Frommer's Kauai - Jeanette Foster [3]
A law on Kauai states that no building may exceed the height of a coconut tree—between three and four stories. As a result, the island itself, not its palatial beach hotels, is the attention-grabber. There’s no real nightlife here, no opulent shopping malls. But there is the beauty of the verdant jungle, the endless succession of spectacular beaches, the grandeur of Waimea Canyon, and the drama of the Na Pali Coast. Even Princeville, an opulent marble-and-glass luxury hotel, does little more than frame the natural glory of Hanalei’s spectacular 4,000-foot-high Namolokama mountain range.
This is the place for active visitors: There are watersports galore; miles of trails through rainforests and along ocean cliffs for hikers, bikers, and horseback riders; and golf options that range from championship links to funky local courses where chickens roam the greens and balls wind up embedded in coconut trees. But Kauai is also great for those who need to relax and heal jangled nerves. Here you’ll find miles of sandy beaches, perfect for just sitting and meditating. There are also quiet spots in the forest where you can listen to the rain dance on the leaves, as well as an endless supply of laid-back, lazy days that end with the sun sinking into the Pacific amid a blaze of glorious tropical color.
1 The Best Beaches
• Kalapaki Beach: Kalapaki is the best beach not only in Lihue but also on the entire east coast. Any town would pay a fortune to have a beach like Kalapaki, one of Kauai’s best, in its backyard. But little Lihue turns its back on Kalapaki; there’s not even a sign pointing the way through the labyrinth of traffic to this graceful half moon of golden sand at the foot of the Kauai Marriott Resort & Beach Club. Fifty yards wide and a quarter mile long, Kalapaki is protected by a jetty, making it very safe for swimmers. The waves are good for surfing when there’s a winter swell, and the view from the sand—of the steepled, 2,200-foot peaks of the majestic Haupu Ridge that shield Nawiliwili Bay—is awesome.
• Poipu Beach Park: Big, wide Poipu is actually two beaches in one; it’s divided by a sandbar, called a tombolo. On the left, a lava-rock jetty protects a sandy-bottomed pool that’s perfect for children; on the right, the open bay attracts swimmers, snorkelers, and surfers. You’ll find excellent swimming, small tide pools to explore, great reefs for snorkeling and diving, good fishing, nice waves for surfers, and a steady wind for windsurfers.
• Polihale State Park: This mini-Sahara on the western end of the island is Hawaii’s biggest beach: 17 miles long and as wide as three football fields. This is a wonderful place to get away from it all, but don’t forget your flip-flops—the midday sand is hotter than a lava flow. The golden sands wrap around Kauai’s northwestern shore from the Kekaha plantation town, just beyond Waimea, to where the ridges of the Na Pali Coast begin. The state park includes ancient Hawaiian heiau (temple) and burial sites, a view of the “forbidden” island of Niihau, and the famed Barking Sands Beach, where footfalls sound like a barking dog. (Scientists say that the grains of sand are perforated with tiny echo chambers, which emit a “barking” sound when they rub together.)
• Anini Beach County Park: Kauai’s safest beach for swimming and windsurfing, Anini is also one of the island’s most beautiful: It sits on a blue lagoon at the foot of emerald cliffs, looking more like Tahiti than almost any other strand in the islands. This 3-mile-long, gold-sand beach is shielded from the open ocean by the longest,