Salt Pond Park

With over thirty beaches ringing Kauai, it’s hard to have a favorite. Salt Pond is right up there for me. Named for its traditional Hawaiian salt collecting ponds, this beach is protected by an outside reef which makes it great for kids and relatively safe for snorkeling, fishing and swimming. It also sits between my two favorite towns on the island, Hanapepe and Wiamea. The scene is more local than touristy with folks parking their rigs on the eastern sand spit. There is no shortage of popup tents and BBQs trailing out of pickup beds. Stand up paddle boarders ply the bay which is too protected for surf waves. The facilities include paved parking, bathrooms and showers. It is also one of the few beaches with lifeguards on duty. My sweetie says the water has a higher salt content making it easier to float around. I tend to sink under any liquid circumstance so the jury is still out on that claim. Bring a boogie board to insure your buoyancy.

This monk seal was sleeping in the sun the entire day we were at Salt Pond Park in Kauai. He or she would occasionally flap some more sand over itself, but that was about it. So peaceful.