Kauai - Activities

Activities & Attractions

Kauai is a place waiting to be discovered. But before dashing off to experience everything there is to do, remember this island's main attraction is its natural beauty and the unassuming lifestyle of the people. Pace yourself and let the local culture sink in wherever you go. 

If you insist on starting big, head to Kauai's famed 'Grand Canyon of the Pacific, ' Waimea Canyon. It's an impressive 3,567-feet deep and stretches 14 miles across the western end of the island. One look will take your breath away. Equally stunning are the 3,000-foot high mountain cliffs that rise from the ocean floor to form the magnificent, unspoiled Napali Coast. It's a must-see whether by air, land, or sea. State parks, wilderness preserves, wildlife refuges, taro fields, guava plantations, and botanical gardens are also attractions that are easy to come by, and not easy to pass up. Should you get tired, take a rest at the largest coffee plantation in Hawaii: the Island Coffee Company's 4,000-acre Kauai Estate Plantation. 

Everywhere you go, it seems there's something happening --hula shows, plantation tours, or boat rides up the river. You can rent a bike and cruise down a mountain, find a kayak and paddle upstream, go diving, horseback riding, golfing, or sports fishing. Take the kids to a discovery museum or luau, or listen to Hawaiian musicians strumming soft guitars, or just stare at the moon. 

For those who want something off-the-beaten track, Kauai offers helicopter tours, windsurfing, deep-sea fishing, hang gliding, authentic rodeos, polo, and the PGA Grand Slam Golf. It's all good on Kauai. And it's all beautifully amazing. Which is probably why Kauai has been the film location site for more than 60 major motion picture and television films including, classics such as "South Pacific" and "Blue Hawaii" with Elvis Presley, and more recently "Jurassic Park", "Mighty Joe Young" and "Six Days/Seven Nights."

Beaches & Watersports

On Kauai, you don't have to go far to find the kind of beach you're craving. There's more beach per mile of coastline here than on any other Hawaiian Island. Forty-three beaches in total, varying from quiet white-sand lagoons, to perfectly carved calm water bays, to expansive pounding ocean shores. Kauai is also Hawaii's water world. With rivers, waterfalls, and the deep blue Pacific, if it involves water, you'll find it here.

There's nothing like floating on a kayak in a cobalt sea where spinner dolphins, green sea turtles and schools of brightly colored fish frolic. And, in the winter, you may even spy a humpback whale. 

Or take to the rivers. Kauai has the only navigable ones in the state. Explore the Wailua River, or travel up the Hanalei River like Indiana Jones through a federal wetlands bird refuge, or take a guided ocean kayak trip along the spectacular Napali coastline.

Depending on the time of year, you may want to rent a surfboard or take a surf lesson. Windsurf the breezy shores and fish the quiet ones. Or make like a fish yourself and scuba dive. Kauai's diverse coastal reef formations make for divine snorkeling or shore diving. Makua Beach (Tunnels) on the North Shore, and Koloa Landing and Prince Kuhio Park at Poipu Beach are among the best spots. Cave dives are also plentiful, as are the marine life you'll see. There are outstanding dives to be had throughout the island complete with dramatic underwater lava tubes, shipwrecks and fish-filled reefs. Niihau, with its 130-foot deep reef walls and abundant marine life, is considered by many to offer some of the best diving in Hawaii. 

Kauai's laundry list of options for water-lovers is long. From the peaceful serenity of sailing into the sunset, to the thrill of a high-powered Zodiac raft ride up the Napali Coast, to cruising in a 13-foot Boston Whaler or Livingston for do-it-yourself boaters.

Golf

Like the Hollywood filmmakers who shoot here, golfers go on location to Kauai for the spectacular scenic backdrops. Of course, they also enjoy a good challenge. Here, the courses are crafted by nature and helped along by some talented architects. The views could be considered an obstacle, as your mind may wander onto seaside cliffs, into forested hills, or smack-dab into the ocean. Just don't let your ball do the same.

The Prince Course at Princeville Resort is one of the most beautiful in the world. Behind the 13th hole, a waterfall catches air from an ancient lava tube. The streams that crisscross the course have flowed here for thousands of years. Princeville's Makai Course consists of three nine-hole tracks - Ocean, Woods, and Lakes - which aptly describes the terrain. Sniff out another course that hugs the seaside cliffs by following your nose to the Kiele Course at Kauai Lagoons. Kiele means "gardenia" and when you play here, you'll notice they make every shot here sweet. 

Bobbing sea turtle sightings aren't uncommon when you play along the cliffs at Poipu Bay Resort Golf Course. Or don't be shocked if you see a monk seal basking on the beach. Kauai's other captivating tests set along the sea include the Wailua Municipal, the verdant forested Pupakea Golf Course, and the picture-perfect Kukuiolono Course. Each of Kauai's courses has its own definition of "breathtaking" and there's always one nearby no matter where you stay. Whichever one you choose, you can count on eye-popping views and demanding play hole after hole.

Outdoors & Adventure

Kauai is called The Garden Island for good reason. The landscape is lush and unspoiled, colorful and peaceful. Now go tear it up. Not in the literal sense, of course, with adventure. Kauai's spectacular natural environment and easy accessibility makes it a perfect destination for today's adventure-seeker. 

Take an invigorating mountain bike ride down Waimea Canyon Road, an interpretive nature ride through the native forests of Kokee State Park, or just a leisurely cruise on the beach. You can rent mountain bikes, and take guided tours, on the island's north, south and east shores. 

Kauai is also a hiker's paradise. The rewards are unparalleled views, tropical vegetation, streams, waterfalls, swimming holes and most of all, exquisite isolation. The Napali Coast/Waimea Canyon/Kokee region has the most extensive network of trails, and there are a few others near the Wailua River. Altogether, there are 28 named trails totaling 45 miles, rich in native flora and fauna, some of which is found nowhere else in the world. Kauai's mountainous interior is also accessible by helicopter. Ride the skies into the waterfall-lined crater of Mt. Waialeale, or skim through a twisting valley of the Napali coastline. Helicopter flight seeing tours are available from Lihue, Port Allen and Princeville. 

Horseback ride through the long sandy beaches of Poipu and Waimea to the lush mountain valleys outside of Princeville. On the North Shore, you can ride to a mountain waterfall. Take an oceanside journey near Waimea while watching the sun sinking slowly over the "Forbidden Island" of Niihau. At Poipu Beach, take a leisurely breakfast trail ride with ocean and mountains as your entourage. 

Kauai's water adventures are also extraordinary. They include kayaking, scuba diving and snorkeling, fishing, sailing and motor boating. (See water sports). Kauai adventure companies cater to travelers of all levels of expertise and athleticism. They're as exhilarating as you want. By land, by sea, by air, Kauai is a refreshing fantasy full of adventure and discovery.