Kauai’s Coconut Coast Guide: Kapaa, Wailua and Lihue
Heads up: this guide contains affiliate links, marked as booking links. If you book through them, Kauai Playbook may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only point to things we’d book ourselves. Read our Affiliate Disclosure.
The Coconut Coast runs from Lihue up through Wailua and Kapaa. It doesn’t get the postcard fame of Hanalei or Poipu, but it’s the most practical base on the island: central, cheaper, and full of food trucks, shave ice and easy beaches. It also sat outside the worst of Hurricane Lowell.
Wailua: River, Falls and Royal History
- Wailua River: Hawaii’s only navigable river. Right now (Oct 2026), kayaking the river is allowed, but hiking past the trailhead is prohibited and Uluwehi (Secret) Falls is closed. Individual kayakers can’t land at Fern Grotto; Smith’s riverboat tour can. So for now, think “paddle the river,” not “hike to the falls.”
- Smith’s Motor Boat Tour to Fern Grotto: an easy, classic outing, good for grandparents and kids. It’s running as usual, along with Smith’s Garden Luau (Smith’s).
- Wailua Falls: an 80-foot double waterfall seen from a roadside lookout at the end of Maalo Road. Do not climb down; people have died on the unofficial trail. The lookout is open.
- Opaekaa Falls lookout, plus the heiau (sacred sites) along the river. Please treat them with respect. Check the DLNR notices page for current access.
Smith Family Garden Luau (Wailua)
Our favorite luau for families: Smith’s has been run by the same family on 30 acres of gardens along the Wailua River for decades: shell lei greeting, a tram tour of the gardens, the imu ceremony (unearthing the kalua pig), a buffet and an evening show. Reservations are required and it often sells out weeks ahead.
When
Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri in Sept-Oct; Mon, Wed, Fri Nov-Jan; Mon-Fri in summer. Check-in 5 p.m. (4:45 p.m. Nov-Feb).
Price
Adults $150, ages 7-13 $45, ages 3-6 $35. Show only: $30 adult, $15 child. Plus state park fees: $5 per person and $10 per car.
Where
3-5971 Kuhio Hwy, Wailua (at the Wailua River Marina). Call 808-821-6895.
Kapaa
- Old Kapaa Town: tons of shops, galleries and food trucks along Kuhio Highway. If someone in your party wants a leisurely afternoon of shopping, this is the place. Many shops reopened right after the storm.
- Ke Ala Hele Makalae coastal path: a flat, paved, oceanfront path north of Kapaa. Rent a bike in town and ride toward Donkey Beach.
- Sleeping Giant (Nounou) trail: a popular sunrise hike, closed right now with other DLNR trails.
Beaches
- Lydgate Beach Park: rock-walled ocean pools, the safest swimming for kids on the east side, plus the huge Kamalani playground. Lifeguarded.
- Kealia Beach: bodyboarding, with a lifeguard. Strong currents when the surf is up.
- Kalapaki Beach (Lihue): a calm bay in front of the Royal Sonesta, and a good beginner surf lesson spot.
Lihue: the County Seat
Lihue is Kauai’s county seat and its practical hub: the airport, the harbor, the big stores and the hospital are all here.
- Kauai Museum (4428 Rice St.): Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Sat 9 a.m.-2 p.m., closed Sun. $15 adults, $12 seniors, $10 ages 8-17, free 7 and under. Free docent tours Mon, Wed, Fri at 10 a.m. Plan 1-2 hours; great on a rainy day (Kauai Museum).
- Sunset drinks at Duke’s Kauai on Kalapaki Beach: the open-air Barefoot Bar, live music and the famous Hula Pie. Mon-Sat 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Sun 9 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; reservations recommended for the dining room (Duke’s).
- The Royal Sonesta Kauai Resort Lihue (the former Kauai Marriott): a cool hotel to walk around even if you’re not staying, five minutes from the airport. Next door at Hokuala is the Ocean Course at Hokuala, a Jack Nicklaus Signature course with the longest run of oceanfront holes in Hawaii. It’s open (Hokuala).
- Hamura Saimin: an island institution for noodles and lilikoi pie.
- Hospital: Wilcox Medical Center in Lihue is the island’s main hospital, with a 24-hour emergency room.
Helicopter Tours from Lihue
Lihue Airport is the main base for helicopter tours, and this is the way to see Na Pali, Waimea Canyon and the waterfalls of Mount Waialeale in one hour. Operators confirmed flying in October 2026: Blue Hawaiian, Island Helicopters, Safari Helicopters (limited flight times) and Air Kauai. Book a morning flight for the clearest skies, and confirm the day before.
Stocking Up
- Costco Lihue (4300 Nuhou St.): bulk groceries and the island’s cheapest gas, members only.
- Safeway Lihue (4454 Nuhou St.), open 24 hours, and Safeway Kapaa.
- Target (Kukui Grove, 4303 Nawiliwili Rd.), 8 a.m.-10 p.m.
- Walmart Lihue for beach gear, snorkels and coolers.
- Kukui Grove Center: the island’s main mall, some hours modified after the storm.
Where to Stay on the East Side
Splurge
Timbers Kauai at Hokuala (Lihue): big residences on the Nicklaus course.
Resort
The Royal Sonesta Kauai Resort Lihue on Kalapaki Beach (fully open). Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort (Kapaa), reopened Sept. 19.
Mid-range and value
Hilton Garden Inn Kauai Wailua Bay (open). Kauai Shores Hotel (open). Condos along the Kapaa bike path.
Insider tip from Guy: Kauai only allows short-term vacation rentals (under 180 days) in its designated Visitor Destination Areas (VDAs), like Princeville, Poipu, Kapaa/Wailua and Lihue’s resort areas. Outside those areas, only a limited number of grandfathered rentals with a county permit are legal. So if a place looks off the beaten path, make sure it’s a legal, permitted vacation rental: look for its TVR or TVNC permit number in the listing (the county requires it in every ad) and check it against the county’s list of approved vacation rentals. Don’t book a long-term home someone is renting out by the week illegally. It can get shut down mid-trip, and you could get in trouble.
Ocean Safety, the Non-negotiables
- When in doubt, don’t go out. Kauai has strong currents, sudden big sets and steep shorebreak. Most visitor drownings happen on calm-looking days.
- Swim at lifeguarded beaches. On Kauai that means Lydgate, Kealia, Anahola, Hanalei, Haena, Kee, Poipu, Salt Pond (closed right now) and Kekaha, per the Hawaii Ocean Safety list. Guards are usually on duty 8 a.m.-6 p.m..
- Never turn your back on the ocean, and stay off wet rocks and ledges.
- Winter (roughly Oct-Apr) brings big north swells. North Shore beaches that are glassy in summer can be deadly in winter. Summer brings south swells to Poipu.
- Give wildlife room. Federal guidance asks for at least 10 feet from sea turtles and 50 feet from Hawaiian monk seals (150 feet from a mom and pup). Never touch either.
- If the water is brown, turn around. After heavy rain the Department of Health posts brown water advisories; one was still up at Poipu Beach Pavilion in mid-October 2026.
- Use mineral sunscreen. Hawaii law bans sunscreens with oxybenzone or octinoxate.
