One thing we discovered about Kauai is that while you are on a island, much of the beaches have rough surf and are not suitable for swimming. Although we had a resort by the beach, the waters near us were rough. That’s what had us in the Poipu Beach area, looking for a beach to get wet.

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We stopped at Boss Frog’s Snorkel to rent beach chairs and a boogie board, and on their recommendation went to Brennecke’s Beach near Poipu Beach. This little alcove was protected by a rock reef that allowed the kids to go quite far in the water without fear of waves or the water being over their heads.

It turned out to be a gorgeous day, with the sun out, the breeze light and we were able to secure a stop under some palm trees for shade. But while there, we happened to catch a sea turtle as he was headed back to the water!

The boogie board turned out not to be of much use as the waves didn’t really come in, but we still tried.

The one downside was the rocks. Only a small part of the bay is sandy in the water. The rest is lava rocks that can hurt your feet. Be sure to bring water shoes if you want to explore more of that part of the bay.

After a morning enjoying the sand and sun, we went back to Koloa Fish Market to get my husband and son’s daily dose of poke. Then we went off to take a nap before heading to the Smith Family Garden Luau that evening. We hoped to make it to the beach again later in the week, but it turns out that the resort pool with water slide called us instead. But we enjoyed our day at the beach and highly recommend this little cove for families who want a quiet safe place to enjoy a day in the sun in Kauai.

This trip was part of our series The Best Adventure – Milestone Birthdays in Kauai

Photos taken by Atma Photography