Your 24-Hour Kauaʻi Itinerary
Spend the day visiting turquoise beaches and supporting local businesses.
7 a.m.
Head to Kaua‘i Bakery to grab some deep-fried sugar-coated malasadas. The place has been an island favorite since the mid-1980s and its malasadas were voted the best around in HAWAI‘I Magazine’s 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards.
8 a.m.
You’re on a tropical island. What better way to start your day than by spending the morning on the beach? Kalapakī Beach in Līhu‘e is a great choice, whether you want to bring a book or go for a swim.
9:30 a.m.
Photo: Getty Images/
maximkabb
Time to take a drive along the 19-mile Holo Holo Kōloa Scenic Byway, which highlights about 40 historic, cultural, recreational, scenic, archaeological and natural points of interest (like the tree tunnel on Maluhia Road above) along the island’s south shore. If you get thirsty along the way, visit Kaua‘i Juice Co. in the Po‘ipū Shopping Village to hydrate yourself with some kombucha, juice or nut milks.
10:30 a.m.
Walk around Warehouse 3540 (closed Sundays), where a mix of small creatives, makers and entrepreneurs sell their goods.
Noon
Grab lunch at Kaua‘i Poke Co. which operates out of a bright orange food truck right outside the warehouse. It also serves plate lunches and vegetarian/vegan bowls if you’re not into raw fish.
1:30 p.m.
Photo: Getty Images/kitz-travellers
Lounge on Salt Pond Beach in Hanapēpē and don’t forget to check out the mural on the main pavilion. The mural was painted at the end of 2020 and depicts the origins of Hanapēpē’s salt beds.
3:30pm
Check out the shops and galleries in Hanapēpē Town.
4:30 p.m.
Photo: Getty Images/BackyardProduction
Visit Hanapēpē’s famous Swinging Bridge, located behind Aloha Spice Co. This historic, narrow suspension bridge is mainly used by residents to cross the Hanapēpē River. It’s not an adventurous excursion, but it is a good place for a photo op.
5 p.m.
Feast on some fried saimin for an early dinner at MCS Grill (closed Saturdays and Sundays). Other local favorites there include loco moco, hamburger steak and mahimahi.
6:30 p.m.
Watch the sunset at Kekaha Beach Park. Locals like this long, sandy beach for fishing and surfing.
This story was published in our September/October 2021 digital issue. Read it here.
