Where We Be
| This is NOT the Queen's Bath. You'll pass one or two spots like this before reaching the Queen’s Bath. These are wide-open to the ocean and thus quite dangerous. |
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| The Queen's Bath is yet another miracle of natural engineering by Mother Nature in Hawaii |
| Kauai, Hawaii -- Queen's Bath |
| Okay, I suppose I could live on Kauai if I had to! |
The Queen’s Bath is a tide pool roughly the
size of a swimming pool beneath some cliffs
along a rocky shoreline in Princeville. Within
the bath the water is calm, but the ocean waves
pound against the lip and occasionally are big
enough to send in large amounts of foam and
aerated water. This keeps things exciting: you
find yourself waiting for that next big wave.
On the day we arrived, the waves were just
right – big enough to create some excitement
and visual beauty as they pounded against the
rocky lip and sent spray into the air, as well as
tons of frothing water rushing into the pool –
but not so big there was any issue of getting
pulled out into the ocean. This place CAN be
dangerous, especially in winter, so caution and
common sense are crucial, but on this day a
local who came here often assured us it was
safe for swimming. That said, I was getting a
“water massage” at one point when a
particularly large wave came crashing in and
my massage turned into a dousing! But to be
honest we found it hard to leave -- it was such
an exhilarating experience.
size of a swimming pool beneath some cliffs
along a rocky shoreline in Princeville. Within
the bath the water is calm, but the ocean waves
pound against the lip and occasionally are big
enough to send in large amounts of foam and
aerated water. This keeps things exciting: you
find yourself waiting for that next big wave.
On the day we arrived, the waves were just
right – big enough to create some excitement
and visual beauty as they pounded against the
rocky lip and sent spray into the air, as well as
tons of frothing water rushing into the pool –
but not so big there was any issue of getting
pulled out into the ocean. This place CAN be
dangerous, especially in winter, so caution and
common sense are crucial, but on this day a
local who came here often assured us it was
safe for swimming. That said, I was getting a
“water massage” at one point when a
particularly large wave came crashing in and
my massage turned into a dousing! But to be
honest we found it hard to leave -- it was such
an exhilarating experience.
| The grounds were full of flowering trees and picturesque views of the mountains across Hanalei Bay |
| Near sunset we drove to Hanalei Bay Resort and walked the beautiful grounds |
| At the base of the trail, if you turn right instead of left you come to this pretty view |
| You'll also pass plenty of warning signs along the way, so proceed with caution |
| But it was all good -- I loved every minute of it! |
| Wait a minute. What the...? |
| Ahhh, this is the life! |
| Getting a "water massage" |
| Tempting fate, waiting for that next big wave |
| This young woman even brought her boogie board along to ride the waves! |
| Robin takes a turn in the Bath and gets more than she bargained for... |
| The next big wave pushes her towards the back of the pool |
| My massage turned into a dousing! |
| So we did! The water was warm and comfortable. |
| During the twenty-minute hike to the Queen's Bath, you'll pass this little stream |
| THIS is the Queen's Bath |
| This local assured us conditions were good and it was safe to go in |
To get to the trailhead for Queen's Bath, head
west on Kuhio Highway to Princeville, turn right
onto Ka Haku Rd (just before Princeville
Shopping Center), turn right again onto
Punahele Rd, drive to the end of the road and
park in front of the green wall. The trail is to the
right near the blue signs. Follow the trail down
to the ocean (10 min) and turn left. Continue
walking along the ledges (another 10 min), past
all the warning signs, past the pounding surf,
until you reach the Queen’s Bath.
west on Kuhio Highway to Princeville, turn right
onto Ka Haku Rd (just before Princeville
Shopping Center), turn right again onto
Punahele Rd, drive to the end of the road and
park in front of the green wall. The trail is to the
right near the blue signs. Follow the trail down
to the ocean (10 min) and turn left. Continue
walking along the ledges (another 10 min), past
all the warning signs, past the pounding surf,
until you reach the Queen’s Bath.
| DIRECTIONS TO QUEEN'S BATH |