Little Beach

Kapaʻa

　　Those folks with the coolers and umbrellas, walking north from the sandy entrance to Big Beach? They’re heading to Little Beach, which is part of Makena State Park. Also known as Puʻu Olaʻi Beach, this cozy strand is au naturel. Nudity is officially illegal, though enforcement is at the political...

Makapu‘u Point Lighthouse

Kapaʻa

　　Oʻahu's easternmost point was the landfall for all ships from the American west coast to Honolulu. The lighthouse dates to 1909, when it was finally built after two decades of petitioning and planning. The 46ft white cylindrical tower sports a red lantern roof and is still an active aid to...

Kauai Coffee Company

Kapaʻa

　　With more than 4 million trees planted on former sugar fields, Hawaii’s largest coffee estate produces around 60% of the state’s entire crop. In the company store, visitors can glimpse the roasting process, inspect historical photos and sample estate-grown coffees (which don’t enjoy a particularly high reputation among connoisseurs). Follow...

Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park

Kapaʻa

　　Just north of Honokohau Harbor, on the ocean side of Hwy 19, this 1160-acre national park may be the Kona Coast's most underappreciated ancient Hawaiian site. Hidden among lava fields lies evidence of the innovations that allowed Hawaiians to thrive in this hostile landscape: fish traps, lava planters used to...

Kaʻu Coffee Mill

Kapaʻa

　　This down-to-earth, someday-to-be hydro-powered coffee farm roasts its own award-winning beans – the wonderful aroma floors you – which some connoisseurs rate as highly as Kona coffee. Taste a variety of brews at the gift shop located on-site in a sea of verdant hills. Free, informative coffee tours at 10am,...

Waialua Sugar Mill

Kapaʻa

　　The sugar mill that was the heart of the town for over a century until it closed in 1996 has been redeveloped to house a number of shops and businesses. Waialua was home to one of the largest sugar plantations in Hawaii. Thousands of people from China, Japan, Korea, Portugal...

Lapakahi State Historical Park

Kapaʻa

　　This park was a remote fishing village 600 years ago. An unshaded, 1-mile loop trail traverses the 262-acre grounds, passing the remains of stone walls, house sites, canoe sheds and fishing shrines. Visitors can try their hand at Hawaiian games, with game pieces and instructions laid out for ʻoʻo ihe...

Isaac Hale Beach Park

Kapaʻa

　　This rocky beach park was the local surf spot serving all of the greater Puna area, but where once flowed ocean peppered with local talent battling over one of the island's top breaks now sits a dramatic black-sand beach courtesy of the 2018 lower Puna eruption. While waters are generally...

Lava Tree State Monument

Kapaʻa

　　An easy 0.6-mile paved loop takes you past ancient ‘lava trees,’ created in 1790 when pahoehoe (smooth-flowing lava) from Kilauea’s East Rift Zone enveloped moisture-laden ohia before receding, leaving towering impressions of the destroyed tree trunks. The impressive canopy of non-native albizia trees formerly growing here amplified the destruction of...

Sheraton Maui

Kapaʻa

　　This sleek resort bumps against the striking Puʻu Kekaʻa at the northern end of the Kaʻanapali Beach Walk. Selling points include the sunset cliff dive, whale-watching from the rooms and snorkeling beside green turtles, but the aloha spirit here can be surprisingly disappointing for the price point. It recently underwent...

Kukaniloko Birthstone State Monument

Kapaʻa

　　One of the most important ancient sites on the island, Kukaniloko Birthstone State Monument is located in a 5-acre field just north of Wahiawa township, on the western side of the Kamehameha Hwy. Wahiawa is considered the piko (navel) of Oʻahu. The 180 lava-rock stones that make up the monument,...

Puako Petroglyph Preserve

Kapaʻa

　　With more than 3000 petroglyphs that date back as far as the 16th century, this preserve is among the largest collections of ancient lava carvings in Hawaii. Scratched into the stone are thousands of stark depictions of chiefs, families, boats, animals, and other symbols that reflect the daily life and...

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument

Kapaʻa

　　The largest contiguous fully protected conservation in the US, this marine reserve is home to over 7000 species and 14 million seabirds. It covers 139,797 sq miles off the coasts of Hawaii. ...

Makena State Park

Kapaʻa

　　Makena State Park should be high on every traveler’s itinerary. Its crowning glory, Big Beach, is the scene that people conjure up when they dream of a Hawaiian beach – beautiful and expansive, with virtually no development on the horizon. Although it's a state park, Makena remains pretty much as...

Mokupapapa Discovery Center

Kapaʻa

　　Geared for kids, this center aims to educate the public about pristine Hawaiian ecosystems. Even adults might not know that the Hawaiian archipelago extends far beyond the eight main islands to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, a long chain of uninhabited islets and atolls containing the healthiest coral reefs in the...

Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Visitor Center

Kapaʻa

　　Touristy, no doubt. But mac nut fans might enjoy glimpses of Mauna Loa's plantation and working factory. From windows above, watch the prized mac nut move along the assembly line from cracking and roasting to chocolate dipping and packaging. Gift shop, which sells packaged nuts at decent prices, is open...

Island X Hawaii

Kapaʻa

　　In the rambling warehouse building at the far end of the parking lot of the old Waialua Sugar Mill, Island X has all sorts of good stuff to interest visitors. Try locally made Waialua coffee, plus there's local chocolate, shave ice and all sorts of Hawaiiana for sale. The Waialua...

Waikoloa Petroglyph Preserve

Kapaʻa

　　This collection of petroglyphs carved in lava rock is so easy to access that it merits a stop, although the Puako Petroglyph Preserve further north is more spectacular and doesn't abut a shopping mall. Many petroglyphs date to the 16th century; some are graphic (humans, birds, canoes) and others cryptic...

Koloa Rum Company

Kapaʻa

　　Kauaʻi's own rum label is a relatively new brand, which means it doesn't have a fine aged rum yet, but its dark and spiced versions win awards. Learn how to mix a classic mai tai during a free rum tasting, starting every 30 minutes daily. Combine cocktails and rum tasting...

Kahua Ranch

Kapaʻa

　　Looking for a down-home country barbecue on a gorgeous piece of sloping pasture with wide-open views? Busloads of lei-wearing tourists join the Richards family of Kahua Ranch for a hearty buffet of meat and beer, followed by country music, line dancing, s'mores over the campfire and a performing pig. The...

Puakea Ranch

Kapaʻa

　　Live the paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) dream in one of four meticulously restored cottages. Ranging from two to six bedrooms, each cottage enjoys its own bucolic grounds and includes kitchen, laundry facilities and detached bathhouse with Japanese-style furo hot tub. Striking the right balance of luxury and authenticity, Puakea Ranch is...

USS Arizona Memorial

Kapaʻa

　　This somber memorial is one of the USA's most significant WWII sites, commemorating the Pearl Harbor attack and its fallen service members with an iconic offshore monument reachable by boat. 　　The memorial was built over the midsection of the sunken USS Arizona, with deliberate geometry to represent initial defeat, ultimate...

Mauna Kea's Summit Area

Kapaʻa

　　At 13,796ft in the air, you are above 40% of the atmosphere and 90% of its water vapor – apparently perfect conditions for growing the giant mushroom-like observatories that have popped up around the summit. Glistening in the sun against the desolate terrain like a human colony on an alien...

Piʻilanihale Heiau & Kahanu Garden

Kapaʻa

　　Probably the most significant stop on the entire Road to Hana, this site combines a 294-acre ethnobotanical garden with the magnificent Piʻilanihale Heiau, the largest temple in all of Polynesia. A must-do tour provides fascinating details of the extraordinary relationship between the ancient Hawaiians and their environment. This is perhaps...

Spitting Cave

Kapaʻa

　　This impressive, little-known viewpoint is at the end of Lumahai St in Portlock, makai (toward the sea) from the traffic lights at the Koko Marina Center. It's a tad hard to find but well worth the effort for the spectacular views, the pounding surf on layered volcanic rock and an...

Stones of Life of Kapaemahu and Kapuni

Kapaʻa

　　Near the police substation at Waikiki Beach Center, four ordinary-looking volcanic basalt boulders are actually sacred and legendary Hawaiian symbols. They are said to contain the mana (spiritual essence) of four māhū (individuals who were both male and female in mind, body and spirit) healers who came to Oʻahu from...

Shangri La

Kapaʻa

　　In the shadow of Diamond Head, the former mansion of billionaire tobacco heiress Doris Duke is a sight to behold for art-lovers and celebrity hounds. Shangri La is a treasure house of antique Islamic art, including ceramic-tile mosaics, carved wooden screens, silk tapestries and glazed paintings, all embraced by meditative...

Kilauea

Kapaʻa

　　Kilauea volcano lies at the center of activity in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. The unassuming bump on Mauna Loa's southeast flank would be easily overlooked if not for its massive steaming crater and crater-within-a-crater, Halemaʻumaʻu, which has spewed lava nearly continuously over the last 25 years. 　　Researchers initially thought Kilauea...

Hanalei Bay

Kapaʻa

　　Hanalei Bay is Kauaʻi's postcard-perfect beach, embracing surfers, paddlers, bodyboarders and beach bums alike. It's a perfect crescent of golden sand lining the two-mile stretch of the beautiful bay, running west from the mouth of the Hanalei River. It’s divided into four named sections, though as you enjoy a beachfront...