Kauai: Off the Beaten Path

Some of Hawai'i's best-kept secrets can be found on Kaua'i. It's not uncommon for visitors to discover hidden beaches, some lacking so much as a footprint, along the coastline. Mahaulepu Beach, the site where George C. Scott portrayed Ernest Hemingway in the movie "Islands in the Stream," is a two-mile strand of white sand along a reef-protected shoreline in Poipu.

Pakala Beach, in Waimea, is surrounded by trees and lush tropical vegetation, and is a favorite spot for local surfers. It's also one of the best places to enjoy a beautiful Hawaiian sunset. Donkey's Beach in Wailua-Kapa'a is another favorite hideaway. Larsen's Beach on the North Shore seems to extend forever through a secluded area of rolling hills and grassland. Tucked away in a small cove, Kahili Beach, also on the North Shore, is bordered by tree-covered hills and a rock quarry. Wailua Golf Course Beach on Kaua'i's eastern coast is one of the island's prettiest beaches that extends for several miles to Wailua. Secret Beach, or Kauapea Beach, on the North Shore, is an ideal spot for birdwatching and swimming.

Hiking can be one of the best ways to tour Kaua'i; the optimum trails are found in the Napali Coast and Waimea Canyon/Koke'e regions.

Koke'e State Park offers about 45 miles of the state's finest hiking trails. The Alakai Swamp Trail passes through bogs and rain forests to the Kilohana Lookout above Hanalei Bay. Po'omau Canyon Lookout Trail heads through a native rain forest and a series of Japanese sugi trees. Awa'awapuhi Trail leads through a forest to a vista (2,500 feet high), that overlooks cliffs and the ocean. Halemanu Trail offers stunning views of the Napali Coast including Honopu Valley and the Valley of the Lost Tribe. Hikers on the Iliau Nature Loop will catch a glimpse of many endemic plant species. The Nature Trail begins at Koke'e Museum and passes through a koa forest.

Kalalau, one of the finest trails in Hawai'i, is an 11-mile adventure along the rugged Napali Coast. This historic Hawaiian trail descends into dense rain forests and climbs along dramatic cliffs. Streams and mountain pools provide refreshing swimming holes, while wild orchids, guavas, kukui nuts, mangos and mountain apples grow in abundance. One of the best places to birdwatch is on Kaua'i. At the Kilauea National Wildlife Refuge, you'll see boobies, tropic birds, albatrosses and frigate birds that nest in the cliffs. As you stand along this rocky peninsula with its spectacular views of the northern coast all the way to Hanalei, you might also spot Hawaiian monk seals, green sea turtles, whales and dolphins. The Hawaiian duck, Hawaiian stilt and endangered Hawaiian gallinule call the 917-acre Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge home.

At Koke'e State Park, you'll see tiny, colorful, endemic Hawaiian forest birds in shades of green, yellow, red and orange. These include the apapane, 'iwi, makihi, anianiau, elepaiao and moa.

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5/07