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Kauaʻi: checked facts and things to do

The Garden Isle: Nāpali Coast, Waimea Canyon, Hanalei and Poʻipū.

28 checked entries for Kauaʻi.

Where to stay (hotels)

• Grand Hyatt Kauaʻi Resort & Spa (Poʻipū)Kauaʻi · Kauaʻi's top-rated big resort, No. 4 in Hawaiʻi Magazine's 2026 readers' poll, on the sunny South Shore at Poʻipū with a huge saltwater...
• The Royal Sonesta Kauaʻi Resort LīhuʻeKauaʻi · A beachfront resort on Kalapakī Bay, 5 minutes from the Līhuʻe airport, ranked No. 5 among Hawaiʻi resorts by Condé Nast readers in 2025. A...
• Waimea Plantation Cottages (West Side)Kauaʻi · Restored plantation-era cottages in a coconut grove on Kauaʻi's sunny West Side, ranked No. 3 Best Hotel in Hawaiʻi Magazine's 2026...
• 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay (Princeville)Kauaʻi · The North Shore's luxury hotel on the cliffs above Hanalei Bay, with views of Bali Hai (Makana). It reopened Sept. 28, 2026 after Hurricane...

Military lodging & campgrounds

• Barking Sands Beach Cottages (PMRF, Kauaʻi)Kauaʻi · The Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands on Kauaʻi's west side has beachfront cottages with full kitchens, many renovated or...

Camping & permits

• Camping on Kauaʻi (status after Hurricane Lowell)Kauaʻi · All Kauaʻi state park camping is closed after Hurricane Lowell, including the Kalalau Trail and Nāpali Coast and Kōkeʻe. When it reopens...

Nightlife & live music

• Kauaʻi nightlife and live musicKauaʻi · Kauaʻi is quiet at night, and most live music ends by 9 or 10 p.m. Favorites include Tahiti Nui in Hanalei (a classic local hangout with...

Island day trips

• Kauaʻi day trip: the North Shore driveKauaʻi · From Līhuʻe, drive up the east side through Kapaʻa to the Kīlauea Lighthouse, the Hanalei Valley Lookout over the taro fields, Hanalei town...
• Kauaʻi day trip: Waimea Canyon and the West SideKauaʻi · Head west from Poʻipū or Līhuʻe through Hanapēpē's art town and historic Waimea town, then climb to the Waimea Canyon Lookout, the "Grand...

Tours & activities

• Lūʻau on KauaʻiKauaʻi · Kauaʻi's main lūʻau: Smith's Garden Lūʻau on the Wailua River (a family-run classic, about $105 to $150), Luau Kalamaku at Kilohana...
• Helicopter tours of KauaʻiKauaʻi · Much of Kauaʻi, including the Nā Pali cliffs, Waimea Canyon's interior, Mount Waiʻaleʻale and Manawaiopuna ("Jurassic") Falls, can only...

Hawaiian food & lunch wagons

• Kauaʻi food trucks (Kapaʻa, Hanalei, Kōloa)Kauaʻi · Kauaʻi's food trucks cluster in Kapaʻa (including the Kauaʻi Food Truck Park), Kōloa and Hanalei. Hawaiʻi Magazine's 2026 picks: The Musubi...
• Hawaiian and local food on KauaʻiKauaʻi · For Hawaiian food on Kauaʻi: Hanalei Taro & Juice Co. (poi and laulau from the family's own taro farm), Mark's Place in Puhi near Līhuʻe...

Places & parks

• Hāʻena State Park and the Kalalau TrailKauaʻi · North Shore park with Keʻe Beach and the Kalalau Trailhead. Out-of-state visitors must reserve day passes at gohaena.com. It reopened in...
• Waimea Canyon State ParkKauaʻi · West Kauaʻi's huge red-rock canyon. After Hurricane Lowell, only the Waimea Canyon Lookout reopened (from October 24, 2026, daylight...

Botanical gardens

• Kauaʻi gardens: Allerton, McBryde, Limahuli and Na ʻĀina KaiKauaʻi · Kauaʻi, the Garden Isle, has three National Tropical Botanical Garden sites: Allerton (guided tours only, about $60), McBryde (self-guided...

Golf courses

• Kauaʻi resort golf: Princeville Makai, Poʻipū Bay and HōkūalaKauaʻi · Kauaʻi's big three resort courses all reopened after Hurricane Lowell: Princeville Makai on the North Shore (reopened Sept. 29, 2026)...
• Value golf on Kauaʻi: Wailua, Puakea and KukuiolonoKauaʻi · Wailua Golf Course, the County's oceanside course, is one of Hawaiʻi's best values: $80 weekday and $100 weekend for visitors ($40 to $50...

Museums

• Kauaʻi Museum (Līhuʻe)Kauaʻi · The main museum of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau history and culture, in downtown Līhuʻe, with hands-on cultural demonstrations and free guided tours...
• Grove Farm Museum (Līhuʻe)Kauaʻi · A preserved sugar plantation homestead in Līhuʻe, with the Wilcox family home, gardens and workers' cottages, seen only on guided tours...

Animals & wildlife

• Mōlī, the Laysan albatrossNov. to July · Oʻahu, Kauaʻi · Huge seabirds with nearly 7-foot wingspans nest in Hawaiʻi from about November through summer. You can see them at Kaʻena Point on Oʻahu...

Shopping centers

• Kauaʻi shopping: Kukui Grove, Coconut Marketplace and KukuiʻulaKauaʻi · Kauaʻi's largest mall is Kukui Grove Center in Līhuʻe. On the east side, Coconut Marketplace in Kapaʻa has local boutiques, ukulele shops...

Hikes

• Hanakāpīʻai Falls hike (Nāpali Coast)Kauaʻi · The best day hike on Kauaʻi's Nāpali Coast and open again since Oct. 15, 2026 after Hurricane Lowell. It's 4 miles round trip to...
• Sleeping Giant (Nounou) TrailKauaʻi · Kauaʻi's popular East Side hike up Nounou mountain above Kapaʻa. It's about 3.5 miles round trip with roughly 1,000 feet of gain. All three...
• Kōkeʻe trails (Awaʻawapuhi, Pihea): closed for nowKauaʻi · Kōkeʻe State Park's famous ridge and cliff trails, including Awaʻawapuhi (about 6 miles round trip down to a Nāpali viewpoint) and...
• Kuilau Ridge Trail (Keāhua Arboretum)Kauaʻi · A gentle ridge walk through the Līhuʻe-Kōloa Forest Reserve inland of Wailua, about 4 miles round trip with views of Mount Waiʻaleʻale...
• Māhāʻulepū Heritage Trail (Poʻipū)Kauaʻi · An easy coastal walk on Kauaʻi's South Shore from Shipwreck Beach in Poʻipū east toward Māhāʻulepū, across sea cliffs, dunes and limestone...

Safety

• Lifeguarded beaches on KauaʻiKauaʻi · Kauaʻi lifeguards work daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Kekaha, Salt Pond and Poʻipū on the south shore; Lydgate, Kealia and Anahola on the...