PRINCEVILLE BEACHES

Secret Beach
Properly known as Kauapea Beach

In winter, this beach, enormous as it is can disappear almost entirely under huge crashing waves.  Instead of swimming, the visitor must be content to walk along the water, hunt for shells, and forget everything save the feel of wet sand between one's toes.  In summer, there are more visitors [you pick the attire you are comfortable with] and one can swim, body board, snorkel, or even frolic with dolphins.

From the soft golden sand, you can see Kilauea Lighthouse to the east perched high on a cliff that looks out to Moku'ae'ae Island [inhabited only by hundreds of sea birds].  Behind much of the east and west parts of the beach are stunning cliffs of red and black rock.  The cliffs are punctuated in several places by small cascading waterfalls whose water disappears rapidly in the sand.   In places where  the walls behind secret beach are not sheer, a lush tropical forest flourishes.  Ironwood trees, taro plants, and a variety of other exotic plants abound.  The west end of Secret Beach offers some interesting tidal lagoons for little ones to splash in.  Further to the west and across a quarter mile of lava rock,  there is a good sized waterfall that drops about 15 feet into the Pacific.

[Note:  Nudity is illegal in Hawaii.  Not many at Secret Beach seem to be concerned.  Secret beach is sporadically patrolled with authorities simply requesting offenders to dress]