The turn onto the first Kalihiwai Road (there are two) comes so abruptly that it’s easy to pass it up – which is exactly what we did. But after backtracking a bit, we finally got on the right road to the Secret Beach trailhead. And then the real adventure began…
It’s a short and steep hike down to the beach, but it’s well worth the effort. The journey is quite picturesque, and at the end of the trail you emerge right on one of Kauai’s loveliest – and least crowded – north shore beaches.
The first stop was in the water for a swim, of course. It was a bit odd swimming in salt water after being so acclimated to Lake Michigan. But the ocean was crystal clear and the water temperature came in at an amazing 82F. Also, we were fortunate to have much tamer waves as is the case on the north side during the summer months.
But the real treat was yet to come.
A short walk to the west the beach comes to an end at the lava flows. If you hike over these for a short distance, there are several natural tide pools you can swim in if the sea is calm. Luckily for us, the conditions were ideal. So we checked out several of them and even did some snorkeling in the larger ones.
And the best part was that we pretty much had all of them to ourselves!
Secret trail
First look
Arrival!
View from the water
In swim shot
Secret tide pools
Private ocean side spa!
