The Makauwahi Cave is Hawaii’s largest limestone cave, and it is located on the south shore of Kauai. The cave can be accessed by car (you need a 4wd to drive off road) or by hiking the Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail.
I visited the cave on foot by hiking the Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail. It is a an easy hike (mostly flat) with majestic views along the coast. This was one of my favorite hikes in Kauai!
I started my 2 mile hike (one way) from Shipwreck Beach. There is a parking lot right by the beach so it is super convenient. There is a path that runs towards the back of the beach (right next to the parking lot) – that is the path to follow to get onto the Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail.
After a short walk behind the beach there is a small bit of uphill on a rocky terrain.
And the trail begins! Once you are on the trail there are many different paths you can take, but fear not – they all lead to the same place. This is what I love about this trail- as long as you keep the ocean on the correct side of you, you are going in the right direction.
The view is breathtaking! Even at the beginning of the hike I couldn’t stop taking pictures. Here are some views along the way.
The cave is nearby the horse stables. When you see the stables, keep hiking a little bit more and you will end up in a dirt parking lot that looks like this.
The above parking lot is how you can access the cave by driving. However you will need a 4wd to get there. Tip: if you are not able to find this area, download Google Maps for Kauai on your phone and search for “Makauwahi Cave Trail.” The exact location of this parking lot is here. Once you have that location on your phone keep walking towards it (many different paths to take). When you see the parking lot keep going and you will see a path towards the cave.
After following the path you will end up seeing the cave area.
Now, to find the sinkhole to enter, follow the path down and find marker 14. There are a few paths here so make sure you find the one where you are going down and not up.
When you are done exploring the cave (make sure you check opening hours!), go visit some tortoises by crossing over the bridge where that first Cave sign was.
Have lots of fun!