Kauai is called the Garden Island as 97% is undeveloped and filled with mountains and rainforests. It has 43 miles of beaches as well. You could spend weeks here and not see everything! But if you have limited time, here are 5 sites to see in Kauai. Also see my related post One Week in Beautiful Big Island & Kauai.
Waimea Canyon
Known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, Waimea Canyon is definitely one of the best sites to see in Kauai. It stretches 14 miles long, 1 mile wide and more than 3,600 feet deep. Don’t miss several breathtaking viewpoints in the area, including Kalalau Viewpoint and Waimea Canyon Lookout. If you want a brief hike, consider the easy Cliff Trail. This trail is less than two miles roundtrip and provides glorious views and perhaps encounters with some local goats!
Wailua Falls
One of the best waterfalls in Kauai is Wailua Falls. If you are of a certain age, you may recognize it from the opening scenes of Fantasy Island. Unfortunately, the view doesn’t come with Tattoo announcing tourists’ arrival, but it is still amazing to see. Wailua is Hawaiian for “two waters,” which is very descriptive of these twin waterfalls. Perhaps the best thing about this waterfall is that it doesn’t require great effort to see it. You don’t have to hike uphill a few miles or drive out of your way. It’s located right off a highway and is only 15 minutes from the Lihue Airport! It’s definitely a site you can’t miss in Kauai.
Kīlauea Point Lighthouse
Drive to the northernmost point of the island to visit Kilauea Point Lighthouse and National Wildlife Reserve. This 1913 lighthouse provides panoramic views of the island. Depending on the season, you can see whales and dolphins. The wildlife that is most abundant, though, are various species Hawaiian seabirds. Visiting the lighthouse and sanctuary requires reservations, and it is only open Wednesday-Saturday. But even if you can’t access the lighthouse or visit the reserve, it’s still worth the drive to experience the views from the carpark. You can take wonderful photos featuring the lighthouse!
Glass Beach
Kauai is filled with beautiful beaches. White sand, azure water, and stunning backdrops are featured in almost all 43 miles of beaches that blanket the Kauai coastline. But in my opinion, Glass Beach is the most unusual and deserving of a place on this top 5 sites to see in Kauai list! Filled with sea glass resulting from bottles dumped into the Port Allen Harbor in Ele-ele, this beach is for beachcombing and not swimming. You can spend hours digging for beautiful frosted pebbles of glass worn down by the ocean for decades. But that’s not the only thing that is unusual about this beach. It also features an old Japanese cemetery. Cemeteries can tell you so much about a local culture!
Charming Villages
Kauai is filled with charming little towns complete with great shops and restaurants. We stayed in Kapa’a which is on the east side of the island. It provides a wonderful central location from which to explore the island. It has the requisite boutiques and eateries, and it also features a 10 mile path between Lydgate Beach Park to Donkey Beach. You can rent bikes to follow the entire path.
We also enjoyed the cute town of Hanapepe on the south side of the island. The main street is filled with small art galleries and shops, all featuring very reasonable prices for one-of-a-kind souvenirs. There are also a few great food options. You can also take a stroll on the Hanapepe Swinging Bridge. My son loved making the bridge swing in a terrifying manner!
On the north side of the island, you can’t miss Hanalei. This little village is filled with art galleries, food trucks, and cute shops. It also has one of the two locations of JoJo”s Shave Ice. This is definitely the best shaved ice on the island! It also features a very nice beach area with a pier surrounded by the beautiful Kauai mountains.
Bonus Sight: Na Pali Coast State Park
Na Pali Coast State Park SHOULD be the top of sites in Kauai. This is what people think of when they imagine Kauai. It’s what is on every postcard and is the backdrop of so many movies filmed in Kauai. However, it’s not an easy place to get to. It’s only accessible by boat, air, or foot by hiking Kalalau Trail. Boat or air tours will cost approximately $200 per person. This is a must-do activity for couples, but most families will have difficulty coughing up the cash to do this. Hiking is free (not considering the physical costs!), but even this comes with a required reservation to Ha’ena State Park. Parking spot reservations are extremely limited, so most people will have to book a shuttle to get to the trail head. The shuttle costs $35 per person for ages 16+ and $25 per person for ages 4-15. Once you reach the trail via the shuttle, it’s a strenuous 11 mile hike. Definitely not for us!
What are your must-see sites in Kauai?
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