Is Donkey Beach open?
No closures reported
No County, State or Health Department notice closes Donkey Beach. Checked Oct 29, 10:20 pm HST. Details
Weather Service alert
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Closures: County of Kauaʻi, DLNR and Hawaiʻi Department of Health, checked every 3 hours. Weather, surf and alerts: National Weather Service. UV: US EPA forecast. Water: NOAA sensor at Nāwiliwili Harbor. Every beach
Donkey Beach in 3D
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Drag to spin · Blue P: parking · White line: walk to the sand · Heights doubled; waves are for illustration, not a surf report ·
Known hazards
“A female has just been rescued from heavy surf by the Kauaʻi East Roving Ski patrol at Donkey (Palikū) Beach”Kauaʻi Now (reporting a Kauaʻi Fire Department Ocean Safety Bureau response; lifeguards came from the Keālia Beach tower about a mile away), 2023-03-09
“not a swimming beach”Parrish Kauai (also warns of rip currents and a steep drop-off; no lifeguard)
Closures and alerts
Closures and advisories
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County of Kauaʻi, DLNR and Hawaiʻi Department of Health notices, checked every 3 hours. Every beach
Official alerts
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Recent official notices
None of the notices this site has read since Oct 1, 2026 name Donkey Beach.
This list covers the last 90 days of County of Kauaʻi, DLNR and Hawaiʻi Department of Health notices.
Conditions
Surf
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Tide
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Parking and access
Parking
Public County parking is at the Keālia Kai lot off Kūhiō Highway (Route 56), near mile marker 11. The lot has a County restroom. The streets around it in Keālia Kai are private. Do not park on them.
Getting to the sand
From the lot, a paved path leads to the beach in about 10 minutes on foot. The beach has no facilities. You can also reach it on Ke Ala Hele Makalae, the paved coastal path, from Keālia Beach, about a mile and a half to the south. The land above the beach is part of the private Keālia Kai development, so stay on the path and signed access.
From public sources, checked October 26, 2026: County of Kauaʻi Department of Parks & Recreation, Kauaʻi Now (citing County Parks & Recreation), County of Kauaʻi Department of Public Works, FY2023 Annual Report, Parrish Kauai, To-Hawaii.com, OpenStreetMap contributors. Lot sizes and fill times change; the status at the top of this page shows current closures.
Lifeguard
Not guarded. The County of Kauaʻi Ocean Safety Bureau doesn't list a lifeguard tower here.
About Donkey Beach
Donkey Beach, also called Pālikū Beach, is a wide sweep of sand on Kauaʻi's East Side, between Keālia and Anahola, north of Kapaʻa. It sits below Kūhiō Highway (Route 56) near mile marker 11, with no buildings or facilities on the sand. Most visitors arrive at the County's Keālia Kai parking lot and follow a paved path down, about a ten-minute walk. Others come along Ke Ala Hele Makalae, the coastal path from Keālia Beach.
The name comes from the donkeys and mules that Līhuʻe Plantation kept in a pasture behind the beach to haul seed cane. Today people sunbathe, walk the sand and watch surfers work the shorebreak. There is no lifeguard on the beach, and guides describe it as a place to stay out of the water when surf is up. The ground above the beach belongs to the private Keālia Kai development, so keep to the marked path.
Donkey Beach (also called Pālikū Beach, Paliku Beach, Homaikawaa Beach, Kuna Beach, Kumukumu Beach) is a beach on Kauaʻi’s East Side, on the east-facing coast. No County lifeguard tower covers it. Its surf follows the National Weather Service forecast for East-facing shores, and its tides follow NOAA’s Hanamaulu Bay station.
Questions
Is Donkey Beach open?
The top of this page shows any closure or advisory that the County of Kauaʻi, the State (DLNR) or the Hawaiʻi Department of Health has posted for Donkey Beach. We check every 3 hours. If our last check is more than a day old, it says “Status unknown” instead of guessing.
Where is Donkey Beach, and how do you get there?
Donkey Beach is on Kauaʻi’s East Side. Its public access point is at GPS 22.11410, -159.29700. Directions in Google Maps. The map on this page shows lots that OpenStreetMap marks as public.
Is there a lifeguard at Donkey Beach?
No. Donkey Beach has no County lifeguard tower. The nearest guarded beach is the place to ask about conditions.
Where do you park for Donkey Beach?
Public County parking is at the Keālia Kai lot off Kūhiō Highway (Route 56), near mile marker 11. The lot has a County restroom. The streets around it in Keālia Kai are private. Do not park on them.
Can you swim at Donkey Beach?
That changes day to day with the surf, and this site doesn't make that call. Check the East-facing surf range above, any alerts, and a lifeguard at the nearest guarded beach. Hazard ratings for guarded beaches are at safebeachday.com.
Nearby beaches
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Sources
- Closures: County of Kauaʻi, DLNR, Hawaiʻi Department of Health
- Surf, weather and alerts: National Weather Service Honolulu
- Tides: NOAA station 1611443
- Parking lots on the map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Sources last checked October 26, 2026.