Choose from 30 Fun Things to Do in Kauai
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Anini Beach
A sprawling expanse of reef—1,600 feet at its widest and one of Hawaii’s longest spanning two miles—looms just off the thin strip of white sand at Anini Beach. Parrotfish, moray eels, trumpet fish, needlefish, pufferfish and much, much more color the clear waters, popping against the drab coral rock. A thin sandbar beyond the residential area on shore often hosts fishermen and waders searching for seashells within view of the lighthouse and offshore Island at Kilauea Point in the east.
Despite steady winds that whip up light action for windsurfers that sometimes cruise its length, the coral acts as a protective barrier for the shallows making Anini one of the calmest and best snorkeling beaches on Kauai’s North Shore.
Practical Info
Anini Beach access is located off Highway 56 on Kalihiwai Road where parking is abundant. Camping, restrooms, showers and picnic tables are all available here. Several snorkeling tours (that operate without boats) guide visitors through the underwater scenery at Anini.
Though the park is generally less crowded than those at Poipu or Hanalei, there tends to be more snorkelers and campers on weekends.
Beyond the reef and in the clear channels between coral mounds, strong currents can be present. There is no lifeguard here, so use caution.
Address: Highway 56 on Kalihiwai Road, Kilauea, USA
From $ 155
Makua Beach (Tunnels Beach)
In the shadow of verdant mountains, and shaded by palm and ironwood trees, Makua Beach has golden sand and baby blue waters. The post-card-perfect setting was featured in the 1958 movie South Pacific, but it’s the labyrinthine underwater reef, snaked with caves, that lends the beach its nickname and draws visitors today: Tunnels Beach is one of Kauai’s best snorkeling spots. Best of all, it’s frequently uncrowded.
Protected within a small cupped North Shore bay, two layers of reef offer different experiences. The smaller inshore reef boasts calmer waters and frequent sea turtle sightings, while the expansive offshore reef is a well-utilized scuba dive site with more varied terrain—some sections drop to 70 feet. The ocean-facing edge of the outer reef is popular with expert surfers. Both reefs are home to colorful wrasse, moray eels, butterfly fish and Hawaii’s state fish, the hard-to-pronounce Humuhumunukunukuapua`a. If you’re lucky, you may even see an endangered Hawaiian monk seal hauled out on the shore.
Practical Info
Makua (Tunnels) Beach is 5.5 miles west of Hanalei on a narrow section Highway 560. Several private Kauai tours take visitors to Makua, but it is not a common stop on package tours. If you’re driving yourself, parking is easiest in Ha’ena State Park, which has restrooms, showers, lifeguards and occasionally food trucks. It occupies the western shores of the same bay, a little over a half-mile away.
Tunnels is one of the few beaches where snorkeling may be possible during choppy winter months, but check conditions with Ha’ena lifeguards that day.
Address: Highway 560, Kauai, USA
From $ 135
Kauai Coffee Company
There was once a time when the island of Kauai was awash in waving green sugar. When the last mill closed down, however, in October of 2009, the island was left searching for a new crop to step in and fill the void. Luckily for island plantation workers and caffeine lovers worldwide, coffee is starting to pick up on Kauai where the sugar cane industry left off.
Nowhere is this more evident than at Kauai Coffee Company in the town of Kalaheo, where over 4 million trees on 3,100 acres officially make this the largest coffee farm found anywhere in the United States. Take a guided tour through the coffee fields to learn the production process, or sample from over 20 different coffees at the large tasting room on site. Every bean that’s served and sold is grown right here in Hawaii, and when you’ve gotten enough of a buzz for the day, look out at the rows of waving green leaves that disappear over gentle hills to the tropical shoreline below.
Practical Info
The tasting room at Kauai Coffee Company is open from 9am-5:30pm in summer, and 9am-5pm, daily. Admission, tours, and tasting are free, and the plantation is located about 30 minutes from the Lihue, 20 minutes from Poipu, and an hour from Hanalei.
Address: 870 Halewili Rd, Kalaheo, Hawaii, USA
From $ 135
Opaekaa Falls
Kauai, is green, and Kauai is wet—and that's why it's so beautiful. Parts of the island receive over 400 inches of rainfall every year, and all that rain means the Garden Isle is dripping in dozens of waterfalls. While some of these waterfalls require trekking through mud just to gain a glimpse of their splendor, others ones such as Opaekaa Falls only require stepping out of the car. Tumbling just over 150 feet, Opaekaa Falls is a year-round waterfall that is guaranteed to be flowing. The falls usually feature two separate streams that splash their way down the cliff face, but after periods of especially heavy rain, the two falls can merge into a single, explosive cascade. Whatever the size, the best time to visit is usually in the late morning when the falls are bathed in sunlight—and if it happens to be cloudy day, the falls are so close and easily accessible it’s easy to pay another visit.
Practical Info
Opaekaa Falls is located six miles south of the town of Kapaa and the famous Coconut Coast. To reach the falls drive south on Highway 560 until you reach the town of Wailua, and then turn inland on Kuamoo Road and drive for approximately two miles. There, you’ll find a sign-posted lookout point and large parking lot where you can get a glimpse of the falls.
Address: Opaekaa Falls, Kauai, Hawaii, USA
From $ 65
Kilohana Plantation
About as touristy as you can get on sleepy Kauai, Kilohana Plantation, the former estate of a sugar baron, now boasts a short train ride through tropical orchards, an upscale alfresco restaurant, the headquarters for Kauai’s only major rum distillery, shopping and a spa, plus a luau complete with fire twirlers. Thanks to a 1980s restoration, the 16,000-square-foot manor house retains much of the structural charm it must have had when Gaylord Parke Wilcox, the head of the Grove Farm sugar plantation, built the Tudor mansion in 1935.
Though history buffs will find a few interior nods to the Hawaii Historic Landmark’s former use—vintage photographs, ornate carpeting, hardwood floors and wainscoting—this is no museum. The home’s bedrooms, sitting rooms and sunrooms now host shops purveying a huge variety of 8island-inspired souvenirs from glassworks to pottery, apparel and jewelry to coconut carvings, confections and spices. The sprawling 104-acre estate, expanded since the Wilcoxes resided there, now includes a sustainable farm boasting crops of coffee, papaya, banana, lychee and vegetables, which bolster the menus of the onsite Gaylord Restaurant and the Mahiko Lounge.
It’s hard to say what attraction is the biggest draw here, but most visitors board mahogany passenger cars to embark on a 40-minute informative tropical train ride and spot some feral pigs, learn about the estate, sample the terroir of Kauai via the Koloa Rum Tasting Room or stay for the highly theatrical evening luau, one of the island’s most popular.
Practical Info
Kilohana Plantation is located at 3-2087 Kaumualii Highway (Highway 50), just south of downtown Lihue. All of the shops are open by 10:30 a.m., though the trains and the Koloa Rum Tasting Room and Company Store open by 9:30 a.m. Train tours are offered five times a day at 10, 11 a.m., noon, 1 and 2 p.m., costing $19 for adults and $14 for children ages 3-12 (tx not included). The luaus run year round on Tuesday and Friday at 4:30 p.m. The $104 adult, $69.95 teen and $39.93 child admissions include a welcoming lei, traditional imu pork dinner, the evening performance and, for adults, an all-you-can-drink mai-tai, beer and wine bar.
Address: 3-2087 Kaumualii Hwy, Lihue, Hawaii 96766, USA
Hours: Hours vary by attraction
Admission: Pricing varies
From $ 56
Niihau
Nicknamed the "Forbidden Isle" because private ownership has restricted access to outsiders for more than 150 years, Niihau is an enclave of Hawaiian culture not found elsewhere. In 1864, the seafaring Sinclair/Robinson family from New Zealand (via Scotland) bought the island from King Kamehameha for $10,000 and a promise to protect its existing residents both physically and culturally. It persists undeveloped—without roads, a hospital, central electricity, or plumbing. Nearly 200 isolated residents live off the land and communicate almost exclusively in Hawaiian.
Visible as a tall, blocky shadow from the western shores of Kauai, Niihau elicits dreams of seeing the island stuck in time. However, many of those dreamers have been turned away, reportedly including Mick Jagger and several heads of state. For decades, outsiders have had to settle for its namesake exports—coveted lei crafted from tiny endemic seashells, as well as ranched lamb and beef.
Now, snorkeling charters aboard large, sturdy catamarans also make the 17-mile trip across the Kaulakahi Channel from Kauai, showing visitors the whales and dolphins that frequent the area seasonally. Unable to land, the catamarans bob offshore, sharing the beauty of Niihau’s pristine reef unspoiled by on-land development.
Practical Info
Full-day Niihau snorkeling (and sometimes scuba) charters depart from Port Allen’s small boat harbor just south of Hanapepe town. Most also incorporate a scenic tour of Kauai’s Na Pali Coast. Note that sea conditions in the channel crossing can sometimes be rough.
Address: Kauai, Hawaii, USA
From $ 114
Menehune Fish Pond
The Menehune Fishpond is scenic—set amid lush jungle where craggy mountains are close enough to frame the edges of a killer sunset photo shot. But this giant pool of green-brown water has been attributed mythical qualities that are evident even in its name. Menehune is a mysterious race of little people—some say they’re like Hawaiian leprechauns—that have been credited with building sites throughout the Hawaiian Islands swiftly and stealthily. Legend has it they built this particular 39-acre loko wai (freshwater pond) by passing stones to each other from the village of Makaweli more than two dozen miles away, damming up the Hule’ia River with walls 900 feet long and five feet tall. In a single night. To get up close and personal with the work of the Menehune, join a kayak tour of the Hule’ia—it’s the only way to gain access into the otherwise off-limits Hule’ia National Wildlife Refuge that surrounds the pond. Fishponds like this one are found throughout the Hawaiian Islands and were used to store and easily retrieve fish for the alii or ruling class. And, the Menehune Fishpond is one of the best preserved examples of a Hawaiian freshwater fishpond still in existence today.
Practical Info
The best place to see the Fishpond quickly is from the Alekoko Scenic Overlook off Halemalu Road, about ½ mile from the Nawiliwili small boat harbor and just outside of Lihue. Kayak tours that visit the fishpond also often include a short hike to Hidden Valley Falls.
Address: Lihue, Hawaii, USA 96766, USA
From $ 135
Kipu Falls
Kipu Falls is a gorgeous retreat on the Huleia River, just outside Lihue.
Reached by a short walk along a former sugarcane trail, a lovely waterfall tumbles over a sheer 20-foot (6 m) cliff at Kipu, into the pool below.
Cool off with a paddle in this natural swimming pool, or join adventurous locals who fling themselves into the water using handy ropeswings attached to the surrounding trees.
Practical Info
Kipu Falls is west from Lihue, off Kipu Road. To get here, follow the State Highway 50 to Kipu Road.
Address: Kipu Road, Lihue 96766, USA
Admission: Free
From $ 95
Kilauea Lighthouse
Guarding the tip of Kilauea Point since 1913, this historic Kilauea Lighthouse is one of Kauai’s most visited attractions.
One of the most intact historic lighthouses in the USA, the lighthouse was decommissioned in 1976 and now forms part of a wildlife refuge for migrating seabirds.
Gaze out to sea and imagine the ships that were guided by its light, pick up a souvenir in the gift shop, and learn about the restoration project that’s currently under way.
Practical Info
Kilauea Lighthouse is on Kilauea Point on the northern coast of Kauai, reached by State Highway 56 from Lihue.
Address: State Highway 56, Kilauea 96754, USA
Hours: Open daily
Admission: Free
From $ 122
Poipu Beach Park
Poipu Beach Park is Kauai’s most popular beach resort for families, with a natural ocean pool, golden sand and an endless array of watersports.
This beach is watched over by lifeguards, to ensure safe seaside fun for all the family. You’ll also find a playground, washing facilities, picnic tables, shady lawns and mini golf,.
The vacation activities are boundless at Poipu, from summertime surfing and year-round snorkeling to hiking, horseback riding and golf.
Other beaches nearby include protected Baby Beach for youngsters, body-surfing waves at Brennecke’s, snorkeling from Lawai and shoreline walking at Shipwreck’s Beach.
As this is a resort area, you’ll also find great shopping and dining at Poipu Beach, including popular oceanfront restaurants and seafood beach bars.
Practical Info
Poipu is on Kauai’s southern coast, a 25-minute drive from the airport. Getting here from Lihue is easiest by rental car or taxi.
Address: Poipu Road, Lihue 96766, USA
Hours: Open daily
Admission: Free
From $ 78
Fern Grotto
Perfect acoustics and gorgeous scenery come together at Fern Grotto, the highlight of a cruise on the Wailua River.
A natural amphitheater, the fern-filled grotto provides a unique venue for visitors to hear traditional Hawaiian music in one of the islands’ most beautiful outdoor settings.
The beautiful grotto was created by volcanic activity, and is draped in tropical ferns.
Practical Info
Fern Grotto is on the eastern side of Kauai, reached by 40-minute boat tour along the Wailua River.
Address: Highway 56, Lihue 96766, USA
Hours: Open daily
Admission: Free
From $ 115
Kokee Natural History Museum
Part way between the colorfully striated Waimea Canyon and Kalalau Lookout atop the fabled Napali Coast, the excellent but aging Kōkeʻe Museum serves as a regional visitor information center as well as a natural history museum. Inside you’ll find topographical maps, cultural and geological information, late 19th century botanical prints, dioramas of Hawaii’s forest birds, and mounted specimens of its more notorious feral invasive species like Polynesian boar and mouflon sheep. The gift shop occupies nearly half the space and features many books, guides and Kauai-made souvenirs. Next door, the rustic Kokee Lodge Restaurant has all day breakfast, soup and sandwiches and is the only meal for miles.
Each October, Hawaiian Queen Emalani’s visit to Kokee is celebrated with a traditional hula festival on the expansive treeless Kanaloahuluhulu Meadow. Fronting the museum, this large, treeless green is popular with picnicking families. No one really knows trees don’t grow here, but, according to one Hawaiian legend, it was formed by an angry, headless, giant demi-god who plows the path each night in search of his missing head. For brave overnighters, there’s a small selection of rental cabins across the lawn.
Practical Info
The museum is in Kokee State Park at 3600 Kokee Road. It keeps daily hours—including holidays—from 9am-4pm. There is a suggested donation of $1 per person.
Visitors can learn about regular visitor talks and programming by calling (808) 335-9975. Kokee is in upper elevation forest with temperatures rarely topping 70 degrees. Remember to dress warmly and bring a rain jacket.
Address: 3600 Kokee Road, Kekaha, Kauai, USA
Hours: 9am-4pm daily
From $ 270
Na Pali Coast
With its emerald mountains, secluded beaches, and turquoise sea, Kauai’s Na Pali Coast State Park (or Napali Coast) is a natural treasure trove that begs to be explored. And it’s no wonder Na Pali takes its name from the Hawaiian word for cliff: the coastline is dominated by jagged 4,000-foot (1,219-meter) cliffs that reign supreme over the Pacific Ocean.
The Basics
Although the coastline is only land accessible by the challenging 11-mile (17-km) Kalalau Trail trek, guided Na Pali kayaking trips and Kauai boat tours depart regularly from Port Allen in Eleele and Hanalei Bay. If you are an active traveler, you will want to take on the Kalalau Trail—a route that traverses through steep sea cliffs, waterfalls, and sinuous rivers in old Hawaii and allows travelers to explore secluded beaches and sea caves. Some adventurers choose to camp overnight in Hanakoa Valley during the summer months, although a permit is required.
Insider Tip
To capture the best panoramas on the Kalalau Trail, walk carefully down a path to the prime Kalalau Lookout just past the Waimea Canyon’s Kokee Park Geophysical Observatory.
Popular Things to Do When Touring the Na Pali Coast
Primeval, protected scenery makes the coast a haven for lovers of outdoor activities and water sports—snorkel, raft, swim, hike, and sail to your heart’s content while you contemplate natural beauty that only Hawaii is capable of displaying.
Another great way to absorb the panoramic beauty of the Na Pali Coast—particularly if you’re not up for the difficult 11-mile (17-km) Kalalau hike—is to take a boat ride. Opt for a sunset dinner cruise to see the landscape at its most magical, or a daytime power catamaran tour to observe spinner dolphins, go whale watching, and visit Niihau, the Forbidden Island. Swim amid tropical marine life and around sea turtles on a snorkeling or scuba diving tour; let your adrenaline levels surge on a rafting adventure; or experience waterfalls and red rivers while hiking. For the ultimate Na Pali experience, you can take a sightseeing flight or helicopter tour and get aerial views of the spectacular scenery.
Address: State Highway 56, Lihue, Hawaii 96766, USA
Admission: Free
From $ 91
Kauai Cruise Port
Known as the Garden Isle – it’s the greenest of all the islands – Kauai lies at the northern end of the Hawaiian chain. Kauai’s scenery is so spectacular, it’s been featured in dozens of movies, from Jurassic Park to The Descendants to Tropic Thunder. Shore excursions include film location tours, as well as tours to Waimea Canyon, the ‘Grand Canyon of the Pacific.’
How to get to Kauai
Ships dock in Nawiliwili Harbor on the island’s southeast coast, near the town of Lihue. A rental car is the best way to get around if you aren’t taking an organized tour.
One day on Kauai
Spend your day on Kauai getting back to nature. Start with a drive from Lihue a couple of miles north to Wailua River State Park. Here you’ll find Wailua Falls, a pristine triple waterfall. Then head south, back through Lihue, to the south coast of the island.
Make your way to the National Tropical Botanical Garden, which is really made up of two gardens: Allerton and McBryde (the third garden, Limahuli, is located on the north shore). See an astounding array of tropical plant life as you explore the two expansive gardens, which can be reached by bus from the visitor’s center.
End your day at Poipu Beach, near the botanical garden. Stretch out and relax on this stretch of sand that’s often considered one of the top beaches in Hawaii.
How to get to Kauai
Ships dock in Nawiliwili Harbor on the island’s southeast coast, near the town of Lihue. A rental car is the best way to get around if you aren’t taking an organized tour.
One day on Kauai
Spend your day on Kauai getting back to nature. Start with a drive from Lihue a couple of miles north to Wailua River State Park. Here you’ll find Wailua Falls, a pristine triple waterfall. Then head south, back through Lihue, to the south coast of the island.
Make your way to the National Tropical Botanical Garden, which is really made up of two gardens: Allerton and McBryde (the third garden, Limahuli, is located on the north shore). See an astounding array of tropical plant life as you explore the two expansive gardens, which can be reached by bus from the visitor’s center.
End your day at Poipu Beach, near the botanical garden. Stretch out and relax on this stretch of sand that’s often considered one of the top beaches in Hawaii.
Port Information
The currency in Hawaii is the US dollar. English is the official language, as is Hawaiian, which many locals also speak. The Aloha Center, a block from the cruise dock, offers a coffee shop and arts-and-crafts souvenir shopping.
Address: Nawiliwili Harbor, Lihue, HI, USA
From $ 69
Mt Waialeale
Be prepared for more colors of green than you’ve ever seen before in the area surrounding Kauai’s central Mt. Waialeale—it’s one of the wettest places on planet Earth, receiving more than 450 inches of rainfall each year. It’s dominating sheer green 5,066 cliff wall has also been called the Wall of Tears, for the many waterfalls that fill its crevices and stream down its face during frequent rains. And, if the setting looks familiar, that could be because it starred as the backdrop for opening scenes of the original 1992 Jurassic Park movie. To get to the base of Waialeale, and to the the Wailua River, you’ll have to take a 4x4 down the bumpy Wailua Forestry Management Road and then trek in. Alternatively, several helicopter tours take you much closer to its cliff face—and its waterfalls—than you could easily get to on a hike.
Practical Info
There’s only one company currently permitted to take groups of trekkers back in along the bumpy Wailua Forestry Management access road—Aloha Kauai Tours—and they only offer short day hikes into the surrounding valley. If you don’t have 4-wheel drive—and many rental cars don’t—this might be your only option for trekking access other than hiking the more than 10 miles down the road to the trailhead. To get to the actual mountain base, it’s another several miles through thick jungle, which is easily bypassed in a helicopter tour.
Address: Kauai, Hawaii, USA, USA
From $ 135
Old Koloa Town
Beneath the shade of monkeypod trees, the red clapboard downtown strip of Old Koloa Town welcomes visitors to a bygone era, the former site of Koloa Plantation. Founded in 1835 by New England missionaries, Koloa was the largest sugar plantation in a statewide industry credited with encouraging immigrants from around the world to make Hawaii home. Today the strip—accessed through a mile-long tree tunnel of towering eucalyptus—is a tiny community of gift shops, ice cream parlors, galleries and restaurants, each with a building plaque describing its original purpose on the plantation.
Besides shopping there’s the Old Koloa Jodo Mission, a still-functioning Buddhist temple originally founded to serve the Japanese immigrant community; a semi-circular bronze sculpture depicting plantation workers; an old stone chimney left over from one of the plantation buildings; and the Koloa History Center set back along the Waikomo Stream running through downtown. The center includes indoor and outdoor historical artifacts including a vintage sewing machine, an antique gas pump, farm equipment, historical photographs and displays. Every summer for nine days, the town celebrates its heritage with parades, food and craft booths, outdoor movies, a paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) rodeo and guided educational walks.
Practical Info
Old Koloa Town is a jaunt north of southerly Poipu Beach, or about a 10-mile drive west from Lihue. Downtown shops and the Old Koloa Town History Center open around 9 a.m. The Koloa Plantation Days event usually runs over the course of a week in mid-July.
Address: Koloa Rd, Koloa, Hawaii 96756, USA
From $ 270
Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge
The dramatic landscape of Kilauea Point—a rocky promontory crowned by a historic red-topped lighthouse—is one of Kauai’s most scenic spots. And on this Island, that’s saying a lot. Pacific trade winds whip up the water surrounding the blustery point and drive them, shattering into millions of tiny droplets, against the more than 500-foot-tall sheer cliff faces. Seabirds soar and dive into the deep blue water for food.
Most of the expansive 203-acre refuge is off limits—it protects some of the largest nesting colonies of seabirds in the main Hawaiian Islands. But, from the short interpretive trail between the entrance and the lighthouse, it’s easy to find red- and white-tailed tropic birds, albatross, great frigatebirds, red- and brown-footed boobies and wedge-tailed shearwaters flying overhead. Hawaiian spinner dolphins, rare monk seals and migrating humpback whales (Nov. and April), can sometimes be spotted offshore. The area is also an important habitat for the nēnē, the world’s rarest goose and Hawaii’s state bird.
Visitors can climb the spiral staircase to the top of the lighthouse, built in 1913, for outstanding ocean panoramas on tours offered two days a week. A small bookstore and information center has details about the various birds and habitats in the refuge.
Practical Info
The refuge is seven miles east of Princeville on Route 56 and down Kolo Road. It’s often included in land-based Island tours. There is a $5 cash-only admission charge for guests 16 and up, kids are free. It is open Tues-Sat 10am-4pm and closed on federal holidays.
Lighthouse tours run every hour from 10:30 to 2:30 on Wednesdays and Saturdays but are sometimes cancelled due to staff ability (call (808) 828-1413 to confirm).
Address: Route 56, Kilauea, USA
Hours: Open Tues-Sat. 10am-4pm and closed on federal holidays
Admission: $5 (16+)
From $ 155
Hanalei Bay
One of Kauai’s most beautiful stretches of water, Hanalei Bay is a hub for watersports on the island’s north shore.
Flanked by idyllic stretches of beach and backed by mountains, the bayside town of Hanalei is filled with shops renting kayaks, sailing boats, surfboards.
Come here to soak up the rays on the beach, dip your toe in the water, take a stroll on the pier or bring a picnic to enjoy on the sand.
Practical Info
Hanalei Bay is on the northern coast of Kauai, reached via State Highway 56 from Lihue.
Address: Weke Road, Hanalei 96714, USA
Admission: Free
From $ 78
Kalalau Lookout
The Napali Coast tops nearly everyone’s Kauai bucketlists with its sheer green undulating cliffs dropping directly into cerulean waters. The Kalalau Trail takes you back in and along Napali’s Valleys for 11 miles down to the beach and back up and out for another 11—a trip that takes most people at least two days to complete. Not for everyone. Enter the Kalalau Lookout, an easily accessible vantage from which to take in the deep expanse of Napali’s most recognizable Kalalau Valley and get a taste of Napali from land without all of the hiking. Sitting at an elevation of 4,000 feet, the lookout is perfectly positioned to take in the full two-mile-across valley and the ocean beyond.
Practical Info
Kalalau Lookout is located near the end of Kokee Road, off Waimea Canyon Road, at mile marker #18. Visit the lookout in the morning between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. if possible. During this window, the sun fully illuminates the valley’s crags, and ensures the best chance of uninterrupted views before the regular afternoon clouds roll in.
Address: Kokee Rd, Kapaa, Hawaii, USA 96746, USA
From $ 135
Huleia National Wildlife Refuge
Visible by kayak from the Huleia River, or from a roadside overlook, the otherwise closed-to-the-public Huleia National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Kauai is a popular bird watching spot. The site is one of just two sanctuaries on the planet (both National Wildlife Refuges on Kauai) home to wild populations of five species of endangered Hawaiian waterbirds—the Hawaiian coot, stilt, duck, goose (the state bird) and the elusive moorhen. Twenty-six other species of bird also call the federally-managed wetlands home. The lush landscape of riverine pools and waterfalls that surround the refuge have served as a jungle backdrop in several movies including Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park and Lost World.
The refuge’s flat valley, formerly comprised of wetland taro and rice paddies, is shielded from the sea to the west by a long ridge of peaks. It abuts Alekoko, the Menehune Fishpond, a historic aquaculture system thought to be built 1,000 years ago by an early and mythical race of Hawaiian of people called the Menehune.
Practical Info
The refuge is four miles southwest of Lihue via Highway 50W. The best way to view the refuge is on a guided kayak tour, but if you’re short on time, it’s also visible from the Alekoko Scenic Overlook off Hulemalu Road, just under a mile from the Nawiliwili Small Boat Harbor.
Address: Lihue, Kauai, USA
From $ 124