Kukui'Ula Harbor Beach(Kukui'ula Small Boat Harbor)

Located in southern Kauai, Kukuiula Harbor Beach - also called Kukui'ula Harbor Beach and Kukuiula Small Boat Harbor Beach - is a slightly narrow beach with soft light brown sand, some rocky portions, a few black-colored boulders, nearby palm trees and a nearby breakwater. The beach is situated near the town of Poipu and along the shores of a bay named Kukuiula Bay. There is also a harbor near this beach named the Kukuiula Small Boat Harbor. In addition, there is also a recreational park near this beach named Kukuiula Harbor Park. The name of the beach and the harbor - Kukui'ula - means “kukui fire” in Hawaiian. The beach received this name because the oil from a Native Hawaiian nut named the kukui nut was used as a fuel for lighting lamps - these lamps were then used for guiding ships to this harbor at night. During the rainy season, a stream sometimes flows near the northern part of the beach - once this stream passes the area near Kukuiula Beach’s northern end, it flows into the Pacific Ocean. 

Although Kukuiula Harbor Beach does not have lifeguards, it has many other amenities including restrooms, picnic areas, showers, a nearby boat launching facility (which is located near the southern end of the beach) and nearby grassy areas. 

Kukuiula Beach Park offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, fishing, picnicking, wildlife watching, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, surf-skiing, snorkeling, water-skiing, jet-skiing, boating, and wakeboarding. The water near Kukuiula Harbor Beach is protected from rough and large waves by a nearby breakwater and this makes it ideal for less-experienced swimmers. This beach is also popular with canoers - a local canoe club named the Kukui’ula Outrigger Canoe Cluborganizes fun canoeing-related events near the beach and one of these events is the Mike Balik Memorial Long Distance Race that is held in the memory of Mike Balik - Balik was a member of the Kukui’ula Outrigger Canoe Club who succumbed to leukemia. If you are planning to swim or kayak near Kukuiula Harbor Beach, we recommend being careful because the water here is known to have unpredictable rip currents and dangerous waves - the water here can particularly have dangerous waves in summer. In addition, during monsoon the water here is known to get murky and have a high amount of organic contaminants - this occurs because the stream flowing near the beach is known to deposit a large amount of sediment in the water here. 

It is important to note that water activities are dangerous near Kukuiula Harbor Beach during this time because sharks also love to hunt in the murky water. The ocean bottom near Kukuiula Harbor Beach is rocky which can make water activities difficult here. Fishermen prefer to visit Kukuiula Harbor Beach during sunrise - if you are planning to fish near Kukuiula Harbor Beach, please ensure compliance with the local fishing regulations which can be found on the website of the Division of Aquatic Resources (which is a part of the State of Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources). If you like taking pictures with beautiful views, Kukuiula Harbor Beach offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the southern Kauai shoreline and the Pacific Ocean. In addition, you can also see boats sailing out of the nearby Kukuiula Small Boat Harbor. Depending on the time of the year, you can see many kinds of animals in the water near Kukuiula Harbor Beach including sea turtles, migrating whales between December and May, a large amount of fish, coral, and rare Hawaiian monk seals - it is important to note that sea turtles and Hawaiian monk seals are protected under a law named the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and harming them can result in a fine of up to $50,000 and possible imprisonment

Getting to Kukuiula Harbor Beach is easy - from either Hawaii Route 520 (which is also called Maluhia Road) or Hawaii Route 530 (which is also locally known as Koloa Road), you need to turn towards Poipu Road and drive on this road until you reach a roundabout named the Poipu Roundabout. From this roundabout, you need to turn towards Lawai Road. Kukuiula Harbor Beach is located near 4581 Lawai Road, near Lawai Road Road’s intersection with Alania Road. There are free street parking spaces along Lawai Road - you can park along these spaces and then easily walk to the beach. As another parking option, you can turn towards Amio Road from Lawai Road. There are multiple free parking lots near the end of Amio Road - you can easily walk to the beach from these parking lots. We recommend visiting Kukuiula Harbor Beach early during weekends because this beach can get slightly crowded during this time. 

There are many attractions near Kukuiula Harbor Beach. Kukui'ula is a resort community that has an 18-hole golf course that offers a fun golfing session - this course was designed by eminent golfer Tom Weiskopf and it was called “One of the Best Courses in Hawaii” by Golf Digest magazine. Spouting Horn Park is a park that has a blowhole named Spouting Horn which can shoot water up to a height of 50 feet in the air. This blowhole also makes a hissing and roaring sound - according to Native Hawaiian legends, this sound is made by a large lizard named Kaikapu, who was tricked into trapping itself into the blowhole by a little boy named Liko. This blowhole can be lethal to visitors who stand too close to it, and we recommend watching it shoot up water from a nearby observation area.

Allerton Garden is an 80-acre botanical garden that was earlier the home of a Hawaiian Queen named Queen Emma and this garden was designed in the early part of the 20th century by artist and architect Robert Allerton and his son John Greg Allerton. The garden has many interesting “garden rooms” and it is home to a variety of interesting plant species including Moreton Bay fig trees and palm trees. In addition, the garden also has interesting pools, waterfalls, statues, and fountains - the garden has also been featured in many movies and TV shows including Jurassic Park and Magnum, P.I. If you are looking for another attraction near Kukuiula Harbor Beach, McBryde Garden is a 200-acre garden which has the largest collection of Native Hawaiian plant species outside of the wild - this garden is also home to many other rare plant varieties including palms, orchids, and heliconias. The garden also has “canoe plants” which are plants that were introduced in Hawaii by Polynesian settlers, who carried them in canoes and it also has a “Bamboo Bridge” (which is a bridge made up of bamboo) - in addition, a portion of the Lawa’i Stream also runs through the garden.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Kukuiula Harbor Beach. Eating House 1849 Koloa is an upscale restaurant that was founded by eminent chef Roy Yamaguchi and it offers excellent Hawaiian and Asian-inspired gourmet dishes including salads, steaks, poultry dishes, burgers, seafood, noodles, and rice bowls. Merriman’s Kauai is another upscale restaurant that is set in a vintage Hawaiian-style plantation and it offers excellent Hawaiian-inspired gourmet dishes which are prepared from fresh and locally sourced ingredients including steaks, salads, seafood lamb, and soup. Holoholo Grill offers amazing dishes for lunch, dinner, and breakfast including French toasts, pancakes, oatmeal, flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches, seafood, poultry dishes, and steaks. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Kukuiula Harbor Beach, Bubba Burger Kauai is known for offering fantastic burgers. In addition, it also serves excellent chili, hot dog, sandwiches, fries, and salads.

If you are looking for a hotel near Kukuiula Harbor Beach, there are many great nearby options. The 5-Star The Lodge at Kukui’ula offers many amenities including a golf course, four tennis courts, multiple pools (including an infinity pool and another saltwater-style lagoon pool), water sporting equipment rental store (which also offers lessons in multiple water activities including boating, canoeing, and snorkeling), rental facilities for bike and beach equipment, two restaurants, a spa, a lounge, and a 10-acre farm. Another upscale hotel is the 4-Star Koloa Landing Resort at Poipu, Autograph Collection which offers many amenities including a spa, a fitness center, multiple pools including a 350,000 gallon signature lagoon pool and an infinity pool, hot tubs, a Japanese-style soaking tub, a volleyball court, a putting green, and complimentary local area shuttle service and yoga classes.  

A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Kiahuna Plantation Resort which offers accommodation in condominiums and also offers many amenities including beautiful gardens and access to Poipu Beach Athletic Club - this club offers many amenities including a restaurant, a pool, and a tennis court. Another moderately priced hotel is the Kauai Cove which offers accommodation in oceanfront cottages and it is also located conveniently close to some of the major attractions and restaurants in southern Kauai. In addition, the hotel was also featured in Brides and Condé Nast Traveler magazines. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Kukuiula Harbor Beach, Prince Kuhio Resort offers many amenities including a barbecue area, a pool, and a tropical garden and it also offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Pacific Ocean. As another modestly priced option, Poipu Beach SurfSong is located conveniently close to some of the major attractions and restaurants in the town of Poipu.