The beaches of Kauai are some of its greatest treasures, but many are tough to find so before setting out to discover one you want to make sure know where each is located. Poipu Beach, on Kauai's South Shore, is the most popular of Kauai's beaches and widely acclaimed as Kauai's safest beach.

Poipu Beach is popular because it offers safe swimming and wading, as well as surfing and snorkeling opportunities. Fish are attracted to the offshore reef making it one of the best beaches on Kauai for snorkeling.

Calm water surrounds the sandy promontory of Poipu Beach, due to the presence of the offshore reef causing the waves to break before reaching the beach. These breaking waves provide those excellent surfing opportunities, while closer to shore children can enjoy the calmer waters.

Many varieties of fish can be seen here, especially the beautiful Triggerfish, Pufferfish, and Angelfish. Many snorkelers feed these fish so they can be extremely tame and attracted to snorkelers, since they're expecting you'll feed them.

To the east end of Poipu is the pristine white sand beach of Mahaulepu Beach. Only a few visitors have ever heard of this Kauai beach, which only means privacy and seclusion as you walk along the sandy shoreline.

To get there, drive past the Hyatt Hotel and continue east on the dirt road until you reach the T-junction where you want to turn right. From there, head toward the ocean until you encounter a guard booth staffed by the sugar plantation company, who'll ask you to sign in and sign a waiver.

Mahaulepu is favored by locals, wind surfers, as well as sunbathing and relaxing visitors. Besides having pristine sand and blue water, the beach has a legendary history because King Kamehameha from Oahu landed there in an attempt to capture Kauai.

There are several other Kauai beaches considered safe for swimmers. Baby Beach (or Hoona Beach) received its name because it's ideal for very young children just learning to swim. Baby beach has tranquil waters in a small cove behind offshore lava rocks.

Here's a safety tip: Before going out in the water, check for daily weather conditions and warnings. If the reports say its okay but you see that the waves are rather high, then just don't go out. After all, the island has much more to offer on a Kauai vacation than just beaches and water.