Anini Beach is a beach in Kauai County, Hawaii. It sits roughly 1.9 km (1.2 mi) NE of Princeville.
Anini Beach is a beach located on the north shore of Kauaʻi, Hawaii, United States. It is well known for its excellent windsurfing and views of the large coral reef that rings the island. Nearby waters range between four and 100 feet in depth, and the beach is known for strong currents. Anini Beach is dotted by expensive homes, one of which was used for the filming of Honeymoon in Vegas (1992).The calm and crystal-clear waters make it an excellent spot to explore vibrant coral reefs teeming with marine life. Anini means "dwarfish" or "stunted" in Hawaiian.From the Wikipedia article “Anini Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Anini Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 64° (ENE) at the June solstice and 115° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 296° (WNW) in June to 245° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 89° in summer but only 44° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:43 AM | 90° E | 6:50 PM | 270° W | 68° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:56 AM | 64° ENE | 7:25 PM | 296° WNW | 89° | 13h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:27 AM | 89° E | 6:35 PM | 271° W | 68° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:14 AM | 115° ESE | 6:00 PM | 245° WSW | 44° | 10h 46m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Beaches facing east suit sunrise and west-facing beaches suit sunset; wet sand mirrors the sky color during golden hour.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:56 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:40 PM | 10h 55m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:36 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 26m |
| March | 6:25 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:10 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:28 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:21 PM | 12h 40m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:35 PM | 13h 12m |
| June | 5:30 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:27 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 29m |
| July | 5:39 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:35 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:50 PM | 13h 22m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 54m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:05 PM | 12h 17m |
| October | 6:12 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:05 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 39m |
| November | 6:28 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:24 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:19 PM | 11h 05m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:24 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 47m |
Local time (Pacific/Honolulu), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Anini Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 39° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| February | 4:31 AM – 5:51 AM | 1.3 | 25° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:42 AM – 5:22 AM | 2.7 | 35° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:35 AM – 4:55 AM | 4.3 | 39° | SE → S |
| May | 10:43 PM – 4:33 AM | 5.8 | 39° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:50 PM – 4:20 AM | 7.5 | 39° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:50 PM – 3:00 AM | 6.2 | 39° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:29 PM – 12:59 AM | 4.5 | 39° | S → SW |
| September | 7:57 PM – 10:57 PM | 3.0 | 36° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:28 PM – 8:58 PM | 1.5 | 26° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -17° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.46 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (69%). September is the warmest month and February the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 79 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 81 | 81 | 83 | 83 | 84 | 83 | 81 | 80 |
| Low °F | 66 | 66 | 65 | 68 | 70 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 74 | 71 | 66 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 3.0 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this beach
- Watch for sneaker waves; never turn your back on the ocean on exposed coasts.
- Salt spray coats lenses quickly; wipe often and rinse gear afterward.
- Fog and marine layers can make minimalist images; don't give up on grey days.
- Time visits around low tide to reveal tide pools, sea stacks and reflective sand — check the tide widget below.
- Slow shutter speeds (0.5–2 s) turn receding waves into streaks that lead toward the horizon.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Winter storms bring dramatic surf on Pacific coasts; summer and autumn sunsets are popular on Atlantic and Gulf beaches.
Suggested gear: Tripod, ND filters, Rain cover, Lens cloths. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Hanalei Bay, 4.1 km (2.6 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Anini Beach, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
Beach
Beach
National Wildlife Refuge
Lighthouse
LighthouseBeach
Waterfall
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Anini Beach?
What time is golden hour at Anini Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Anini Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Anini Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Anini Beach?
How far is Anini Beach from Princeville?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.