Donkey Beach

April is my birth month and as part of the month-long celebration of having been born, I try to go somewhere out-of-town. I usually pick somewhere in the western part of the country; San Francisco, Las Vegas, San Diego. Last year I went to New Orléans. This year I went to Oahu and Kauai.
I'm not much of an outdoor person, but I do try to do something outdoorsy once a year or so to verify that indeed the way I am is still the way I am.
Paliku (Donkey) Beach on Kauai's East Side - Local Getaways ... I liked the common name given to Paliku Beach. It was not a disappointment. I stripped to my boxers and T-shirt and I covered my eyes and forehead with my pants. I tuned into a stream of comedy and stuff that gets fed to me via Youtube feeds. I stuck it out for an hour. Enjoyed my stay and said to myself, "Self! That's more than enough for the year!"


East Shore
Donkey Beach

Donkey Beach or in Hawaiian, Paliku Beach is on the East Side of Kauai about 1.5 miles from Kealia Beach. It’s a great beach for sunbathing, offering plenty of sand and some shade trees.

Donkey Beach used to be one of the best nudist or topless or clothing optional beaches on the island. The secluded location made it a perfect spot for nudist or clothing optional beach goers. However, the beach has never been great for swimming. As Donkey Beach's fame grew surrounding land owners rallied for enforcement of anti-nudity laws. So you won’t see many nude sunbathers now.

Today, Donkey Beach continues to be visited as a good beach for sunbathing. It is not excellent for swimming or snorkeling since the water is choppy and rough. When conditions are good, surfers and bodyboarders can be seen at the beach. Because of its popularity, Donkey Beach is no longer as secluded as it had been years ago.

The beach has been referred to as Donkey Beach for a long time. The official name is Paliku, however it is also called Kuna Beach and Kumukumu Beach. It was nicknamed Donkey Beach after the mules that were present in a pasture nearby used for hauling cane (some claim there were never any Donkey’s near the beach, just mules).

To get to the beach requires about a 15-minute walk from the parking area.