On your first couple days on the island, stop at this small but interesting tribute to Kaua’i’s rich history. The building itself is a relic from 1924 that served as the main public library until 1970, when Juliet Wichman created the museum. With only two buildings and a friendly staff (who offer free guided tours with the price of admission at...

Shorebirds migrate through Kaua’i each year, creating a spectacle for bird lovers. The most dramatic (and educational) place to see shearwaters, red-footed boobies, nenes, great frigates, and the great Laysan albatross is Kilauea Point. Just the walk out to the windswept point, passing cliffs housing mating birds swooping into the brilliant sea is enough for most visitors. However, it is...

This 1000-acre garden and preserve, which is part of the National Tropical Botanical Garden, honors the biological and cultural history of ancient Hawaii. The garden blankets a tropical valley overlooking Hanalei Bay on the North Shore. Guests can either take a 2.5 hour guided tour (well worth the money), or a 1.5-hour self-guided tour (the garden offers an informational pamphlet to...

As if on demand, water shoots through an emerged lava tube 25-60 feet into the air (depending on surf conditions—high tide is best), creating a sound like a large groan right before it spouts. Spouting Horn was created by waves that cut through soft lava rock layers to make a hole in the harder layer. Today you can see where...