Day 4 - Tunnels Beach and hanalei

Feeding koi at the Waipouli Beach Resort

My husband Joe's biggest request when traveling to Hawaii is always going to the best beaches where he can snorkel. So, when I started to research the best beaches in Kauai, Tunnels Beach (Makua Beach) repeatedly came up. Tunnels is located on the north shore of Kauai and is about an hour from Kapaa and an hour and a half from Poipu and worth every minute of the drive. It is known for its phenomenal snorkeling and is often considered one of the best beaches in all of Hawaii and some consider in the entire United States. Parts of the movie, "South Pacific" were actually filmed right here on this beach. When you are there, you will see why it makes the perfect setting for a tropical paradise.
We had planned our fourth day here at the Tunnels. We knew the drive would take a little bit, so we planned on spending majority of our day here. We left early in the morning because you need to get to the beach early if you want to find parking. Tunnels has terrible parking, so it's essential you get there early.

Before leaving though, we had to find time to feed the koi fish at our hotel. The kids had been wanting to do this so bad and it was the only time we could find to fit it in. The hotel provided the fish food and they got watch the koi gobble it up. I know other hotels that offer the same sort of thing when they have koi fish ponds, so if you have young kids, this is a fun little extra that you could do.

The drive to Tunnels is probably one of the most stunning drives I have ever taken. There are points you pass through these tropical rain forest settings that make you feel like you are entering Jurassic Park, which makes sense, since part of Jurassic Park was filmed in Kauai. On other parts of the drive, you pass these stunning taro fields. And towards the end of the drive, you drive alongside the most turquoise blue water that seems completely unreal. I kept repeating, "This doesn't seem real!" over and over when we saw this water. I really wish I would have taken photos of it, but I was too in awe of it all to think of grabbing my camera.

Once we got to the parking area for Tunnels, despite being there early, there were no spots left. I guess we weren't early enough! We drove further up and found the parking lot for Haena Beach Park. You might see people parking on the street, but that is a big no-no! The nice thing about parking at the Haena Beach Park was that they did have showers and bathrooms that we were able to use. 

Driving to Tunnels Beach

At the time we went, this park could be accessed at any time. But back in 2018, Kauai experienced devastating floods, which actually closed off this part of the island to tourists. During this period of closure, they found that by limiting the number of park goers, the coral was thriving and sea life was plentiful. So, to still allow tourists but also limit the amount of human effects on the coral and sea life, they implemented a reservation system. They also implemented a fee for both parking and a per-person entrance fee. 
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One thing to know about these reservations is that they go fast. We were supposed to go to Kauai in March of 2020, and we were finding that reservations were going almost instantly when they were posted. They are posted 30 days in advance. So, in order to get a reservations, my husband set his alarm for 3 a.m. (which is 12 a.m. Hawaii time), and we were able to get a reservation. I think it's a bit easier now, but you will still want to prepare in advance. You can find out more about that here.

Tunnels Beach

After we found our parking spots, we got out and headed towards the sand. We weren't quite sure where we were in relationship to Tunnels, so we asked a lifeguard. He told us that Tunnels was to our right about half a mile. He also let us know that there were uncharacteristically large waves and to not swim out too far. Normally, Tunnels is a fairly safe beach to swim at and because of all of the coral, makes for terrific snorkeling.

​Haena Beach was beautiful in its own right and I would have been perfectly happy plopping our stuff right there and hanging out, but Joe was insistent that we get to Tunnels. So, we took the trek down the beach, which wasn't that bad because I found myself in awe of the sparkling turquoise water and the turtles swimming right off shore. It is about a half-mile walk on the sand from Haena to Tunnels, so be prepared to carry all of your stuff a little distance. 

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We ended up spending several hours at Tunnels. It was not nearly as crowded as Haena Beach and we were even able to find some shade to set up our beach blankets. Joe and my brother instantly headed into the water with their snorkels and came out ecstatic about all the fish they were seeing. Carson was able to stand in knee deep water and look under the water and still see fish right along the shore. I stayed and played on the beach with Reagan, and it truly felt like the most magical beach day we had ever had. To this day, it is still Joe's favorite snorkeling spot, despite going to places like Molokini Crater, Black Rock, and Hanauma Bay. In fact, Joe said he could move here instantly. There were houses lining the beach and he dreams of owning one so he can walk right out the back door and out to this beach every day.

Once we had our fill of the beach, we were hungry and decided to head back to the town of Hanalei. I had read that they had wonderful food trucks. The one that I had seen that had the best reviews was Trucking Delicious. They feature local-style plate lunches. They are so popular that they are no longer in a food truck, but are now in an actual building. I knew most of my family would all happily eat at a place like this, but my dad, who is notoriously picky, I was worried about. But, he went with the flow and scarfed his food down. He was truly enjoying every moment in Hawaii and experiencing all it had to offer, even the food trucks!

After our late lunch, we wanted to explore Hanalei and I wanted to check out the Hanalei Pier. I had seen so many stunning pictures of this place, I just had to see it for myself. Parking was easy to find and we headed right out the pier and spent a while taking in all the beauty that surrounded us. As we stood at the end of the pier, it was hard not to be speechless that this kind of natural beauty exists in the world. I was frantically taking as many pictures as I could, wanting to capture its beauty. Looking back on it, I wish I would have put down my camera and spent more time just taking it all in.

​After our late lunch, we wanted to explore Hanalei and I wanted to check out the Hanalei Pier. I had seen so many stunning pictures of this place, I just had to see it for myself. Parking was easy to find and we headed right out the pier and spent a while taking in all the beauty that surrounded us. As we stood at the end of the pier, it was hard not to be speechless that this kind of natural beauty exists in the world. I was frantically taking as many pictures as I could wanting to capture its beauty. Looking back on it, I wish I would have put down my camera and spent more time just taking it all in.

View from Hanalei Pier

Hanalei Pier

Shave ice at Wishing Well Shave Ice in Hanalei

Before making our drive back to our hotel, we had to make one more stop. I head come across a shave ice place called Wishing Well Shave Ice located in Hanalei. They get very high reviews and they have organic shave ice, which made me a big fan right away. I don't like giving my kids all of those artificial flavors and colors, so I thought this was a great place to try out. They make all their own syrups and also have things like smoothies and acai bowls. We got the kids each their own and Joe and I shared one. It was a perfect treat to end our beach day. 

Looking back on this day, it was probably one of my favorite days ever in Hawaii. I feel like it encompassed all that Hawaii is and has to offer. The beauty I experienced that day seemed surreal and something I will remember for the rest of my life. If you head to Kauai, make sure to add a trip up north to Hanalei and Tunnels or another beach nearby. You won't regret it​!