Kauai attractions
The island of Kauai is one of the greenest and lushest in the state of Hawaii, popular among outdoor enthusiasts and people looking for remote and picture-perfect tropical beaches. Most people who visit Kauai stay either in the Poipu, Lihue or Kapaa areas.
Kauai attractions range from an amazing array of natural sights like waterfalls, rainforests, rivers, white-sand beaches, steep sea cliffs, hidden caves and even a canyon, to man-made attractions such as museums and temples. Kauai sightseeing never gets boring, especially if you enjoy hiking and exploring tropical surroundings and nature. Below is a list of some of the best things to do on Kauai.
Kauai things to do and see
| ALLERTON
GARDEN |
| Located on the south shore of Kauai, the Allerton Garden lies between the Pacific Ocean and the McBryde Garden in the Lawai Valley, which was once a retreat of Hawaii’s Queen Emma. It offers scenic views of towering rainforest trees, a grove of swaying golden bamboo, tropical fruit trees and a cut-flower garden.
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| BALI HAI |
| Bali Hai, also known as the Makana Mountain, is a part of a National Tropical Botanical Garden at the beginning of the Na Pali Coast on the north shore of Kauai. Read More |
| FERN
GROTTO |
| Fern Grotto, an overgrown, fern-fringed lava cave, is located on the Wailua River on the eastern side of Kauai near the town Wailua. Once an exclusive destination for Hawaiian royalty, the only way you can reach the grotto is via boat up the Wailua River. Fern Grotto is like an amphitheater of nature, and music played in it sounds amazing and unique.
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| KAUAI
INTERNATIONAL THEATRE |
| Located in Kapaa in the Kauai Village Shopping Center, the Kauai International Theatre stages musicals, dramas, comedies, local and international plays year-round. It’s an intimate theater with just 62 seats, but it’s the hub of the performing arts scene on the island and calls itself "The Farthest Off Off Off Broadway in the Country."
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| KILAUEA
LIGHTHOUSE |
 Located at Kilauea Point on the north shore of Kauai, the Kilauea Lighthouse stands at the northernmost point of the eight main Hawaiian Islands. It was built in 1913 by the U.S. government and served for many years to keep ships traveling to and from Asia safe from running aground and provide direction.
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| KOKEE
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM |
| The Kokee Natural History Museum on Kauai is a good place to visit if you’re interested in learning more about Kauai’s geology, ecology and climatology. The museum also provides information about trail conditions in the Waimea Canyon and Kokee state parks.
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| KOKEE
STATE PARK |
| The Kokee State Park is located inward from the Na Pali Coast on Kauai’s west side. The park’s main attractions are the native plants, birds and beautiful scenic views. Situated on a plateau of 3,200 to 4,200 feet (975 to 1,280 m), it is quite a bit colder here than on the beaches. There are 19 hiking trails in the Kokee State Park.
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| LIMAHULI
GARDEN |
| Located in Haena on the north shore of Kauai, the Limahuli Garden is set in a lush tropical valley, overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the majestic Makana Mountain. It extends for over 1,000 acres (4 sq. km) of tropical rainforest and covers three distinct ecological zones. Seventeen acres (68,796 sq. m) are available to the public.
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| NA
PALI COAST STATE PARK |
 The Na Pali Coast State Park is located on the north shore of Kauai. It is a great place to “rough it” and go
on an adventurous hike. The area has a dramatic, with
4,000-foot (1,219 m) cliffs, known as “pali” in Hawaiian,
towering above crystal clear waters. Below, a coral reef
is home to an amazing array of colorful tropical fish.
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| OPAEKAA
FALLS |
 This is one of Kauai’s best-known and main waterfalls.
Most people view it from a lookout off of Kuamoo
Road, as it is a difficult and tricky hike around
its top and pool. If you want to see Opaekaa Falls
up close, find the trailhead at the top of the falls,
close to the 2-mile marker that is past the fall’s
lookout on Highway 580.
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| SPOUTING
HORN PARK |
 Spouting
Horn is one of Kauai’s natural wonders. Located
on Poipu Beach on the island’s south coast, this
blowhole can shoot water up to 50 feet (15 m) into the
air when waves crash into it. The water is forced
up when the ocean flows under the lava shelf and
is shot up through a small opening on the surface.
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| WAILUA
FALLS |
| Wailua Falls in southeastern Kauai is an 80-foot
(24.4 m) waterfall. If the falls look familiar, it is because
it was part of the opening scenes of the popular
TV series Fantasy Island. No need to bring
your hiking shoes and equipment because you can
see Wailua Falls from the road.
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| WAILUA
RIVER |
 The Wailua River on Kauai is the only navigable river in
the entire state of Hawaii. It is fed by two main waterfalls.
Rains from Mount Waialeale, the wettest location on Earth,
with an abundant 480 inches (12,192 mm) of rain per year, also help to
feed the river.
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| WAIMEA
CANYON STATE PARK |
 Waimea Canyon is ten miles (16 km) long and over a half-mile (800 m) deep,
making it the largest canyon in the Pacific. The canyon’s
rugged, craggy outface and its deep valley gorges have already
made an impression on popular author Mark Twain, who called
Waimea the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific.”
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