Donkey Beach (Paliku Beach), Kauai, Hawaii

We absolutely loved Donkey Beach. Donkey Beach is the nickname for this beach, but that's what most people call it. The real name is Paliku Beach. It got its name years back when there used to be donkeys or mules in a field by the beach. There are no longer donkeys, but the name stuck.

This was one of our favorite beaches on the east side of Kauai.

You can access this beach from a public parking lot or you can rent a bicycle to ride on the bike trail that goes right by the beach.

We chose to drive there. When we arrived we found that there was plenty of parking and public bathrooms. There is a 0.5 mile hike to get to the beach, but it's downhill on a paved sidewalk that has an amazing tree canopy.

This is what the parking area looks like:

You'll see the sidewalk by the entrance to the parking lot. Take that for half a mile down to the bike trail.

As you reach the end of the sidewalk, turn right on the bike path. Then you'll make a quick left onto a dirt trail that takes you down to Donkey Beach. There are other trails farther down, but we took this one as it was closest.

As we walked out onto this beach, we were blown away by how beautiful this beach is!

Overall, we loved this beach. There were very few people there when we went and the sand was really soft. Even though you have to hike a mile round trip, it was worth it and we would highly recommend it on your next trip to Kauai.

Paliku Beach/Donkey Beach, Kauai - Hawaii Map:

(Click on the map above to go to a Google Maps larger view.)

Free Public Parking: $0

Total cost: $0

These are the checklist items I recommend:

• Bring a plenty of water and some snacks
• Bring a hat to keep the sun off of your face.
• Bring sunscreen
• Bring a beach towel and beach chair
• This video was filmed with a Go Pro Hero 9 Black video camera

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