Go North

Shop, dine and play in Kīlauea, Princeville and Hanalei

WORDS COCO ZICKOS

Historic rainfall took a toll on Kaua‘i during the early morning hours of April 15. Friends, families, neighbors and volunteers rushed to help each other, making sure everyone was safe, especially on the North Shore. The resilient community pulled together and the majority of the island was almost immediately restored to its former glory.

Hanalei, surrounded by jade mountains and accompanied by a picturesque beach, is still as vibrant as it ever was. The charming North Shore town remains a tropical postcard with its dreamy beaches, quaint historic buildings and a host of lovely little nooks and crannies.

At the time of this writing, the only portion of the island that remains closed to visitors is on Kühiö Highway past Waiÿoli Beach Park at Hanalei Bay. This is the road that leads to Häÿena State Park, Këÿë Beach and the Kalalau Trail. Black Pot Beach Park, by the Hanalei Pier, at the eastern end of Weke Road is also closed. The majority of Hanalei Bay, however, is still safe, accessible and open for all kinds of recreation, including swimming and surfing or simply lounging in the sun.

Shopping also continues to be a favored pursuit in this wetland region. Stores and galleries are open where you can find all kinds of collectibles and one-of-a-kind trinkets, such as vintage Hawaiiana from Yellowfish Trading Co.

Good food is also an intrinsic part of this community. Bar Acuda, a local hot spot specializing in European-style tapas, is one of the several restaurants that are welcoming guests with open arms. Also open are after-hour watering holes, such as the famed Tahiti Nui, where guests can sip mai tais and listen to live music.

If you’re in town on a Saturday from 9:30am to noon, stop by the Hanalei Neighborhood Center & Ballpark, which hosts a farmers market where tropical fruits and handcrafted items flourish.

And if those aren’t reasons enough to head north, consider the trek to visit any number of other places along the way, such as the tiny town of Princeville with its gorgeous cliffside vistas overlooking the Pacific and many hidden gems. You’d probably just breeze by the Princeville Center, the one and only place to shop in this resort community, without a second glance on your way to Hanalei if you didn’t know any better, but then you’d be missing out on local keepsakes and food that hits the spot in more ways than one.

Ladies, you won’t find anything, for example, comparable to Beauty Bar Kauai on the island. This is your one-stop shop for luxury skin care products, fragrances and make-up. Plus, it’s where you’ll want to go if you have a romantic night planned or a wedding to attend, as this miniature, high-end Sephora-like shop, is a blow dry and make-up bar.

Guys, while the ladies are pampering, you might have interest in checking out Princeville Wine Market. Specialty wines and spirits from around the world are featured in this store that’s run by a professional and highly knowledgeable sommelier.

Looking for something more Kaua‘i-specific? Check out one of the art galleries at the Princeville Center like Fish Eye Kauai, which showcases underwater photography. Also, Naturally Hawaiian Gallery features artwork by Patrick Ching—a park ranger-turned-artist who brings his love of the natural world into each of his paintings.

And don’t forget about the keiki (kids). They’ll be spellbound stepping into Magic Dragon Toy & Art Supply—a tiny shop filled to the brim with all kinds of creative games, kites and trinkets. It’s conveniently located next to Lappert’s Hawaii Ice Cream & Coffee, which the whole family can enjoy after a fulfilling shopping expedition in Princeville.

This quaint town is also an excellent location for sunset viewing. The St. Regis Princeville Resort, at the end of Ka Haku Road, has an awesome bar with an outdoor seating area that gives an impeccable view of Makana Mountain (also known as Bali Hai) and overlooks the ocean in a way that is beyond comparison. The hotel, which requires valet parking, even celebrates each sunset with a Champagne sabering ritual (popping off the cork with a knife) and toast.

Golfers, Princeville touts one of the best courses on the island. Princeville Makai Golf Club has topped many golf course lists including most scenic. Besides being blown away by the views, the course, which is a Robert Trent Jones Jr. design, presents a fun challenge for the novice or experienced golfer.

Kïlauea is another charming town consisting of an ethnically diverse humble community, which had its start as a sugar cane plantation. The Kïlauea Sugar Plantation developed in the late-1800s and the town grew along with its operations as workers migrated from countries as far as Portugal and Japan.

This town was also once the location of the state’s largest guava plantation. The business closed in 2007 and landowners have since turned some of the acreage into Anaina Hou Community Park that consists of a variety of activities like an alluring path called the Wai Koa Loop Trail. The trail leads to the picturesque Stone Dam but is currently closed due to the floods. However, the fantastic Mini Golf & Gardens is still open for business and is a great activity for the whole family combining education with recreation. The gift shop here has products you might like to stash in your suitcase, and Banana Joe’s Fruitstand across the parking lot has edible goodies that will please any palate.

There are still many buildings that exist in Kïlauea that were constructed during the earlier plantation days such as the Kong Lung Historic Market Center, which now serves as the site of several local businesses like Island Soap & Candle Works where soaps like Mango Coconut Guava smell good enough to eat. Food establishments nearby are also aplenty, such as Palate Wine Bar & Restaurant with sumptuous cheese plates and specialty wine from around the world.

Two “malls” actually comprise the shopping experience here— though a third is currently under construction. If you only have enough time to make one stop, check out what kamaÿäina (Hawai‘i residents) refer to as the historic stone building. It’s where you’ll discover trendy stores like Oskar’s Boutique with locally made clothing for men and women, as well as jewelry and other adorable doodads. Take your time here because dazzling keepsakes crowd every corner.

Nearby is Hunter Gatherer, a modern store with a Zen-like vibe that you’d expect to find in cities but not on Kaua‘i. The owners’ great taste is obvious in the variety of products offered, many of which are Kaua‘i-made, like pottery, artwork and jewelry.

As you elbow your way through this pint-sized store, you might notice a delectable smell wafting your way. It’s coming from Kauai Nut Roasters next door—another great place to check out. Taste test almonds and pecans sprinkled with tropical ingredients like coconut and Kona coffee, and grab a few bags of the homemade treats to take with you.

The Daniel K. Inouye Kïlauea Lighthouse is another historic treasure that was built in the early 1900s to help maritime traffic recognize that they had reached landfall from the Far East, as this was the northernmost point in the Hawaiian Islands. Now, the lighthouse sits within the Kïlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, which was established in the 1980s to help protect Kaua‘i’s magnificent population of seabirds that nest along the cliffs Hawaiÿi’s oldest island. This is a favorite stop while visiting Kïlauea, not only because of the recently renovated lighthouse, but because hundreds of native and indigenous birds, like the ÿä (red footed booby), or the mölï (Laysan albatross), can be observed dancing in the air where spectacular scenic beauty abounds.

Don’t miss out on a trip to the North Shore, which includes Kïlauea, Princeville and, of course, heavenly Hanalei. There is still plenty to see and do in one of the world’s most gorgeous locales.