Anini Beach

great beach for the kids, has sandy and rocky parts, but has a wide shallow area which is great for snorkeling and kids. A bit tricky parking if you go further along the coast, but highly recommend for families.

Beautiful beach, great snorkeling even when the swell is high. Bathrooms leave a lot to be desired...be aware. Five stars only reflect the beach ratings.

Love this beach. Lots of shade if wanted. Good parking and was never crazy busy. Great to swim but can have a bit of a current some time. But the reef breaks the waves. Nice sand. Seen turtles and some fish. Better snorkeling out aways.

What a beautiful beach. Great for snorkeling and the water is much warmer than other beaches. There is lava rocks and the waves don't come all the way to the beach making it very calm. There were a lot of pullout for easy beach access then the main beach access with so much accessible beach and plenty of free parking. Easy to park and walk right to the beach.

This beach was amazing! Some areas are a bit rocky, but the sandy areas are wonderful. There’s plenty of sun and also shade. It’s also a great spot for snorkeling since the reef provides a barrier and great spot to bring little ones.

Anini Beach is a great place for snorkeling and hanging out. The water is crystal clear and there are so many turtles, and humus and other colorful fish. In the morning, it's calm and really well-suited for novice snorkelers. There are lots of trees so you can sit in the shade if you want to avoid some of the intense sun. There are bathrooms, picnic tables, covered seating places to rinse off, and chill. Patk near the first bathroom if you can, and enter the water near the boat launch and you'll have a great snorkeling experience. There are locals and tourists here, but it's not too crowded in the morning. I highly recommend it. It's also free!

Very quiet and calm waters due to the reef a ways out. Swim with the turtles here. Tropical fish are out near the reef. Easy snorkeling.

A large chill beach. It was pretty empty when we went, and there was plenty of space to spread out and bring our floaties. A local told us to go a little further 'to the left of the boat launch' and we got a great spot. Peaceful and perfect.

Beautiful area. Was fun to sit and watch the kite and wind surfers while we were there. Parking was a breeze with plenty of open spots. My youngest was most excited about the horses across the street. There were some rocks we kind of stayed by but the beach doesn't have a very wide sand bank. At least where we were. So the water was right there. Not super conducive for lounging. The waves were fun, but we didn't try snorkeling here.

Very calm water to snorkel at, when many of the other beaches near Princeville have much rougher waves. Very kid friendly to snorkel at, & lots of places to park. The beach is very long, so there is plenty of space to set up your stuff. The beach is pretty sandy though, so there's not too many fish. The place I saw the most fish & turtles (4 at once!) was to the right of the boat dock.

I enjoyed coming out to this beach lots of different sea life to look at. Calm waves not too intense. I would come back.

This beach is so beautiful! We went a sunset one evening and there was no one in site! We couldn't believe it! It's definitely a type of hidden gem!

This beach is one of the calmer beaches we have seen thus far on the north shore. It is very close to Princeville where we are staying. It offered great snorkeling with a massive reef running along the shoreline. You have to be pretty careful because the reef is shallow and even when you go far out from shore, you are close to the reef. I saw lots of fish when I was snorkeling. The water wasn't extremely clear probably due to the recent rains. The beach itself has lots of shade, ample parking (which is not always the case at beaches here), and neat looking trees that provide a nice shade. I don't think it is necessarily the best beach for swimming just because there is the reef to consider. It is definitely worth a visit, and we will probably go back before this trip is over.

Quiet. Calm clear waters. Nice spot for snorkeling since it's protected by a reef. There are shady spots and nice breeze on a hot day. A good spot for windsurfing as well. Ample parking.

We stayed at the Westin and they have a public path down to the Anini beach right next to the hotel. The dirt path is very treacherous, especially after a rain shower. I went down without my wife to see how it was. There was a couple in front of me that the wife was yelling at her husband for taking her down it! Lol Anyway, as I was going down I hit a wet spot and ended up falling into a mud hole!! I made it down to the beach only to find a big sign that says NO Swimming! In talking to some people you can walk up the beach by the St Regis and swim there. Information I wish I had before heading down the dirt path. Anyway, the beach is very beautiful and calming. There is creek that runs from the mountains down to the beach so there is a sand bar that you can walk out on. I did just to clean all the mud off of me! FYI, the Kauai red mud does not come out of your clothes very easily. It stained my $40 Tommy Bahama T shirt , that my wife was not happy with me about. She Forgot about me falling down the path!,, lol Maybe next time we are here we will make it over to the St Regis. I found out that the Westin has a shuttle you can take over there. Also info I could have used before going down the path.

Great beach! Calm, tranquil waters - very family friendly. Beautiful. The first part of the beach that we drove by was pretty crowded (on a September weekend) with cars, but the farther along Anini Beach that you drive, the fewer cars there were - the very far end of it had very few people, very few cars, so that's where we went. There was shade along the edges of the beach, which we really appreciated. Not much in the way of fish to see while snorkeling, but we didn't go all the way to the reef.

If the chains aren't up from the owners of the homes in the area, you can drive to a spot where there's a dirt area where maybe 6 cars can park right near the beach. If parking's not available, just backtrack and park along the spots along the road. So many spots that are so beautiful you can just park and go in the water. The water here is really shallow and calm and not too crazy crowded. When the water is lower, there's some areas along the trees that are great for photo ops. No bathrooms or showers around here, so plan accordingly. We stayed at the Westin in Princeville and saw that there was a path to Wylie beach from there. Was told by concierge that Wylie beach and Anini Beach didn't connect, and that there was a big rock blocking Anini Beach. However I also heard that they do connect and you just have to wade pass a stream which can be ankle deep to chest high depending on the water levels. But I also heard it can be a steep path from the hotel area. We decided to drive and basically had to go all the way around to get there, which was over 6 miles. If you're in Princeville, there's a small lot next to the Westin that you can park to access Wylie beach, then to Anini Beach. However I think you can only park there until 5pm.

Anini beach is such a beautiful and tranquil beach with hardly anyone there. Lots of parking and restroom available. Also they have picnic tables good for picnics and the beautiful sandy beaches are so serene. They also have lifeguards on duty there. A big difference from the crowds at Ala Moana beach park, where you have to drive around and hope you can find parking. What a beautiful and relaxing way to enjoy your time on Kauai.

SO AMAZING! We heard this beach was good for snorkeling and it was the BEST beach for snorkeling. There isn't as much sand as Hanalei Bay Beach but there is still enough for walking on and laying out. There were hardly any people, the water was about 3-5 feet deep for about 50 meters, and there are actually coral reefs so the water is teeming with so much life! The section of beach we were at you could even see the Kilauea Lighthouse. We saw probably 20 different species of fish, so so many Urchins, and I even ventured out far enough I saw a sea turtle!! If you need a place to snorkel, this is it. Not the best beach for sun bathing, surfing, or boogie boarding, but it is really pretty and super relaxing!

Beautiful beach with nice calm water that is perfect for snorkeling! Parking was a breeze and we got there late morning.

Anini Beach offers calm, turquoise waters and is filled with the sounds of roosters crowing throughout the day.

Howdy/Aloha Y'all!! My family of 4 adults - 62, 55, 23, and 22 visited my beloved Anini Beach in north central Kauai and it was AWESOME. If you want a long, long beach with a boat ramp, lifeguards, Non portable RR and a separate stand alone open air shower to rinse off. The distance from the road/parking is max 50 meters walking, so it's Okk to walk from the car to the beach with a chair, cooler, beach bag etc. The water here is typically calmer than most other Kauai beaches due to a near shore reef that's home to alotta marine life. If you're standing on the boat ramp and looking out to sea we got in the water about 50 meters to the right or east of the boat ramp We saw 3 sea turtles about 50 meters out from the boat ramp and all manner of fish including the state fish of Hawaii, puffer fish, flute fish etc., but alas not a single reef shark. More to come. Have a good day. TYJD

I was recommended this beach by our hotel for snorkeling. The drive can take some time, but it's really pretty and lots of places to stop for shopping or food along the way. The beach was windy when we got there and pretty crowded around 10:30am. Take water shoes because there is lots of coral in and out of the water. Also be mindful to pop your head up when snorkeling or watching kids because two boats came through and were really close to people snorkeling.

ANINI BEACH is beautiful, just like all the beaches on this island! The waves are not as rigorous as in Tunnels beach -- great or families. Also, it's shallow for quite a bit towards the ocean. Lots of fishies! Bring your goggles and you won't even have to go out too far into the open sea -- just dip your head under the water and presto: fishies! There are trees along the beach.

Love this beach! Parking gets very packed but we found a spot along the road where there are big gorgeous beach homes. Different beach entrances too in between homes but the main one is by all the parking and bathrooms. I personally liked being away from the crowds so we picked a spot further from the main spot. Be respectful of these beach homes and their front views. Don't leave any trash behind! Keep Kauai beautiful. This was a beautiful spot to snorkel, swim and tan. I also saw some people paddle boarding and sea fishing. It's a great spot for a beach day.

Very clean and CALM ocean beach on the north shore. This is miles above the beach near the Banyan Harbor on the east side. A bit of a drive from where we stayed but well worth it! Water is clear, much less sand and debris like other beaches and it's pretty warm for May 2025. Great places to shop and eat along the way as well. Be safe driving, as there are some one-lane bridges and curvy roads, probably another reason why the speed limits are so low. Just be on "island time" with no rush to get anywhere and enjoy the scenery! Some lookouts are on the way as well, definitely worth a stop!

Best beach we found on the island. It's long enough to find your own place with nobody around and enjoy the stunning beauty of the bay. There seems to be a reef that separates the open sea from this secluded beach and breaks the waves, so the water surface is always flat and peaceful, great for kids (keiki) and clear enough for snorkeling. We spotted a few local species of fish, all very pretty. There are trees rooted by the road alongside the beach but hanging over the whole beach, so you can chill sitting on the sand completely covered by shade - no umbrellas needed! A spectacular, thoroughly enjoyable place, highly recommended!

10/21/22 Yet another long overdue review. Anini Beach is another one of our go to places to gaze into wonderland. Each visit to Kaua'i is never complete w/o it. The only negative part is there is no lifeguard on duty here. Otherwise it's perfectly ideal for families because it's fairly shallow. There's an open shower right by the boat ramp. Parking is plentiful & free, as some places we've gone to are now charging for parking (Ke'e & Waimea). There are picnic tables and some grassy areas to sit &/or sunbathe. Lots of shade trees too. It is picturesque. You can drive up further if you want more secluded areas but it'll be away from the restrooms. It hardly gets packed with people here. There are several houses for rent that are right by the beach. I often dream of having our family (mom, dad, my siblings & their kids) rent one of the houses just for the experience of being at a beach front property. It looks like a lot of fun. It would be better than renting a condo like where we are at Wyndham Bali Hai Villas--walls are thin & my family can get really loud. Just wading on the shallow waters of Anini would make for a calm & serene time.

This beach was so silent and peaceful. Shallow enough for non swimmers and for kids to enjoy the waters. Plenty of parking was available! Great for snorkeling as well. I was on a mission to find a turtle and was able to find one here!

Pretty nice beach. I was snorkeling and was at chest deep water and still didn't see anything. Not sure if it was because a storm was coming or what. It is a nice clean beach. Water is it too rough. Plenty of parking before you get to the main part of the park I parked on the side without going all the way down to the main area.

Probably one of the best speeches I've ever been to! When we went to this beach for the first time, it was overcast and pouring rain. The water was super flat, and there were no waves. You could see the raindrops hit the water for miles. Oh the water is so shallow and clear. There are a bunch of trees that provide shade and covering right over the sand and water. The next day we came back when it was not raining, and there was a sun and clear skies. It was so beautiful and romantic. We had to leave in a few hours to fly back home, but I just did not want to leave here. There were not too many people at the beach. There were some people higher up in the grassy area and in the table area. There were also some homeless tents, but they were not bothering anyone. Despite there being homeless tense, it did not affect the beach water or the beach itself. You still have to come to this beach. We heard about this speech from a local, she said this would be a great beach to snorkel at. My fiancé swam out and was able to see some fish. I did not go too far out because I did not have a life jacket. The distance that I did go out I could see the ocean floor while treading water and it was so beautiful. I highly, highly recommend!

Great shallow water beach option with the ability to go out deeper if you want. I'm a beginner snorkeler and this was a perfect place to practice. Some coral is very shallow, you could reach out and touch it, but please don't disturb it. We saw a baby flounder along the bottom and we even saw turtles eating and swimming! Side note, you are REQUIRED to stay 20 feet away by state law so as not to disturb them. There is plenty of shade to sit under, shower, bathrooms, and no reservations or charge required at the time of this review. Get there early (before 9am on weekends) because parking is limited but that's true of most beaches on Kaua'i. After making an almost 2 hour trek to Ke'e Beach only to be turned away with no reservation, we wound up here and we're perfectly happy. Great beach!

We stopped here twice! I loved the convenience of several picnic tables, restrooms (again no soap in the restrooms), shade and spots for sunbathing. They even have outdoor showers to rinse all the sand off! We snorkeled here and saw some fish - nothing too exciting to see. The waters were definitely calm here, making snorkeling easy to do here. This is a fantastic spot to bring food and hangout for the day, but beware of the CHICKENS man! We caught some pecking at the Ziploc bag I had full of our snacks! This is easily a spot you can spend all day with your family, especially if you pack food!

This is the best beach on the North side of the island in terms of accessibility. Note that this review is from March/April. At the campground area (West of the parking lot), there is less wind with great conditions for snorkeling -- and the sand is finer. The reef is very shallow and you see a lot of fish. There are restrooms. There is a lifeguard. There is plenty of street parking. There isn't a lot of sand area, but the beach is hardly ever crowded.

My husband and I stayed here for the first time ever and the park was absolutely beautiful and very peaceful. The sunsets were amazing here and we enjoyed the people that we met while camping here. The water is perfect for swimming and the beach is perfect for those with small children. If you are ever visiting Kauai this beach park is worth the stop while on your journey.

We rented a beachfront house at the end of the road at anini beach and it was truly Magical! The entire stretch of anini beach is beautiful and totally swimmable. You can snorkel, kite surf, fish, etc. The scenery is perfection. There are stretches of sandy beach and others where there's a little more rock and plenty of trees to provide shade from the sun. I think this is one of the best beaches in the island.

Hotel staff suggested this beach for little Keikis. It was a peaceful, pleasantly green drive from our Lihue hotel along the eastern shore of the island. Parking was on the roadside. It's somewhat windy but the environment was very calming and relaxing. It wasn't crowded; mostly families. The narrow beaches meant short walk to the shallow, warm, clear water. Clean restrooms nearby. Heard joyful reporting of turtle sighting further out!

Anini Beach is a great reef made natural lagoon great for wading, ‍, and snorkeling. The wave break is far out so there are no dangerous shore breaks or rip currents. It's great for kids. The ocean floor is a little rocky so water shoes or fins are good. There is no public snorkeling equipment rentals so bring your own gear here. Sea turtles often frequent this area because of its calm waters. There are no major restaurants or shops at Anini Beach because it's remote and in a residential area. There are outdoor restrooms here and lots of street parking. Bring your towels, picnic blanket, and make a day of Anini beach and nearby Hanalei Bay. Great calm beach here

This is not only a beautiful beach with the calmest waters I had seen while in Kauai, but it is the perfect place to learn how to snorkel. This is a great beach for the entire family. There are plenty of picnic tables, grass areas, sandy beach places and restrooms nearby. We wanted to return to this beach to snorkel but we ended up only having a picnic here as we were in the middle of a self guided tour.

We came here for the day and wished we would have had time to go back. We found parking right next to a part of the beach that had lots of trees and shade and was not a far walk to find the perfect spot. It was very shallow for a long length of the ocean, which was great for our little kiddos to paddle around and walk and not fear being too deep. The temperature was amazing too, the water was luke warm and clear, you would see little schools of fish swimming near the sand. Lots of people snorkeling as well. Perfect for posting up your chairs and letting the waves come to your feet. Lots of shade where we were, everyone was mellow, it was nice and quiet and just a great place for little kids and to just relax. I would love to come back.

A nice beach in the Princeville area. Very calm waters (when I was there) perfect for toddlers and someone looking for a quiet beach to lay out. My kids are a bit older and want more waves. But if your learning paddle boarding and want calm waters this spot is perfect.

This park has plenty of parking, which we cannot say for beaches in the Hanalei area. The beach itself is quite long, with nice soft sand, and trees close by, so you can have your chairs under shade. The reef is okay, but not spectacular. The waves when we were there were gentle, so it was easy to snorkel there.

Beautiful beach! One of our favorites in Kauai. Great place for kids and family. Sunrise here is incredible

Easy access and parking. Calm, shallow waters. Great snorkeling - saw many turtles and even a stingray!

Beautiful beach with views of the mountains. The day I came was windy and the beach was not crowded. There were people camping in the park area and lots of wind surfing.

This beach is amazing! We came here on a cloudy day to enjoy the beach for the first time during our visit to Kauai. It's very easy to access this beach, plenty of parking but it can get very busy so make sure you check the time of day. Easy walk from parking lot to the shoreline, there are restrooms and outside showers to clean off. This was one of the most laidback beaches we came during our time here, mostly older couples and a lot of foil surfers (which was super cool to watch). We sat front row with our beach chairs and enjoyed the ambience. My favorite thing about this beach is how far the water extends for many feet 3-5 foot deep water. I enjoyed floating in the water and being able to touch the ocean floor easily. There are virtually no waves at all which makes being in ocean water so calming and relaxing.

Great beach, great snorkeling! No facilities, though. As a result it's really chill. If you're looking for a quiet beach experience, this is the place!

Amazing snorkel trip, been here before and it never disappoints! Saw 5 turtles in one setting...consistent Green Turtle beach without a bad current. Shade on beach from trees, restrooms, probably our literal favorite on Kauai

Kauai's legendary warm and crystalline water couldn't be more evident than at Anini. The fine sand on the beach, lush greenery and ample parking space make this our top beach for snorkeling. The water is generally shallow and even if you go out what seems like a quarter mile away, the water only came up to my waist. Near the edge of the reefs, you'll have ample opportunity to explore the different sea life. If it's raining off and on all day, as it could get in Kaua'i, just take a few breaks on the sand and take a short nap with rain falling on your face. BLISS. We wouldn't have known about Anini if it weren't for the kind folks at Pedal and Paddle in Hanalei ($5 snorkel gear rental). To get here, take Highway 56 past Kilauea, make a right on Kalihiwai Road, just past the bridge and a left on Anini Road.

Very calm water for the kids, but also some snorkeling opportunities for us a little farther out. We saw some of the Hawaii state fish, sea cucumbers and a variety of pretty tropical fish which I unfortunately don't know their names. There were some fun big clumps of coral surrounded by sand bottom and it was fun to explore out there. Beautiful shady trees line the edge of the beach so there are some ouchies when walking in bare feet. There were some rocks and little bits of coral lying around on the shoreline and some under the water but mostly sand. The beach is much narrower than some of the beach parks but very pretty, and with the trees there you can get a prime spot in the shade. Lots of chickens!

Beautiful beach! Very shallow, calm waters (visiting in October) It would be great for children. It wasn't the best for snorkeling, we didn't see many fish but i want to go back and take a pool floatie and spend and afternoon floating.

Floating in the warm water. So relaxing. Sky is so clear. Blue of the sky is so rich and the fluffy white clouds have so much definition. I'm sad California air is so polluted a orange haze hides everything. Below are a good variety of iPhone sized fish. They like hiding in the coral and around rocks. The snorkeling is good here. Sandy beach is also relaxing with the lovely fine grain sand. I like feeling the texture of it as my feet sink into it. There are lots of trees lining the shoreline to provide shade. There are many varieties of trees and vegetation to admire here. Not many people visit so there is ample parking. The nene, also known as nēnē and Hawaiian goose is the office bird of Hawaii and many are found here. This is one of my favorite beaches on Kauai.

Very tropical with beautiful trees for shade. You will find locals surfing like on the movie "Point Break". Very GREEN, nice place to take holiday photos or just chill.

Great beach ! Calmed waters and perfect for snorkeling, don't pay a lot of money on a tour . Do you want to see turtles?. This is the spot !

The place is beautiful, but the people are terrible. We planned to stay here for two nights. Night one we set up and soon after a group set up two tents feet from ours and were chatty well into the night. But honestly, not bad for a camp group, you know can't always pick your neighbors. Night two was probably the worst camping experience one could have. A large local family set up their tents within a foot of ours on three sides and set up a hammock over us. When we returned from a days activity to meet them they began to intimidate us and threaten us until, and as, we packed and left. I can only recommend it for a day trip, stay somewhere else and out your money into that community.

Fantastic day at Anini beach! We got in late last night so the morning was busy getting settled, groceries, renting snorkel gear etc. We came to Anini around 1pm since there was ample parking. It wasn't too busy, really enjoyed it.

Great beach with shade available as well as picnic tables. For those who actually want to swim and not have to worry about coral less than a foot below them this is a great spot. You can swim about 50 meters to a rocky area where turtles hang out and another 100 meters or so to a coral garden that is really neat. I would not recommend swimming far out during the tradewind afternoon hours unless you have fins - the current can be pretty strong even though waves aren't crashing ashore.