Hanalei Things to Do

For a town this small, Hanalei has a lot of different shops to cater to tourists. There are stores that sell cheap tourist items and others that sell quality clothes, regional art and surf wear. It is pretty easy to walk from one place to the next. They have done a nice job at converting the old school building into a place for shops and food. The historic Ching Young Village shopping center across the street isn't as spiffy, but does have a variety of shops.
My wife's favorite: Yellowfish Trading
Teenager's favorite: Hanalei Surf Company
Something different: Havaiki
Cheap stuff: Village Variety

Just east of Princeville there is a long beach with shallow waters that is great for safe swimming with kids. It's protected by a reef, that also provides for good snorkeling when the visibility is good. The long beach is great for walking too, and has good views all along the way.
The main part of the beach is called Anini Beach. At the far west end is Wyllie Beach, which can easily be reached by walking and getting your feet wet when crossing a stream channel.

Hanalei has a great little farmers market on Tuesday afternoon. Here there will be plenty of fresh fruits and produce, flowers and other items like honey. It starts at 2 pm, and you should know that there will be dozens of people waiting for it to open so they can rush for their favorite things. The day we were there we snapped up some sweet, small pineapples that disappeared within five minutes of opening time.

This is a beautiful, long golden sand beach just to the west of Hanalei. Once you are there you may recognize it from postcards you've seen, or from the movie South Pacific, where Mitzi Gaynor washed that man right out of her hair.
While the beach is great for walking and to look at, swimming conditions aren't too good; lacking a good reef, the waves are powerful and can be dangerous.

Hanalei Bay is a long crescent of sand that has easy beach access along the way. It is actually considered four beaches: Waikoko Beach, Wai'oli Beach Park, Hanali Pavilion Beach Park and Black Pot Beach. The swimming isn't the best here, but surfing is good, and near the pier there is a decent area for boogie boarding and taking surf lessons. The backdrop of the pier makes for a picturesque atmosphere and is a stop on the tour for people checking out locations from movies they have seen (South Pacific in this case). At the parks there are facilities such as picnic tables and restrooms.

This is another great picture spot and also a fishing spot. When we came here there were alot of local guys trying to catch their breakfast.
Also this is a spot for yacht racing during the summer months. In the winter months you can see some top knotch surfing in the Hanalei Bay which is the largest bay on Kauai.

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This is a nice place to stop and look at the valley. Its the look out that you can see from the main road. This used to be where they grew rice in the 1850's but now they are famous for producing taro.
The valley is beautiful and a great spot for taking pictures. Also this place serves as a US Fish and Wildlife Service perserve.

We took a sunset cruise on this sailing catamaran during our trip in September 2003. It was a great way to see the beautiful cliffs of the Na Pali Coast. Our guides were very knowledgeable and answered all of our questions related to the cliffs, formations, sea life, and Hawaiian history. Complimentary snacks (fresh sliced pineapple, cookies, bottled water, and juices) are provided. During the summer season and on our late afternoon/early evening cruise, the waters were fairly calm so sea sickness wasn't a problem. It's a bit pricey but nothing beats being out on the water in nice weather.

Tours leave from near the boat ramp at the Hanalei Beach Park. I believe you can make reservations in Hanalei at a small stand in the parking lot on the west end of the Ching Young Village near the juice wagon. Or you can make reservations on line or by giving them a call.