must for you, consider nearby Poipu Beach Park.
Food and shave ice is available across the street at Riptide Shave Ice & Snacks, while the adjacent Beach House Restaurant is more of a fine dining place with a spectacular beachfront ambiance!
Best Things to Do at Lawai Beach
Given its tiny size, Lawai Beach changes dramatically with the tides.
At high tide, the sandy beach often disappears completely, while at low tide you’ll see a golden sandy beach, and people sunbathing and relaxing.
Don’t despair if you visit during high tide. Next to the Beach House Restaurant you’ll find a grassy area from where you get an excellent view of the surfers in action!
1. Lawai Beach Snorkeling
Snorkeling is THE thing to do here, especially in winter when the ocean waters are much calmer on the south shore of Kauai.
The mini-cliff on which the Beach House Restaurant sits affords some protection from rougher waves and currents.
Less experienced snorkelers should head there. Even though our kids were great swimmers, and had fins and flotation vests, we stayed mostly in the sheltered waters.
The area on the other side of the beach is known to have treacherous rip currents, and is best avoided.
With tons of pretty tropical reef fish everywhere, we never really felt the need to go deep or venture away from the protected side of the waters.
We saw large schools of yellow tangs and convict tangs. Apart from these, we saw beautiful butterflyfish, Moorish Idols, parrotfish and triggerfish.
To recognize and identify these beautiful fish, refer to our detailed Hawaiian Fish Snorkeling guide.
Summer swells here can be rough as with other south shore Kauai beaches, so stay out of the water if the waves come crashing over the rocky barrier walls.
I highly recommend water shoes for this beach due to the rock-littered entry and underwater rocks.
You can rent snorkeling gear from Boss Frog’s nearby or like us, buy your own light travel-ready ones.
2. Surfing at Lawai Beach
Surfing at Lawai Beach is also quite popular, with summer swells producing exciting waves to ride.
Surf break is much further out, and a result of an underwater offshore reef. Surfing here is mostly for experienced surfers or local pros, with the underwater rocks and strong rip currents posing dangerous risks.
3. Stay Back for Spectacular Sunsets
As with the other south shore beaches on Kauai, sunsets at Lawai Beach can be stunning, with the sun setting gracefully into the ocean waters, and the skies lit with warm vibrant colors.
Admiring the sunset from Lawai Beach or from the fine dining Beach House Restaurant is one of the most romantic things to do on Kauai!
4. Admire Turtles and Monk Seals on Lawai Beach
Given the size of the beach, you won’t see dozens of Hawaiian green sea turtles here like on the neighboring Poipu Beach.
We did spot a couple while snorkeling, but had the good fortune to catch this frisky guy on the sandy Lawai Beach when we came in early to snorkel!
Monk seals are protected animals, please keep your distance (at least 10 feet per NOAA).
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