One of things that I loved the most about Kauai, my favorite island in Hawaii, is that there is so much more to do than just lie on the beach all day. Don’t get me wrong, I love relaxing on the beach, but I also love to be active.

Biking is one of my favorite activities, so when I learned I could rent a bike to see the east side of the island by following the Kauai bike path in Kapaa, I was all about checking it out.

I rented my bike from Coconut Coasters Bike Rental  which had a great choice of different styles to rent. If you leave from there and take a left (the ocean on your right), the Kauai will take you to the breathtaking Kealia Beach. This also makes for a great walk if you aren’t a biker.

This part of the Kauai bike path gives a great vantage point for whale watching, and it’s a beautiful spot for going to watch the sunset from. It’s also great for viewing the stars at night, but bring a flashlight.

You are also welcome to bring dogs on the path, as long as you keep them on a leash.

Kealia Beach is half a mile long, and is a favorite of boogie boarders and surfers. You will see many joggers on the beach, people flying kites, and it’s also a great spot for bonfires. There are also public restrooms at this beach, so it’s good for a pit stop before doing rest of the Kauai bike trail.

To do the rest of the bike trail, you will turn around, and the beach will now be on your left. Just before Coconut Coasters, you will see a food cart pod with two of my favorite places to eat in Kauai, Tacos Al Pastor and Nom Kauai. Or cycle just a bit further and just behind Coconut Coasters, you can enjoy great BBQ at Chicken In A Barrel BBQ.

One of the highlights on the Kapaa bike trail was seeing a monk seal in the waters of Baby Beach. This beach is also a great place to stop and cool off.

The paved trail doesn’t go all the way down to Lydgate Beach park, so just stay along the coast, and you will find the trail again when it picks back up.

My favorite part of the bike tour was definitely the area just past Lydgate Beach Park. Lydgate Beach is just south of the Wailua River.

The waves here are too strong to swim in, but I could have stayed here all day just watching them come in.

I was in awe of all the driftwood and the wild, untamed nature of the beach.

The main part of  Lydgate beach does have a protected area for snorkeling, but you definitely wouldn’t know it on this section of the beach.

The beach park has picnic tables, public parking, restrooms, and showers.

The full Kauai bike path is seven miles, and only takes an hour to bike, but as you can see, you will want to take plenty of time to stop and enjoy the scenery.