Kauai is a volcanic island in the Hawaiian archipelago, located 169 km northwest of Oahu. Most of its territory is covered with tropical rainforests, inhabited by unusual birds and endemic animals. A wide variety of landscapes are represented by fertile river valleys, jungles, desert plateaus, sand dunes, long beaches and farmland.
Tourists in Kauai are attracted primarily by the first-class beach experience, visits to unspoiled areas and exploration of breathtaking underwater landscapes.
The main attractions of the island are numerous unique natural sites, which will be interesting for any traveler to see. As experienced travelers 2yachts note, Kauai is famous for its golden beaches scattered along the coast with beautiful cliffs, secluded bays, picturesque valleys and waterfalls. With landscapes of fantastic beauty, dozens of Hollywood films have been filmed on the island.
Top attractions in Kauai:
Kauai is the world's largest ecotourism center, and the local golf courses are veritable works of landscape art. In the dense forests that cover a large part of the island, you can see many endemic plants, rare birds and insects. The island is also ideal for active recreation and water activities.
To the delight of visitors to Kauai, there are beaches for every taste, for example, favored by the servers of Kuahuna, Anini, which is very popular among snorkelers and divers, or the nudist Secret Beach. The best beaches are mostly located in the south of the island, such as the sandy beach of Mahaulepu, famous for its caves with ancient petroglyphs (good for snorkelers and experienced swimmers), the rocky beach of Shiprak Beach, well suited for snorkeling and diving , the popular Poipu Beach Park with swimming and surfing areas.
Poipu Beach welcomes tourists with chic hotels, restaurants, golf courses and tennis courts. From Shiprak Beach, the Mahaulepu Heritage Trail begins, a hiking trail that allows you to explore the coastline. There are many interesting natural sites to explore along the coast of Mahaulepu, such as isolated coves, lava tubes, etc. At Tunnel's Beach, visitors can swim from the inside of the reef among the many tropical fish and green sea turtles.
Polyhale Beach (the longest in Hawaii) is located next to a state park and provides whale watching for tourists. In addition, you can pitch a tent in the park to spend the night. Whale and dolphin watching excursions depart from the beach from Poipu Beach.
The equipped sandy beach of Ganaley Bay, located in the bay of the same name, is very popular among surfers around the world. The peaceful atmosphere attracts lovers of secluded relaxation to the uncrowded beach; there are several water sports centers on the coast, as well as beach equipment rentals. Thanks to the picturesque landscapes surrounding the beach, beach activities can be combined with hiking in interesting places. An equipped picnic area, sports grounds and restaurants are available here.
The amazing Gonopu Beach on the northwest coast is one of the most difficult to access - it is surrounded by high cliffs, and it is impossible to get here by land. The rocks are unusually colored due to mineral deposits and dense vegetation. There is also a picturesque waterfall falling from one of the rocks.
Kapaa, the largest village, has the largest number of restaurants, shopping centers and hotels on the island. The Hanapepe settlement in the south of the island offers travelers many art galleries and souvenir shops.
The island has mixed culinary traditions of different nations of the world. Those interested can always find a suitable place to eat burgers or pizza, as well as order other typical European or Asian dishes. However, in order to get a closer look at the culture of Kauai, it is worth exploring the wide variety of local cuisine on offer.
One of the types of dishes brought to the island by travelers and subsequently adapted by local chefs is manapua (rice flour pies native to Asia with a wide variety of fillings). Another popular dish on the island is spam musubi, or Hawaiian pickled ham sandwich. Travelers will be interested to try loco-moco, served in the form of a pyramid with a base of boiled rice, on top of which is put a beef cutlet and fried eggs from one egg.
There is also a great variety of seafood dishes, the local chefs are especially good at cooking ahi (Hawaiians call tuna as such), it is often eaten raw. But the locals consider the tender meat of mihamakha, a representative of the dolphin genus, to be the most delicious of all types of fish.
Drinking food is best with coffee or tea, tea should be selected with additives from exotic fruits. Among the spirits at the peak of popularity are a variety of cocktails with tropical fruit juices, as well as local wine.
Note that Kauai has very fertile volcanic soils, which made it possible for the development of farming. Bananas, pineapples, mangoes, coffee, guava, avocados, kava peppers, etc. are grown here. For over a century, the island has been used as a sugarcane plantation, most of which is now used for livestock production. The Kauai Coffee Company is the largest coffee business in Hawaii.
Since the island has a large number of interesting natural attractions, hiking, cycling and off-roading trips are very popular here. Travelers may also like a helicopter tour - this type of entertainment has recently been offered by more local travel companies. The aerial views of the island are indeed very beautiful, and sometimes pilots will land the helicopter in small areas in the center of the island to allow tourists to see nearby attractions or swim in the cool waterfall.
Lovers of long hikes can be advised to go on foot along the Kalalau trail, the length of this route is more than 18 km. But keep in mind that access to the main section of the trail will require a special permit, without it you can only walk a short section of 9 km. You can choose which of the sections to make your route, but there is no doubt that you should definitely not refuse to walk through the places where the film "Jurassic Park" was filmed.
It is also worth taking a walk along one of the many trails that run through the picturesque Waimea Canyon and nearby nature reserves. Nearby is the Kalalau Viewpoint, from which you can observe magnificent views of the Kalalau Valley and the ocean coast.
You can watch various birds, including rare species, in the territory of the Kilauea National Nature Reserve. Here you will have the opportunity to see dolphins and monk seals.
In Kauai, you can devote your free time to a variety of entertainment. Popular among them are horseback riding and kayaking, deep sea fishing, skydiving, light aircraft flying, windsurfing, surfing, water skiing, etc. Diving and snorkeling are also popular due to the wealth of underwater life in the waters around the island. And you can join the culture of the islanders and taste the fried pig Kalua Pua'a on the ocean shore by going to a traditional Hawaiian luau party in the evening.
As you travel through Kauai and other islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, you will be able to see many places of interest and attractions, relax on famous beaches, experience the rich history and culture of the islanders, and taste traditional Hawaiian cuisine.
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