Kauai

Kauai Travel Guide

Despite its small size—about 550 square miles—Kauai has four distinct regions, each with its own unique characteristics. The windward coast, which catches the prevailing trade winds, consists of the North Shore and East Side, while the drier leeward coast encompasses the South Shore and West Side. One main road nearly encircles the island, except for a 15-mi stretch of sheer cliffs called Napali Coast.

The center of the island—Mt. Waialeale, completely inaccessible by car and viewable only from above due to nearly year-round cloud cover—is the wettest spot on earth, getting about 450 inches of rain per year. On Kauai, the directions mauka (toward the mountains) and makai (toward the ocean) are often used. Locals tend to refer to highways by name rather than by number.

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Photo: Maxim S. Pometun/Shutterstock

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