Polihale Beach

Polihale Beach stands out above the rest due to its gorgeous pristine white sands, natural beauty and remote unspoilt location. Once a hidden gem, it was featured as “The Best Secluded Beach on Earth” by T&L magazine which pretty much negated its title!

Despite being more popular now, this sandy beach still retains a sense of being at the very end of the earth. Getting to Polihale Beach takes about 30 minutes from Kekaha along HI-50. The last 5 miles is along a rough sugar cane trail which is best navigated in dry weather. Park at the end of the dirt road and don’t risk driving onto the sand unless you have a 4WD vehicle. There are restrooms, showers and picnic tables at this point, but that’s the limit of the facilities.

The 7-mile stretch of sand at Polihale Beach is part of the longer stretch of beach and mountainous sand dunes on the Napali Coast. It’s perfect for bracing walks in all seasons with the ever-present sound of breaking waves.

Strong currents and the lack of lifeguards make the beach unsuitable for swimming but you can enjoy fishing, beachcombing, shelling and spotting desert cactus. 

One of the highlights nearby is the Monkeypod Tree, a historic landmark within the Polihale State Park. The shady umbrella shaped tree is covered in pink puff-ball flowers in summer followed by long seed pods and is well worth a selfie. At night the tree closes up its leaves to preserve moisture and allows rain to reach its shady roots, but I digress…

Camping at Polihale Beach is by permit only but you can linger and watch the sun set over Niihau Island - it’s an unforgettable experience.