Pakala Beach(Infinities Beach, Makaweli Beach)

Located in the southern part of the Kauai shoreline, Pakala Beach - also called Pākalā Beach and Infinities - is an approximately 500 yards long arc-shaped beach that has light brown sand, a few rocks, driftwood, a nearby reef, a nearby breakwater, and many nearby trees in a village named Pakala Village.  This beach is situated along the shores of a bay named the Honaunau Bay.  A stream named the Aʻakukui Stream flows through the beach - once this stream passes the beach, it flows into the Pacific Ocean.  The sand near Pakala Beach is calcareous in nature - this means that the sand here is composed of calcium carbonate.  In addition, the sand here also occasionally has a slight reddish color because the area around the beach has traces of red soil. 

Pakala Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities, so please plan accordingly. 

Pakala Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, picnicking, fishing, wildlife watching, surfing, bodyboarding, kayaking, canoeing, jet-skiing, surf-skiing, boating, water-skiing, and wakeboarding.  Pakala Beach is extremely popular with expert surfers - the beach is also alternatively known as Infinities because the slightly shallow water here is known to continuously offer amazing surfing waves.  The water near the rocky outcropping in the eastern portion of the beach is particularly known to offer fantastic surfing waves - less experienced surfers also visit the beach during relatively calm water conditions for enjoying the surfing waves here.  The best time to surf near Pakala Beach is during the end of the summer season when the surfing waves here are manageable yet fun - surfers of all levels of expertise visit the beach during this time.  Pakala Beach was praised in HAWAI’I MAGAZINE’s article “The 5 best beginner surf spots on Kauai” - while the beach was not listed as one of the beginner surf spots in this article, it was nevertheless described as a “world class surf spot.”  If you are planning to surf near Pakala Beach, we recommend being careful because the water here is known to have unpredictable rip currents and dangerous waves. 

In addition, while swimming here is possible, we recommend foregoing swimming because the water here is often murky - the water here is murky because multiple streams deposit a lot of sediment into the ocean water here while flowing into it.  In addition, sharks are known to prefer murky waters for hunting - shark attacks have been documented near Pakala Beach.  Localist surfers may also occasionally try to discourage you from surfing near Pakala Beach.  Depending on the time of the year, you can see many kinds of animals in the water near Pakala 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.  If you are planning to fish near Pakala Beach, please ensure compliance with the local fishing regulations that can be found at 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, Pakala Beach offers amazing views of the southern Kauai shoreline and the Pacific Ocean

Getting to Pakala Beach is easy - the access trail to Pakala Beach is located along Hawaii Route 50 (which is also called Kaumualii Highway).  The trail to the beach is located near Hawaii Route 50’s mile marker 21.  There are also free street parking spaces near the beginning of the access trail on the opposite side of the highway - once you park in these spaces, you can easily walk to Pakala Beach.  However, we recommend being slightly careful while walking to the access trail for Pakala Beach after parking at the street parking spaces - we recommend being careful because walking to this access trail from the parking spaces involves crossing an active highway.  It is important to note that walking on the trail to Pakala Beach can get difficult during the rainy season because this trail gets slippery during this time.  It is also important to note that the area around the beach is privately owned, and we recommend staying on the trail while walking to the beach to avoid trespassing.  In addition, we recommend visiting Pakala Beach early because this beach can sometimes get crowded. 

There are many attractions near Pakala Beach.  Russian Fort Elizabeth State Park is a state park that has a fortification named Fort Elizabeth - this fort was built in 1817 by a colonial trading company named the Russian-American Company (RAC) and it has Russian and Hawaiian architectural influences.  This fort was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1962.  The fort earlier also had a chapel and a cannon and the area near it also has an unnamed beach - Russian Fort Elizabeth State Park offers an interesting insight into the local history.  Waimea State Recreational Pier (also named Waimea Pier) is a wooden pier that is extremely popular among fishermen - however, please note that spearfishing and fish-traps are not allowed within a 50 meter radius of the pier.  In addition, the pier also offers amazing views of the southern Kauai shoreline and the Pacific Ocean, particularly during sunsets.  If you are looking for another attraction near Pakala Beach, Hanapepe Swinging Bridge is a suspension bridge above the Hanapepe River - this bridge was built in the early 20th century and crossing this bridge is a fun experience for visitors of all ages due to its interesting swaying motion.  In addition, you can also view stars in the night sky from this bridge during night time.  The town of Hanapepe is located near this bridge and it hosts a fun event on Friday evenings called the Hanapepe Art Night - during this event local artists set up kiosks for displaying their artwork and you can also enjoy live music performances during this time.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Pakala Beach.  Merriman’s Kauai is a 30-minute drive away and 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.  Wrangler’s Steakhouse offers outstanding burgers, steaks, seafood, salads, Asian-inspired dishes, sandwiches, pork ribs, pastas, and pork chops.  MCS Grill serves excellent locally-inspired dishes including salads, burgers, sandwiches, pastas, steaks, seafood, loco moco, poultry dishes, and pork ribs.  Island Taco offers excellent Mexican dishes including tacos, enchiladas, and burritos, along with excellent breakfast dishes and taco salads.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Pakala Beach, The Shrimp Station - Waimea serves a variety of delicious shrimp-based dishes including Cajun shrimp, Thai-style shrimp, and fried shrimp.  As another modestly priced option, Porky’s Kauai serves delicious pulled pork that is served in buns, as a sandwich, or with rice.

If you are looking for a hotel near Pakala Beach, there are many great nearby options.  If you are looking for an upscale option, the 5-Star The Lodge at Kukui’ula is a 30-minute drive away and 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 is 25 minutes away by car and 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 Waimea Plantation Cottages which offers many amenities for a daily amenity fee including a pool, shuffleboard, bocce ball, hammocks, DVD loaner facility, and access to barbecue areas, picnic areas, and a private beach area.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Pakala Beach, Inn Waimea is a historic hotel that was a former parsonage and it has exquisite antique Hawaiian-style architecture.  The hotel has a common living area and a patio for its guests and it is also located conveniently close to some of the major restaurants and attractions in southwestern Kauai.  As another modestly priced option, Kalaheo Inn has many amenities including a garden, laundry facilities, a restaurant, barbecue areas, and loaner facilities for books, beach towels, beach chairs, snorkeling equipment, coolers, beach mats, golf clubs, and tabletop games.