I love the Makauwahi cave hike also known as the Mahaulepu Heritage Trail located in Poipu, Kauai.
To take the longer more adventurous route the starting point is at shipwrecks beach. It first starts out along the left side of the beach by walking near the large cliff. Or someone can take the shorter route by starting near CJM stables. The third option, and quickest way is to drive to the end of Poipu Road and park in the parking lot along Mahaulepu beach. Be sure to read the bottom of this blog where I post other tips!
This is a moderate hike and can get hot in the middle of the day with not much shade as the hike is along the coastline. There are beautiful coastal views on this hike.
Kids love the cave!
Who would have thought a cave in Hawaii?
This is the largest limestone cave in Hawaii. Doctors have found fossils of large flightless birds that are the size of a large dog. Wow! They still continue to dig through the cave to find more fossils. As far as the history of the Makauwahi cave I hear a new story each time I visit. Haha.
There is always someone inside monitoring and asking for a donation for the preservation and research of the cave. Remember to bring some spare change.
Outside of the cave there is a fenced with area with African tortoises! This is me petting one of them. These buggers are strong and love papayas. The Doctors who take care of these grounds got these tortoises on craigslist from people who brought them here as pets and no longer wanted them. An experiment was done to see if they prefer native vs. non-native plants and 90% of the time these tortoises prefer non-native plants.
Tips for the Makauwahi Cave/Mahaulepu Beach hike:
- Bring lunch! There are picnic tables to enjoy on or under the tree in the cave is another nice spot to have a snack.
- There is a swimmable beach Mahaulepu beach. However that beach has a very high bacterial count. Do not swim if you have any open cuts.
- In my opinion the most fitting trail would be to start at CJM stables if hiking with kids around 10 and under. Its long enough for them to have some fun however not long enough to be overwhelming.
- Have fun! This is a pretty safe hike and adventure for anyone, enjoy.
