The North / East Coast of Kaua'i

When I go for a run in Lydgate Parc after sunrise today, the sky is quite cloudy, the sea restless with high, angry roaring waves. But when we later drive to have breakfast, the world already looks much friendlier and the sun shines happily and undisturbed by any clouds.

We drive north on Kuhio Highway. Our first stop is at Kilauea Lighthouse. The pretty little lighthouse stands on a small rocky promontory at the end of a bay. You can't drive directly there because today, Sunday, the associated nature park is closed. But you have a wonderful view of the bay and the sea from the parking lot, where dolphins, whales, monk seals, and turtles frolic and can probably be seen with some luck and patience. The seabirds nest on the cliff opposite the lighthouse, you can watch them in their flight maneuvers.

We continue driving past the modern, touristy Princeville, which doesn't interest us. Behind Princeville, the real Hawaii begins, the road becomes narrower, curvier, and the tourists much less.

It is a fantastically beautiful landscape, lovely and dangerous at the same time. A highlight on Kaua'i!

The waves on the many dream beaches get stronger and higher! We sit on Hanalei Beach and watch the waves. Swimming is not recommended here in the winter months, there are only a few small sections that are protected by natural reefs. In some places, the shore breaks come from the front and from the side, and when they happen to collide, there are real spray fountains.

Hanalei itself is a pretty little town, or as the waitress in the restaurant where we stop for lunch said, "the end of the world". There are many dream cottages here, many of them are also for sale. With the necessary money, you can fulfill your dream of a beach house at Sotherby's!

Otherwise, the region is firmly in the hands of the locals. Families flock to the beaches, everything is quite relaxed. In the hinterland along the highway, you can see many plantations with fruit (oranges, coconuts, mangoes, papayas) and ranches where cows, horses, and pigs live what seems to be a happy life on large, juicy pastures. In the background, the mountains rise steeply and unrealistically, on the seaside, the beach and rocky coast alternate.

We continue driving along the small winding road to the end of the road. Here the Napali Coast State Park begins. From now on, you can only continue on foot (in dry weather with the right equipment and enough hiking and climbing experience) or by boat. In the summer, there are kayak tours that lead to the dream beaches on the west coast. Only for experienced paddlers, in winter this is not possible due to the high waves. The Napali Coast is still a real nature refuge, which makes it even more attractive. Unfortunately, we don't have the opportunity to explore this as it takes a lot of time and it's best to join a guided group.

At the end of the road, there is a water-filled cave, the Maninholo Dry Cave. Currently, it can only be visited from the outside as various rockfalls affect the road and the cave entrance. But we can still visit a dry cave, the Waikapaleé Wet Cave. Despite the wide and large entrance at the front, it is pitch dark and a bit eerie in the back. Stones are piled up into a wall at the entrance, a sacred place for the locals.

We take a little coffee break in Hanalei, discover a great store that sells local and very high-quality handicrafts. Unfortunately, everything is too big for the suitcase and also - according to the quality - not cheap. But beautiful to look at!

On the way back, we want to swim at Anahola Beach, which we eventually find after a small detour on a muddy and slippery road that we have to drive back in reverse. Unfortunately, it suddenly starts to cloud over and rain. Not a lot, but too much to lie on the beach. So back to the hotel, it's almost evening :-)