Kaua'i is the site of the first recorded contact between Westerners and the native inhabitants of Hawai'i (English Captain James Cook came ashore at Waimea Bay in 1778).
Depending on how you look at things, Polihale Beach marks either the
start of the Na Pali coastline or the end. If you take one of the Na Pali ocean kayak tours during the summer, this is
where you'll end up. The beach is huge, spanning over 15 miles and exposed directly to the open ocean (which can make swimming dangerous
during high seas). Isolation is the key word at Polihale, and to get here you'll have to drive your vehicle directly on the beach (unless, of
course, you ended here via a kayak).
The best times to visit Polihale are during the winter months, as this beach
is often extremely hot and there are few shady places for refuge during the summer.