There are many hiking trails on Kauai, but there are also superb beach walks too – Polihale, Lumahai’i, Koloa Bay, Maha’ulepu and many more.   One of our favorites is the beach walk from Lydgate State Park down the beach to Nukoli’i Beach Park.

Follow the Island Highway north of Lihue and just after the golf course, turn makai (seaward) into Lydgate State Park.   Park, then head out to the beach and take off your shoes.   Go south along the golden sands of the beach.   On the shoreline, pass the campground then the dunes separating the beach from the golf course.   Continue all the way past the Kauai Beach Resort to Nukol’i Beach Park.   Turn around and come back along the beach, a total of 8.8 km in your bare feet.

Fort hose of us who live on the continent, we think of hikes as a dirt trail in the hills, but we have to adjust our perspective on Hawai’i.   Some of our best outings are along headlands and beaches too.   We have to slow down, take off our shoes, and walk in the wet zone where the waves lap over our feet.