Hideaways Beach is among the most beautiful but hard to reach beaches on Kauai. If you are up in Princeville and it’s not rained too much, you owe it to yourself to clamber down the steep cliff and picture yourself stranded on a desert island.
Picture Gallery
Parking
Arrive early if you want to find a parking spot. Look at directions below. You will drive to Princeville and continue almost to the guard shack at the St Regis, at the end of the road. Look to your right and you’ll see a tennis court and a very small parking lot just beyond.
Park there if you can find a spot. There aren’t that many. You can go back up to the next resort and try to park there.
The climb
The walk (or climb) down to the beach is very steep. If it’s been raining a lot, it’s probably not a good idea to go down. But there are hand-holds most of the way if it’s dry. Be sure to stop part way and enjoy the view – it’s magnificent.
The Beach(s)
There are no facilities here so bear that in mind. But you won’t find a more secluded spot to enjoy the beach and the water.
The snorkeling is exceptional – but be aware if you go to the right, there are coral canyons and shallow spots at low tide. It’s better to go out a little further and venture over to the “other” side of Hideaways.Â
Some of the images in the gallery below were taken at the east side of the beach. You get there if you stay at Pali Ke Kua condos. There is a steep but paved trail down from the first parking lot that leads to a BBQ area and finally down to the beach. If you want to take the risk of being towed, you could park there (I don’t think they really check parking).
The snorkeling is better on the east side. We regularly see turtles there and you can go out quite a ways in the tunnels or channels between coral and lava. Check out the video below to see just how clear the water is.