Kauai is substantially smaller than Oahu island. It is more of a family and relaxed type of vacation spot. Most establishments close before 10pm on Kauai island.

You can really recharge there and get in touch with nature. The best part was that you don’t have to constantly worry about where you park your car. If you have read our article about Oahu (if not click here), you will know what we mean by that. Kauai island is simply too small to give people the opportunity to steal from cars. It might still happen but much less than on Oahu.

Kauai island sign

We stayed at a serviced apartment in Poipu which was in the southern part of Kauai. You can see our video review here.

The apartment was good, near the beach and not far to drive to various locations.

A vacation to Hawaii is quite expensive, especially if you start eating out.

We really prefer self catering when we are in pricey places like Hawaii. When we visited Oahu island we basically mostly used the microwave in our hotel room. Having said all that, shopping on both Hawaiian islands is substantially more expensive than on the US mainland.

Kauai offers a variety of activities. 

Here are 15 Free Points of Interest on Kauai Island:

1. Visit to Waimea Canyon and Koke’e State Park

On the northwestern part of Kauai you can visit the scenic Waimea Canyon and Koke’e State Park. Link to our video featuring the Waimea Canyon and Koke’e State Park.

We have been to many parts of the US, probably more than most US nationals have been.

Now we don’t want to brag here but we really enjoyed returning to the US every year since we got married there in 2007. In the same year we have been to the Grand Canyon and in the following years we have seen other canyons in Utah, Arizona and Colorado.

Waimea Canyon really is a mini version of the Grand Canyon. The Canyon and adjacent Koke’e State Park are fantastic places to see.

You can reach the canyon and Koke’e State Park by driving along the Waimea Canyon Drive (Hwy 550) just north of the town of Waimea.

Along the road you will find several lookouts of Waimea Canyon and thereafter the road merges with the Kokee Road (Hwy 55) which leads into the Koke’e State Park. Both roads are winding.

Waimea Canyon

The most important thing to know about the visit is to get there early in the morning. You should drive all the way up until until the end of Koke’e Road when you will reach the Pu’u O Kila Lookout.

The reason for that being, the later it gets in the morning the more clouds come into the mountains and your view of the Kalalau Valley from the top may get spoiled. Another reason is that not only the clouds come into the National park but also the crowds of tourists.

The view from up there of the Kalalau Valley is an unforgettable sight.

From the Pu’u O Kila Lookout you can also hike a ridge down to see different views and you can hike the Pihea Trail.

This Pihea Trail hike is really tough and you need to wear some good shoes or welly boots and you better leave all good gear at your hotel. We really tried to walk along it but it was just way too muddy to continue further for us.

On your way down you can stop at a variety of lookouts. The first one along the way is the Kalalau Lookout.

There are also a variety of other hikes you can do within the Koke’e State Park and Waimea Canyon.

We sometimes simply parked where it it was ok to park on the side of the road and explored the nearby area.

Some of the best views of Waimea Canyon are across the street from the Pu’U Ka Pele Picnic Area and along the Waimea Canyon Lookout.

2. Hanapepe Valley Lookout

The Hanapepe Valley Lookout gives you great views of the area. We discovered it when we were driving form the South Shore to Waimea Canyon.

Location: It is located on route 50 just after mile marker 14.

Hanapepe Valley Lookout Kauai Island of Hawaii

3. Spouting Horn Park

The Spouting Horn is a natural wonder and it allows you to see how the sea water is being blown into the air through a lava tube.

Spouting Horn Park

Near the Spouting Horn viewpoint is a parking area and a mini outdoor market where you can also purchase souvenirs.

Location: Spouting Horn Park, Lawai Rd, Koloa, HI 96756, USA

4. Poipu Beach

Another point of interest along the south shore is Poipu Beach. Poipu Beach is located close to hotels and there are excellent facilities. It is a great beach for swimming and snorkeling.

Location: Poipu Beach Park, Koloa, HI 96756, USA

5. Shipwreck Beach

Not far from Poipu Beach, you can find Shipwreck Beach.

This is a lovely beach. The sea can be a bit rough at times and so you want to be careful there. It is a great spot for a picnic and to watch the sunset. There were also some wedding ceremonies being held there. The parking lot at Shipwreck Beach is quite small and so we parked just off Ainako St.

Location of Shipwreck Beach: Shipwreck’s Beach, Koloa, HI 96756, USA

Shipwrecks Beach at sunset

6. Hike Mahaʼulepu Heritage Trail

From Shipwreck beach you can also start a wonderful hike. It is the Mahaʼulepu Heritage Trail.

From the parking lot at Shipwreck Beach you just have walk along the the left side of the beach towards the cliff and you’ll eventually see the trail into the cliff. It is a fairly easy hike although you might get very hot during it. You really need water, sunscreen and also good shoes during this hike. There are a few sharp lava rocks on the path. Along the way you will walk past a golf course and a sacred Heiau stone structure.

You will eventually get past a horse stables and soon after that there is a great secluded beach. Overall we hiked for about 2 hours. It is definitely worth doing and you can enjoy some wonderful views along the way.

7. Lookout of Menehune Fishpond “Alekoko”

Heading to the East Shore of Kauai, there are also a variety of other wonderful places to see. The next one is the Lookout of the Menehune Fishpond.

This is a legendary ancient Hawaiian fishpond. According to legend, the mystical Menehune people built this fishpond in one night. It is not far from Lihue airport.

Location: To get to the overlook, you have to drive up Hulemalu Rd for about half a mile.

Overlook Menehune Fishpond

8. Kalapaki Beach.

Within a short drive from the Menehune Fishpond, you can reach Kalapaki Beach in Lihue.

It is a wide sandy beach and it is great for swimming and rafting. At times the surf can be very rough there.

Location: Kalapaki Beach, Lihue, HI 96766, USA

9. Wailua Falls

Another highlight on the East Shore of Kauai is the viewpoint of the Wailua Falls.

Wailua Falls Kauai Island of Hawaii

The Wailua Falls  were used as a filming location on the TV show Fantasy Island. It is a beautiful waterfall.

Unfortunately, you cannot hike down to the falls as they are closed off via a fence but it is still worth seeing the viewpoint.

Location: To reach the lookout you just have to head north form Lihue and follow Maalo Road.

10. Lydgate State Park

One of the best beaches on the East shore of Kauai is located within the Lydegate State State Park.  It is perfect for families as there is a big lava rock-rimmed pool for swimming and there is a small pool which is perfect for toddlers. The state park also has numerous picnic tables and a playground. It is great for long walks along the beach and to admire the sunrise and sunset.

Location: The state park is located along highway 56 in Wailua. 

’Opaeka’a Falls

11. ’Opaeka’a Falls.

The next point of interest is the viewpoint of Opeika falls ’Opaeka’a Falls.

Opeika “Opaekaa” translates to “rolling shrimp,” which were once abundant in the stream. There is a parking area near the falls with a public restroom.

Location: The lookout is located on the east side about 2 miles along Kuamoo Road.

12. Wailua River Valley Lookout

From the Opaeka’a Falls viewpoint you can also walk uphill to the nearby Wailua River Valley lookout (less than 3 minute walk!).

13. Hanalei Bay Beach

Heading to the North Shore, you can visit the Hanalei Bay Beach. The Hanalei Bay is great for swimming, running and walking. The sunset at the Hanalei Pier is very nice although we actually took a lovely photo at sunrise there.

Location: It is located off Weke Road. Weke Rd, Hanalei, HI 96714, USA

14. Ke’e Beach

Another highlight along the North shore of Kauai is Ke’e Beach.  It i is ideal for sunbathing and it is good for snorkeling in the summer months.

Important for parking! Get there early in the day. We were there early in the morning and it was still ok, however, when we returned from our hike along the Kalalau Trail, the parking lot was very busy.

Hike Kalalau Trail

Location: Ke’e Beach, Hawaii 96746, USA

15. Hike Kalalau Trail

The hike along the Kalalau Trail starts right from Ke’e Beach.

Experienced hikes can hike all the way to Hanakapi‘ai Beach. You can also hike further to the Hanakapi’ai Falls.

We hiked until the Hanakapiai Beach and it was a really tough hike. You really need good shoes with you, water and sunscreen. In total we hiked for about 4 hours. The hike is very scenic.

If you are not such an experienced hiker then you can also just walk a bit uphill from Ke’e Beach and you will soon be rewarded with great views of the area. The first good viewpoint was after about 20 minutes.

On our drive to La’ie Point in Oahu we suddenly stumbled upon a beautiful white palace. You could easily see it from far away.

We had to find out what it was and parked our car at the visitor center which was a separate building adjacent to the palace grounds. A sign outside the building just said “La‘ie Hawaii Temple Visitors’Center” and so we remained clueless.

As we entered the building, we saw a Chinese tourist group and right away two American girls approached us. They wore dresses with the typical Hawaiian flower pattern and they had big smiles on their faces.

We wondered whether there might be some special Hawaiian performance?

The girls welcomed us to their church called Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I just though latter da what?  That is the reason why it wasn’t in the guidebook!

La’e Hawaii Temple

It turned out the white Palace is a Mormon Church Temple. It was the first Mormon temple built in Hawaii.

The girls passionately explained to us the principles of their church and showed us images on how the temple looks like inside because only Mormons can enter it.

The rooms looked more like the ones in a normal house rather than a large prayer hall like we have seen around the world in other religious sites. This homely set up is done intentionally and honestly it seemed much more inviting.

The Mormon Church believes that we are all brothers and sisters of god “Heavenly Father” and in the eyes of god we are all the same. The most interesting room was the sealing room that is where Mormons get married in. There were mirrors in the room where the couple would see themselves endlessly signifying eternity.

Although we did not get to visit the temple, it was still interesting to learn about another religion.

The general principles are the same as in any religion. To see two young girls with such a positive and grounded soul, one that you would normally expect from much older people, was very inspiring.

Whilst we were not “converted” we respected their friendliness and hospitality.

Address of the La’ie Hawaii Temple: 55-600 Naniloa Loop, Laie, HI 96762, Hawaii

Tip: Non-Mormons are allowed to see the open grounds around the temple. The Temple looks very attractive during sunset.