9 Best Sights in Kauai, Hawaii

This drive-up beach park favored by campers year-round has a wide bay named Makua bordered by two large reef systems, creating favorable waves for skilled surfers during peak winter conditions. Entering the water can be dangerous in winter when the big swells roll in. In July and August, waters at this same beach are usually as calm as a lake, and throughout summer this is a premier snorkeling site. It's not unusual to find a food vendor parked here, selling sandwiches and drinks out of a converted bread van. Adjacent to this beach is Tunnels Beach.

Parking is extremely limited (the lot typically fills up by 8:30 am), and all vehicles illegally parked outside of designated parking zones are subject to fees and towing. You can also park your car in the shuttle parking lot in Waipa, west of Hanalei Town, and board the North Shore Shuttle for a ride to the beach park ($35 round-trip with seven stops); see  gohaena.com for details and reservations. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (free); showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; surfing; walking.

This 2-mile crescent beach cradles a wide bay in a setting that is quintessential Hawaii: the sea is on one side, and behind you are the mountains, often ribboned with waterfalls and changing color in the shifting light. In winter, Hanalei Bay boasts some of the biggest onshore surf breaks in the state, attracting world-class surfers, and the beach is plenty wide enough for sunbathing and strolling. In summer, the bay is transformed—calm waters lap the beach, sailboats moor in the bay, and outrigger-canoe paddlers ply the sea. Pack the cooler, haul out the beach umbrellas, and don't forget the beach toys because Hanalei Bay is worth scheduling for an entire day, maybe two. Several county beach parks, some with pavilions, can be found along the bay: Waioli, Black Pot, and Hanalei Pavilion (with ample facilities). Amenities: lifeguards; parking (free); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; surfing; swimming; walking.

Dramatic mountains and a patchwork of neat taro farms bisected by the wide Hanalei River make this one of Hawaii's loveliest views, even with the flood damage it sustained in 2018. The fertile Hanalei Valley has been planted with taro since perhaps AD 700, save for an 80-year-long foray into rice that ended in 1960. (The historic Haraguchi Rice Mill is all that remains of that era.) Many taro farmers lease land within the 900-acre Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge, helping to provide wetland habitat for four species of endangered Hawaiian waterbirds.

Located at the end of the trail with the same name, Kalalau is a remote beach in spectacular Napali Coast State Wilderness Park, and reaching it requires an arduous 11-mile hike along sea cliff faces (permit required), through steaming tropical valleys, and across sometimes-raging streams. The trail has no to limited cell phone service and is recommended for experienced hikers only. Another option is to paddle a kayak to the beach—summer only, though, or else the surf is way too big. All boat and kayak tours must be through a permitted, guided company. The beach is anchored by a heiau (a stone platform used as a place of worship) on one end and a waterfall on the other.

The safest time to come is summer, when the trail is dry and the beach is wide, cupped by low, vegetated sand dunes and a large walk-in cave on the western edge. Day hikes into the valley offer waterfalls, freshwater swimming pools, and wild, tropical fruits. Though state camping permits are required, the valley often has a significant illegal crowd, which has strained park facilities and degraded much of its former peaceful solitude. Helicopter overflights are near-constant in good weather. Amenities: none. Best for: sunset; walking; solitude.

Two restored camp houses, dating from the days when sugar was the main agricultural crop on the Islands, have been converted into a museum, visitor center, snack bar, and gift shop. About 3,100 acres of McBryde sugar land have become Hawaii's largest coffee plantation, with its 4 million trees producing more than half of the state's beans. You can walk among the trees, view old grinders and roasters, watch a video to learn how coffee is harvested and processed, sample various estate roasts, and check out the gift store.

The center offers free self-guided tours through a small coffee grove (about 20 minutes) and a personalized, one-hour "coffee on the brain" tour for a fee. From Kalaheo, take Route 50 in the direction of Waimea Canyon (west) and veer left onto Route 540. It's 2½ miles from the Route 50 turnoff.

Highway 560 on the North Shore literally dead-ends at this beach, pronounced "kay-eh," which is also the start of the challenging, permit-required 11-mile Kalalau Trail on Napali Coast and a culturally significant area to Native Hawaiians, who still use an ancient heiau (a stone platform used as a place of worship) dedicated to hula. (It's not appropriate to hang out on the platform or leave offerings there; stay at a respectful distance.) The setting is gorgeous, with Makana (a prominent peak that Hollywood dubbed "Bali Hai" in the blockbuster musical South Pacific) imposing itself on the lovely coastline and lots of lush tropical vegetation.

The small beach is protected by a reef—except during high surf—creating a small, sandy-bottom lagoon that's a popular snorkeling spot. There can be a strong current in winter. A mandatory permit system limits guests and prevents overcrowding. Unless you are a Hawaii resident with identification, you must reserve a spot online (reservations open 30 days prior); the prized spaces sell out weeks in advance. See  gohaena.com for reservations. Passes are valid during specified time periods. The parking area is ⅓ mile from the beach on a path partially on a boardwalk, so be prepared to lug your beach gear. Kee Beach is a great place to watch the sunset lighting up Napali Coast. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; sunset; swimming; walking.

A beacon for sea traffic since it was dedicated in 1913, this National Historic Landmark has the world's largest clamshell lens in a lighthouse and stands within a wildlife refuge where thousands of seabirds soar on the trade winds and nest on the steep ocean cliffs. It's well worth the site's modest entry fee to see nene geese (the state bird, a threatened species), white- and red-tailed tropicbirds, and more (identifiable by educational signboards), as well as native plants, dolphins, humpback whales (in season), huge winter surf, and gorgeous North Shore views. The gift shop has a great selection of books about the island's natural history and an array of unique merchandise, with all proceeds benefiting education and preservation efforts. Advance reservations are required via  recreation.gov.

Narrow Limahuli Valley, with its fluted mountain peaks and ancient stone taro terraces, creates an unparalleled setting for this botanical garden and nature preserve, one of the most gorgeous spots on Kauai and the crown jewel of the National Tropical Botanical Garden. Dedicated to protecting native plants and unusual varieties of taro, it represents the principles of conservation and stewardship held by its founder, Juliet Rice Wichman. Limahuli's primordial beauty and strong mana (spiritual power) eclipse the extensive botanical collection. Call ahead to check if guided tours are being offered, or tour on your own. A reservation is required to park here, though North Shore Shuttle riders are exempt. Check out the quality gift shop and revolutionary compost toilet, and be prepared to walk a somewhat steep hillside.

Joyce and Ed Doty's love for plants and art spans the 240 acres here and includes many different gardens, a hardwood plantation, an ahupuaa (a Hawaiian land division), a re-created Navajo compound, an Athabascan village, a Japanese teahouse, a hedge maze, a waterfall, and access to a sandy beach. Throughout the grounds are more than 200 bronze sculptures, one of the nation's largest collections. One popular feature is a children's garden with a 16-foot-tall Jack and the Beanstalk bronze sculpture, gecko maze, tree house, kid-size train, and, of course, a tropical jungle. Located in a residential neighborhood and hoping to maintain good neighborly relations, the nonprofit organization limits tours (guided only). Tour lengths vary from 1½ to 5 hours. Reservations are required.