Stumbling Upon Kauai’s Sandy Tunnel Beach
What’s over there?
I think it’s another beach…
Tunnels Beach (Makua Beach) tl;dr
- Parking is Limited So Park Before 9am
- Don’t Swim Alone or Leave Anyone Unsupervised
- There’s a Lifeguard But Check for Water Conditions
- Snorkeling DON’T STEP ON CORAL (they die)
You ever drive, and forget where you were driving to? You just kept driving, going wherever the road and the car would take you (mind you while safely driving). And before you know it, you’re somewhere you didn’t mean to be but are ever thankful to have been brought there by the Aloha Spirit(?).
Driving along one morning in beautiful Kauai, we eventually hit the end of the road. Yes, the road ends at a beach, imagine that. Actually there’s more at the end like an endless hiking trail that will take you into Kauai’s countryside (which we tried only because we happened to find parking).
On the way back, we decided to stop at parking lots that we saw along the roadside. Again, we lucked out on finding a parking spot and opted to check out what all the fuss was about. Not knowing what to do exactly, we followed a crowd of people toward the ocean.
Let There Be Ocean
Once we walked through the brush to get to the ocean, the trees opened up to golden beaches and frothing waves for as far as the eye could see. To the left there was lush, mountainous greenery jutting into the ocean and to the right was more vast and wet blue.
It was lack for a better word, breathtaking.
We walked up and down the beach, taking in all the sights, sounds, smells that Tunnel’s Beach had to offer. I saw people, not a lot, but just enough doing the same while others fished or frolicked in the water. This was beautiful and it explained why the parking lot was so full. Though I wondered where everyone was since there had to be more somewhere (I found out later that a lot of people who hike in the area also park there too).
I wish we had more to say about the place since we weren’t prepared to do all beach related activities but from what I hear that it’s the places to explore what the water hides beneath the waves. Apparently, there’s another world down there worth investigating.
What is It
Tunnels Beach, also known as Makua Beach is a beautiful place to fish, snorkel, get some sun rays or simply relax by the ocean. The reason for the name is because below the water there are a number of underwater caverns formed from the the ancient lava tubes that once help create the island of Kauai.
Where is It
Tunnels Beach is located on the northern side of Kauai, near the end of the Kaua’i Belt Road-North Shore Route 560 by the 8 mile marker.
What to Do There
If it’s water related, you can do it there:
- Swimming
- Scuba Diving
- Snorkeling
- Surfing
- Kite Surfing
- Watching Sunset
- Walking
- Have a Picnic
I literally saw one guy fishing from shore and another walking through the water casting a net for fish. That’s amazing!
There were others who were swimming, while some ran, and others simply taking it all in like ourselves. It was definitely a place to hang out and let the day drift away from you as the sun goes up high into the sky and then sank back into the ocean.
I just wish we had been better prepared and brought our snorkeling gear. If we had, we could have potentially gone out to see the coral reef. Next time!
Dig your feet in the sand because you’re aren’t going anywhere after you get here!
