Kaua‘i: Secret Beach [Kauapea], Summer 1999  
    
Now playing: "Aloha Kaua‘i" by Lake, Ma‘iki Aiu; 1950's (click here for on/off)


Secret Beach is directly below Kilauea Lighthouse. It's about 3/4 to one mile long, a rather wide beach in the summer months. Huge surf and rocky beach in the winter. All this sand is seasonally migratory. Takes a half-hour to 40" to walk the beach end-to-end.Although a popular "in-the-buff" spot, the beach is big enough for everybody [and their sensibilities]. Sand often covers the winter rocks, making for small in-the-middle-of-the-beach pools, like this one. Good for the kid in oneself...
  The view northward, towards Hanalei. North shore showers often cool the warm afternoons with a brief but delicious and refreshing moment. Hawaiian Monk seals like this beach, too. Stay away from them, though....

The most unusual feature of the beach are the numerous fresh water springs leaking [sometime sprouting] from the base rock. Many native Hawaiian sedge-grasses and nehe and kalo grow on account of the presence of fresh water. There are places to drink this wonderful water - even a place to wash off after you swim. This corner of the cliff [1/2 way through the beach] is my favorite napping spot, thanks to the shade of the the cliff trees...You can drink the water here - even wash off. -  Nothing like this anywhere I've seen....

The rock formations and the cliffs [onshore and off] towards the lighthouse point are remarkable. The cliffs are blanketed with a native species of Akökö [Chamysaea] found only at this beach site....Diving in the clear waters is a treat - just watch for the currents...
 

Here's my favorite "corner" Most of the tourists go only to the point in the background, then head back to the parking lot on their way back to touring the Hanalei area. Consequently, this "corner", directly around the most accessible of the springs, is isolate enough to enjoy both quiet and privacy. Talk about Polynesian paralysis...Aloha no, Kaua‘i.

PAU