Hanalei Pier reaching into Hanalei Bay under the North Shore mountains

Kauaʻi · Beaches

Snorkel Spots on Kauaʻi

Reefs you can swim to from shore — turtles, butterflyfish, and clear water.

Snorkel Spots Swimming Beaches Secluded Beaches

North Shore

Makua (Tunnels) Beach

On a flat summer morning nothing else on the island compares: coral almost to the waterline, turtles, and Mount Makana rising behind the beach.

Kēʻē Beach’s sand and reef seen from above on the Kalalau Trail

Snorkel Spots

North Shore

Kēʻē Beach

Because visitor numbers are capped, Kēʻē still feels like a reward: calm-day snorkeling, Nāpali views from your towel, and one of the island’s best sunsets.

Snorkel Spots

North Shore

ʻAnini Beach Park

It’s the calmest-feeling water on the North Shore, with a shady lawn for the rest of the family. As of October 2026 there’s also a staffed lifeguard tower.

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