Is Kalapakī Beach open?
No closures reported
No County, State or Health Department notice closes Kalapakī Beach. Checked Oct 28, 10:20 am HST. Details
Weather Service alert
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Kalapakī 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 brown water advisory was issued at Nawiliwili to Kalapaki Beach.”Kauaʻi Now (reporting a Hawaiʻi Department of Health advisory), 2026-03-31
Closures and alerts
Closures and advisories
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Official alerts
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Conditions
Surf
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Tide
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Parking and access
Parking
The County lot at Nāwiliwili Park, next to Anchor Cove at the west end, fronts Kalapakī Bay. It is small and fills. A second public shoreline-access lot is up the hill on the Royal Sonesta grounds; follow the Shoreline Access signs. The Anchor Cove lot is for customers.
Getting to the sand
From Nāwiliwili Park, walk across the mouth of Nāwiliwili Stream to the sand. From the upper lot, walk back past the condos to a staircase down to the beach; guides also describe a public elevator.
Lifeguard
Not guarded. The County of Kauaʻi Ocean Safety Bureau doesn't list a lifeguard tower here.
About Kalapakī Beach
Kalapakī Beach is a curve of sand at the head of Kalapakī Bay in Līhuʻe, on Kauaʻi's East Side, at the north end of Nāwiliwili Harbor where cruise ships dock. It sits at the bottom of Rice Street, about three miles from Līhuʻe Airport, in front of the Royal Sonesta Kauaʻi Resort, the former Kauai Marriott. Anchor Cove's shops and restaurants and the County's Nāwiliwili Park border its west end, beside the mouth of Nāwiliwili Stream.
Surfers and bodyboarders ride the shorebreak over the bay's shallow sandbar, and paddlers launch stand-up boards from the sand. The beach has long been Līhuʻe's front door to the sea: steamers once anchored offshore and rowed passengers in by whaleboat, ranchers swam cattle ashore here, and the Kauai Surf hotel opened on the beach in 1960. There is no lifeguard tower, and the State Health Department has posted brown-water advisories here after heavy rain.
Kalapakī 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 Nawiliwili station. Facilities: restrooms.
Questions
Is Kalapakī 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 Kalapakī 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 Kalapakī Beach, and how do you get there?
Kalapakī Beach is on Kauaʻi’s East Side. Its public access point is at GPS 21.96055, -159.35040. Directions in Google Maps. The map on this page shows lots that OpenStreetMap marks as public.
Is there a lifeguard at Kalapakī Beach?
No. Kalapakī Beach has no County lifeguard tower. The nearest guarded beach is the place to ask about conditions.
Where do you park for Kalapakī Beach?
The County lot at Nāwiliwili Park, next to Anchor Cove at the west end, fronts Kalapakī Bay. It is small and fills. A second public shoreline-access lot is up the hill on the Royal Sonesta grounds; follow the Shoreline Access signs. The Anchor Cove lot is for customers.
Does Kalapakī Beach have bathrooms?
Yes. The County lists comfort stations (public restrooms) there. Showers aren’t on the County’s list. Source: County of Kauaʻi Parks.
Can you swim at Kalapakī 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 hawaiibeachsafety.com.
Report conditions
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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 1611400
- Parking lots on the map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Sources last checked October 26, 2026.