Poipu Beach is probably the most popular of all the Kauai beaches, by far. It''s a pretty beach, but was way too crowded for our taste -- we only went for one afternoon and I probably wouldn''t go back again. It''s a big family beach and while the water is clear and beautiful and the sand powdery and white, it was just too noisy. Still, one highlight was seeing a few cute seals sunning themselves on the sand in a specially roped-off area, just loving life!
Salt Pond Beach, on the other hand, a few miles west of Poipu (driving along the southern shore of the island), was more to our liking. A secluded, crescent-shaped beach with calm water and fringed with coconut trees was a perfect place to spend a quiet afternoon reading and playing scrabble. Plus, I got to take one of my top three favorite photos of the whole trip -- the lifeguard and surfboard shot below.