Best Kauai Experiences

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Back to KauaiFavorite Kauai Experiences

Snorkeling Kee Beach -- Rent a mask, fins, and snorkel and enter a magical underwater world. Facedown, you'll float like a leaf on a pond, watching brilliant fish dart here and there in water clear as day; a slow-moving turtle may even stop to check you out. Faceup, you'll contemplate green-velvet cathedral-like cliffs under a blue sky, where long-tailed tropical birds ride the trade winds.

Hiking Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific -- Ansel Adams would have loved this ageless desert canyon, carved by an ancient river. Sunlight plays against its rustic red cliffs, burnt-orange pinnacles, and blue-green valleys. There's nothing else like it in the islands.

Wandering Around a High Mountain Forest -- Kokee State Park, through Waimea Canyon at the end of Highway 550, is a combination rainforest and bog up around 4,000 feet. The park's 45 miles of trails offer everything from casual nature strolls to hardy camping and hiking adventures among the redwoods.

Strolling Through Hawaiian History -- Old Waimea Town looks so unassuming that you'd never guess it stood witness to a great many key events in Hawaii's history. This is the place where Capt. James Cook "discovered" the Hawaiian Islands, where Russians once built a fort, and where New England missionaries arrived in 1820 to "save the heathens." A self-guided walking tour is available at Waimea Public Library, Kaumualii Highway (tel. 808/338-6848).

Taking a Long Walk on a Short (but Historic) Pier -- First built in 1910, Hanalei's Pier was once a major shipping port for local farmers. Today, the rebuilt pier makes a great platform for swimming, fishing, and diving. It's at Black Pot Beach where, in the olden days, local families would camp out all summer and always have something cooking in a "black pot" on the shore. Black Pot -- and all of Hanalei Beach -- is great for swimming, snorkeling, and surfing.

Watching for Whales -- Mahaulepu Beach, in the Poipu area, offers excellent land-based viewing conditions for spotting whales that cruise by December through April.

Journeying into Eden -- For a glimpse of the spectacularly remote Na Pali Coast, all you need to do is hike the first 2 miles along the well-maintained Kalalau Trail into the first tropical valley, Hanakapiai. Hardier hikers can venture another 2 miles to the Hanakapiai waterfalls and pools. Warning: Na Pali's natural beauty is so enticing that you may want to keep going -- but the trail turns rugged and extremely challenging after the 2-mile mark. Contact the State Division of Parks for a permit if you want to camp along the trail.

Catching a Poipu Wave -- Vividly turquoise, curling, and totally tubular, big enough to hang ten yet small enough to bodysurf, the waves at Poipu are endless in their attraction. Grab a boogie board -- you can rent one for just dollars a day -- or simply jump in and go with the flow.

Watching the Hula -- The Coconut Marketplace, on Kuhio Highway (Hwy. 56) between mile markers 6 and 7, hosts free shows every day at 5pm. Arrive early to get a good seat for the hour-long performances of both kahiko (ancient) and auwana (modern) hula. The real showstoppers are the keiki (children) who perform. Don't forget your camera!

Bidding the Sun Aloha -- Polihale State Park hugs Kauai's western shore for some 17 miles. It's a great place to bring a picnic dinner, stretch out on the sand, and toast the sun as it sinks into the Pacific, illuminating the island of Niihau in the distance. Queen's Pond has facilities for camping as well as restrooms, showers, picnic tables, and pavilions.