I love love love Hawaii under pretty much any circumstances, but it is true that some of the islands are definitely more touristed and crowded than others. If you are looking for throbbing nightlife, jammed beaches, and gobs of folks from home, you will be disappointed by the leisurely pace, the quiet lush nature, and the relative calm of Kauai.
It’s my favorite…
I guess you could come here and lounge about on the beach and that would be totally ok of course, but if you seek more action there are TONS of adventures and fun things to do. You could easily spend 8-10 days here and just scratch the surface of what this gorgeous paradise has to offer. If you want to see the whole island, I would recommend at least 2-3 days on the north shore and 3-4 days on the south shore.
The north side tends to be more tropical, rainy, lush, with rainbows and waterfalls, and a little quieter and more local. The south side tends to be sunnier, warmer, and in some areas more crowded with visitors because the weather is more of a sure thing. The east side (north of the airport) offers rivers, adventures and glorious sunrises (thank you jet lag)!
BEACH SAFETY
No joke!! Kauai beach conditions change not just seasonally but DAILY, and a beach can be placid and snorkel friendly one day, and seriously life threatening and treacherous the next. It is important to ask locals about current conditions, and to check these websites for specific beach safety conditions including currents, tides and surf.
EAST
- Wailua Shave Ice – Our family did an extensive and very unofficial island-wide shave ice tasting and this was our favorite (so far).
- Kiko – I always stop by this super cute clothing and gift store down a little alley for something pretty and unexpected.
- Kamoa Ukulele Company – Want to learn the local island melodies? This family-run shop offers beautiful handcrafted instruments.
- Pono Market – The insane variety of poke in this little market will totally expand your concept of what poke is!
- Fish Bar Deli – Park yourself at the bar for a lovely lunch of delicious fresh fish, and browse the impressive array of spices and other sundries at the specialty food shop.
- Explore the Wailua River – Spend a leisurely half day on kayaks checking out the famed Fern Grotto, cliff jumping from a secret spot upstream, and basking in a beautiful double waterfall. Bring water and a picnic as there are no concessions on the river. The place we rented from has sadly closed, but if you search for kayak trips on the river you will come up with several outfitters. Here are a couple: Bring Me Rentals or Kayak Kauai
- Back Country Tubing – This is a totally unique tubing adventure through the tunnels and waterways of a former sugarcane plantation. It’s super fun and will check the box for thrill seekers, but honestly it’s not dangerous at all. Reserve well in advance – they sell out!
NORTH
- This charming town is not terribly big so you’ll easily enjoy discovering its many shops and delicious offerings on your own, but we particularly like the Hanalei Bread Company for breakfast (get there EARLY to beat the line – it closes at 12:30), Hanalei Poke, Bar Acuda, Tahiti Nui (for authentic Hawaiian music, and luaus on Tuesday and Wednesday nights), the Hanalei Dolphin for fresh fish and sushi, and Postcards for more upscale but casual and completely delicious food. Ono Kauai Food Tours also offers tours of the town’s culinary highlights.
- Hiking – there are a lot of nice trails near Hanalei. We had a great hike on the Wai Koa Loop Trail which goes through a huge mahogany forest, by an organic farm, horses, fields, volcano views and brings you to a pretty park with a waterfall you can jump off the rope swing into the water. It has been closed recently but sounds like now you can access it from the Dog Park. We have not done this hike, but it has been highly recommended by local friends: Hanakapiai Falls
- Try to make it to the Hanalei / Waipa Foundation Farmers Market on Tuesday, but if you miss it, there is a farmers market somewhere almost every day on the island!!
- The Kilauea Lighthouse offers a vista of incredible waves and magnificent birds. Double check the opening times, and because it’s a National Park you must make an advance reservation.
- Stop into Kilauea town on your way and grab a refreshing juice at Kauai Juice Company, an adaptogen-laced coffee at Trilogy, or a fresh seafood lunch at Kilauea Fish Market.
- Across the highway down a little road is Kauai Farmacy, a local farm that grows its own ingredients for healthy teas and tinctures.
- If you are in town Monday or Saturday do not miss Namahana Farmers Market located at the Anaina Hou Community Park – Saturdays from 9am – pm & Mondays from 4pm until dusk.
- Common Ground – Food and farm experiences, and other special food related events are organized by this progressive food-focused community.
- Real Noni Farm – Do you want to live forever? Start here…this is one of the coolest farms I have visited. Definitely book a tour to learn all about the little-known super fruit grown just here on this island. The multigenerational family that runs the farm is lovely to meet too.
- Everyone will have beach recommendations – there are tons to choose from on this side of the island, and they seem to vary from season to season on whether they are calm and bath-like or sport crazy surf and dangerously strong tides. Asking the locals where to go is always your best idea. We like Ha’ena beach at the end of the road that goes along the north side of the island (there’s only one road) – stop quickly on your way and pop into the Maniniholo Dry Cave on your left – cool giant lava cave. Tunnels is fantastic for snorkeling or surfing depending on the season. Also Anini beach is super calm sometimes, and other days is a great spot for kite surfing lessons if you are brave.
SOUTH
Adventures/outings:
- Waimea Canyon State Park – Dubbed the “Grand Canyon of the West” this area is truly breathtaking and worth driving all the way to the end of the road which overlooks incredible cliffs. Visit all the different stops along the way for unforgettable views. There are lots of hiking options but top of our list was the Waimea Canyon Trail which goes past nice overlooks, and down to a huge waterfall (it was raining too hard when we tried to hike it. Rain is no joke here. It’s like standing under a fire hose). This this area has its own serious microclimates and it might be sunny or a bit cold (bring a layer!), it might pour rain, or sock in with thick fog, even if it’s crystal clear and nice other places on the island!
- Spouting Horn – famous lava tube blow hole with up to 50-foot water spouts.
- Allerton Gardens – even if you don’t think you are into gardens, you should sign up for the beautiful walking tour of this historic Hawaiian garden with its incredible array of flora, sites of several famous movies, and fascinating Hawaiian history. Highly recommend!!
- Makauwahi Cave Super cool cave, tortoise sanctuary and lovely beach.
- Glass Beach – not a pretty beach or a swimmy beach, but millions of pieces of sea glass make for unique beach combing.
- Na Pali Coast – Book yourself a seat on a guided boat ride, the only way to see the breathtaking cliffs sacred, restricted and totally inaccessible west coast of the island. We opted for an all-day zodiac tour with Capt Andy and explored sea caves and waterfalls, had a beach picnic, visited an ancient Hawaiian archaeological site and snorkeled, accompanied by a school of at least 25 wild dolphins. Seriously, this is a once in a lifetime experience. It’s thrilling but physically intense to be on the an open Zodiac (inflatable). If your posse is less intrepid, a bigger boat is still a good choice but remember only the little zippy boats can maneuver into all the cool caves and coves. Here are three companies offering different tours Capt Andy , Makana Charters, Kauai Sea Riders
- Poipu Beach
- Shipwreck Beach
- Kiahuna Beach – more space and less crowded than Poipu
- Polihale State Beach – need 4×4 to get there – amazing sunsets and stargazing – only one small area is safe to swim
- Salt Pond Beach Park near Hanapepe is serene relaxing spot to swim or tide pool.
- Kekaha Beach local surf and fishing spot. Good for sunset but can be very dangerous swimming depending on winds and currents.
- Brennecke’s Beach small but good for boogie boarding and possibly snorkeling. Can be crowded.
Eat/shop:
- Try to visit during Friday night Art Night, with open galleries, food trucks and wine. Don’t forget to walk across the swinging bridge!
- Stop into Japanese Grandma’s Café for great boutique shopping and delicious sushi. Browse local titles at Talk Story Bookstore – the westernmost bookstore in the USA.
- Little Fish Coffee makes fantastic coffee drinks and café items. There is a location in Poipu too.
- See if the Taro Ko Chips factory is open at the end of town for homemade sweet potato and other root veggie chips.
- On your way to/from the Waimea Canyon, make a stop in this small town to admire the statue of Captain James Cook. Brush up on your history of greatest explorers of all time – he lived a fascinating life!
- Jojo’s for fantastic shave ice (there are three locations around the island)
Poipu
- The Shops at Kukui’ula is basically an outdoor mall with several restaurants, bars, boutique shops, surf rentals, shave ice, and more.
- Merriman’s – Chef Peter Merriman was one of the first truly local/farm focused Hawaiian chefs and the food is always fresh and delicious. Sit upstairs and ask for a view if you can.
- Old Koloa Town – This historic plantation town has a few interesting shops, food trucks, pizza, and really really good coffee.
- Kauai Coffee Plantation Check out the fun coffee farm tours and enjoy a few energizing tastings.
- Porky’s – OMG try to get here for Hawaiian pulled pork grilled cheese. Um, yes that is a thing you can have. I give you permission.
- Warehouse 3450 – This cool community maker space in a former pineapple factory houses several unique little businesses and food trucks.
- Hawaiian Trading Post Hawaiian Trading Post Check out the beautiful and precious tiny shell leis from Ni’ihau (the Forbidden Island), and take a silly surfing photo out front…
- Kilohana Plantation – This historic plantation is now a hub of entertainment, with train rides, a luau, and a beautiful plantation building filled with little boutique shops that you can meander around. There is also a good restaurant (reservations are a must!), a rum tasting room, ice cream and a ceramics studio.
MORE YUM
- Farmers Markets – Farmers markets are a great place to taste the freshest produce, meet local farmers and craftspeople, and buy delicious and unique products to enjoy on the island or back home. We try to go as often as possible and always have a yummy time.
- Tasting Kauai – We are looking forward to taking one of these fun food walking tours that are offered weekly at farms and towns around the island.
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