This little-known and lightly visited beach sits just below Princeville Hotel and has the Hawaiian name Pali Ke Kua. The trail access to the beach is located just before the Princeville Hotel gatehouse running alongside the tennis courts of the Pu'u Poa condominums. The initial part of the descent has stairs and a railing but turns into an actual dirt trail further below that can be slippery if its been raining (tends to do that a lot on the North Shore of Kauai). The reward at the bottom is a spectacular, remote beach 120-feet below sea cliffs and rarely holding more than a handful of visitors.

Ringed by shady trees, the sands at Hideaways have large grains and are copious in the summer months and much of the year. During big winter swells, the entire beach can be closed out by incoming surf so be advised. Swimming is only safe during periods of calm surf. You can snorkel here when it is calm, as the water tends to be clear with fish congregating around the rocky outcroppings and reef features just offshore. This is a pocket beach so don't expect to long walks but the intimate size contributes to its cozy, secret feel. Parking can be catch-as-catch can as there is no lot close to the trail. You can park in the hotel lots and walk back. Alternatively, you can stay at a condo in Pu'u Poa and take the developments all paved trail down to the beach.

Related Posts: Hamoa Bay, Hana

Image via Kauai-Holidays.com

—Alex, 04/16/07