6. Kauaʻi - Waimea Canyon

Somehow, I've come to the wrong time. I fall asleep by 9 PM and wake up at 6 AM. The kids are usually awake by 6 AM as well. René tends to sleep a bit longer. Well, that means we are on our way before 9 AM. Due to a road closure, we have to take a detour and reach the Waimea Canyon after an hour.

The Waimea Canyon on the west side of Kauaʻi is also referred to as the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific.” This massive gorge stretches over 22 kilometers long, 1.6 kilometers wide, and is more than 1,000 meters deep. It captivates with its bright red and brown rock walls, contrasting with dense green rainforests. At first, we admire the canyon in its splendor and notice a striking resemblance to the Grand Canyon.
A few kilometers later, we park our car and begin our hike to the Waipo’o Falls. We break a sweat because the constant steep ups and downs of the trail demand a lot from us. However, the path is manageable with our hiking boots and poles. Occasionally, we stop at the rim of the canyon to gaze at the beautiful nature.
The Waimea Canyon was formed millions of years ago when a part of the central shield volcano of Kauaʻi collapsed, leaving a deep rift. Over time, the water-rich Waimea River, fed by the extreme rainfalls of Mount Waiʻaleʻale, cut deeply into the volcanic rock like a knife. The iron in the basalt oxidized in the tropical climate, giving the deep gorges their characteristic bright red color.
The last meters are steep downhill to the Waipo’o Falls. It is a gigantic, two-tiered waterfall that spectacularly plunges 240 meters deep into the Waimea Canyon. We find ourselves at the upper part, which is 25 meters high and ends in a pool. Some tourists are swimming there. Due to the bacteria in the water, we forgo this pleasure. From this vantage point, we can only guess the larger second part of the waterfall. We can see the edge of the drop but not the actual waterfall. Now, it’s time for us to head uphill again. At the rim, we enjoy our lunch and then walk back through the rainforest. It is pleasantly cool compared to the edge of the canyon.
The last meters go uphill again, and after a total of 2.5 hours, 6 kilometers, and 200 meters of elevation gain, we reach our car.
Next to the Waimea Canyon State Park lies the Kōkeʻe State Park. The park has an exceptional location as a high-altitude, cool rainforest paradise, situated at an elevation of 975 to 1,280 meters. Its unique feature is the view into the Na Pali valleys.
We drive to the end of the park road and gaze 1,200 meters down into the sharply carved, deep green Kalalau Valley and directly at the Pacific Ocean – a view that can usually only be seen from a helicopter. Unfortunately, we lack the time and energy for another hike, as the park is home to the Alakaʻi Swamp, the highest elevated bog in the world.
Now we drive back and stop at two viewpoints. In Waimea, a town on the coast, we try Shave Ice. Unlike regular crushed ice, this ice is shaved very thin, making it fluffy like powdered snow and perfectly soak up tropical syrups like mango and lilikoʻi. Topped with a hidden scoop of vanilla ice cream at the bottom. We choose three different kinds of ice. It’s delicious and very refreshing. But it's also expensive; we pay 22 Euros for three ices.
Then we head to Popui. We take the time for a swim in the sea and snorkel in the shallow water. Here, too, there are many colorful fish. One quickly loses track of time as the underwater world is so fascinating. Then we let our evening wind down.