Black Pot Beach Park(Hanalei Pier)

Located in Hanalei Bay, Black Pot Beach Park is a recreational park that has a west-facing beach with light brown sand and nearby palm trees. This beach is also known as Black Pot Beach or Blackpot Beach. This beach is situated adjacent to the mouth of the Hanalei River within the island of Kauai and is popular among tourists and local Kauai residents. As an interesting fact, this popular beach got its name (Black Pot Beach) from a large black pot that used to be on the beach - local residents used this pot for cooking meals during celebrations and group events. The beach in Black Pot Beach Park was featured in the 1958 movie South Pacific, and it is also one of the very few beaches in Kauai Island which does not have a local Hawaiian name. A pier named Hanalei Pier is also present on the beach - this pier is a part of the United States’ National Register of Historic Places. The beach and the area around were devastated during the 2018 Hawaii floods, and have been rebuilt in the succeeding years via community efforts and local legislative action. 

Although Black Pot Beach does not have lifeguards, it has many other amenities including grassy areas, nearby watersports equipment rental facilities, restrooms, showers, and picnic areas. 

Black Pot Beach Park offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, fishing, wildlife watching, picnicking, swimming, surfing, kayaking, canoeing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, paddleboarding, snorkeling, skimboarding, bodyboarding, jet-skiing, surf-skiing, water-skiing, wakeboarding, and parasailing. The water near the beach usually offers fun yet manageable surfing waves, which makes it ideal for beginner surfers. Paddleboarders, kayakers, and canoers also launch their watercraft from this beach and explore the water and the shoreline around the mouth of the Hanalei River - the water near the river mouth is much calmer than the Hanalei Bay. However, if you are planning to enter the water near Black Pot Beach, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to have rogue waves and dangerous rip currents, especially during winters. The water near Black Pot Beach Park is also occasionally known to be dirty. 

Depending on the time of the year, you can view many kinds of animals in the water near the beach including dolphins and sea turtles. The Hanalei Pier present in Black Pot Beach Park is a great fishing spot. However, if you are planning to fish in the water near Black Pot Beach Park, we recommend following the local fishing regulations. The beach in Black Pot Beach Park also offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Hanalei Bay and the oceanfront mountains around it - one of the mountains near the beach is the iconic Mount Makana (which is also mistakenly known as "Bali Hai"). Locals often gather on the beach in Blackpot Beach Park during weekends and organize fun gatherings, bonfires, and parties – this results in the beach having a festive ambiance. In addition, many local events including fairs and sports tournaments are also organized on this beach. One of these events is the monthly "Beach Day" organized by an organization named KORE (Kauai Ocean Recreation Experience). This event sees trained professionals gather on the beach and help local Kauai residents with disabilities and physical challenges learn surfing. This event is organized on the first Saturday of every month

Getting to Black Pot Beach Park is easy - from Hawaii Route 560 (locally known as the Kuhio Highway), you need to first turn towards Aene Road. From Aene Road, you need to turn towards Weke Road. Black Pot Beach Park is located near the northern end of Weke Road where you will find a parking lot. 

There are many attractions near Black Pot Beach Park. Queen’s Bath is a natural tidal pool that was earlier only used by Hawaiian nobility for bathing purposes. While the area around this natural rocky pool is infamous for having dangerous rip currents, it is nevertheless a popular swimming spot and it also has a large variety of marine fauna including angelfish, sea urchins, and ghost fish. Princeville Botanical Gardens has an amazing variety of plants including native Hawaiian flora, canoe plants (plant varieties that were introduced by native Hawaiians), medicinal plants, and plants of commercial value throughout the world. Princeville Botanical Gardens are also famous for manufacturing their own organic chocolate and honey and they also organize an annual summer camp. If you are looking for another attraction near Black Pot Beach Park, Hanalei Valley Lookout is an observation area that offers amazing Instagram-worthy photos of the picturesque Hanalei Valley.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Black Pot Beach Park. Postcards Restaurant is an upscale restaurant which offers amazing gourmet dishes infused with local Hawaiian and international culinary influences. Bar Acuda is an upscale restaurant that serves delicious Hawaiian-inspired tapas-style dishes. The restaurant has been praised by many publications including Honolulu magazine and the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper. Kalypso is a popular restaurant that serves outstanding dishes with local Hawaiian culinary influences including pastas, seafood, steaks, pupu platters, and breakfast dishes. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Black Pot Beach Park, Chicken in a Barrel BBQ serves amazing barbecued dishes. As another modestly priced option, Pat’s Taqueria offers amazing tacos, burritos, and quesadillas.

If you are looking for a hotel near Black Pot Beach Park, there are many great nearby options. The 4-Star The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas offers many amenities including a bar, a grocery store, a restaurant, four pools, three hot tubs, jogging routes, exercise classes, and a spa. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Hanalei Bay Resort which offers many amenities including two pools (including a sea-view lagoon-style pool with a lava rock waterfall), eight tennis courts, a hot tub, a complimentary 24-hour golf cart beach shuttle, water sports rentals, laundry facilities, and a bar. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Black Pot Beach Park, the 2-Star Hanalei Dolphin Cottages offers many amenities including showers and barbecue areas.