Kauai is known as the Garden Island because of its lush foliage and large areas of undeveloped land. It is the western-most part of the United States and the oldest island in the Hawaiian chain. Not only is it home to the wettest spot on earth (a whopping 444 inches of rain per year!), it offers a variety of natural wonders, from the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, Waimea Canyon, to the magnificent beaches on its western shores.If exquisite scenery is your cup of tea, the Na Pali Coast is the perfect destination. Extending more than 15 miles along Kauai's north-facing coast, Na Pali is only accessible by foot for most of the year. Hiking along the magnificent, eleven mile long Kalalau Trail, visitors will be treated to jagged cliffs, which rise more than 4,000 feet out of the Pacific, lush valleys, graceful waterfalls and beautiful beaches.
Hanalei Valley, with its fields of taro, stretches from Wai'ale'ale in the center of Kauai to the border of the Na Pali Coast. Hanalei is famous for its rains and most of it lies in the deep and narrow valley where the waters of Wai'ale'ale flow into the Hanalei River. The charming town of Hanalei is an engaging mix of old Hawaiian families, surfers and people escaping the rat race on the mainland. Don't miss Lumahai Beach famous for its roles in the movies Bali Hai and South Pacific.
Princeville is a complete resort community with hotels, condominiums, shopping, and recreation. The 27-hole Makai golf course is located here, as is the number one rated course in Hawaii, the Prince. It is also the site of three beaches, Pu'u Poa, Kenomene Beach, and Kaweonui Beach.
Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge is home to an array of protected seabirds like Laysan albatrosses, red-footed boobies, brown boobies, red-tailed tropicbirds, wedge-tailed shearwaters, and great frigatebirds. Its lighthouse, home to the world's largest clamshell lens, perches on a peninsula 200 feet above the sea. A breath-taking viewing site from the point allows visitors to see whales and dolphins migrating in the Pacific. |
