North Shore of Kauai, Hawaii

The oldest, northernmost island of Hawaii, Kauai's 550 square miles will seize your attention as you fly into the island. Air travel is the only way to reach this secluded Eden. North Shore of Kauai, Hawaii, is not only bountiful with cinematic scenery, but things to do to make this part of Kauai as active and leisurely a vacation as you could wish.
At the most northern point of Hawaii and Kauai lies the 52-foot Kilauea lighthouse. Built in 1913, it guided travelers to the Orient. Its beam once could light 90 miles out to sea. The lighthouse has no longer been in service since 1976.
Following the West Side north to the Na Pali Coast, cliffs rise near 4,000 feet. This region is believed to be where the first inhabitants came to Kauai. It is also believed that spirits play tricks on hikers and those who travel through. Ke ahu a laka Heiau is a sacred site; on a boulder, there was chanting and advance training in hula dancing. To this day, students still come here to test their schools. In Hanalei, Makana Peak had a sacred ritual once, where the ancients would throw burning spears into the wind to sail across the sky, eventually landing in the ocean.
Be sure to see the Waioli Mission House. Built from coral limestone in 1831, the mission house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its chimney was put in place by Reverend William Alexander, the first missionary on Kauai. Hanalei Valley Lookout views an expanse of one mile wide and six miles long. Most of Hawaii's taro is grown here. There's a charming story with Hanalei Valley: when a brightly colored piece of kapa cloth was dropped into a pool below the Namolokama Falls, its colors arched up in the mist, and from the bluffs beyond Hanalei valley, the rainbow came to Hawaii.
For the cinema buff, you just may recognize North Shore sights from different movies. Lumahai Beach will forever be remembered in the movie "South Pacific". Mitzi Gaynor said her famous line here: "She washed that man right out of her hair". The jungle of Honopu Valley, thought to be the last home of the Menehune, is referred to as the "The Valley of the Lost Tribe", yet you may have seen it in the 1976 remake of "King Kong" and the Harrison Ford film, "6 Days, 7 Nights". The TV mini-series, "The Thorn Birds," was shot on Kee Beach. Hanalei may also ring a bell as a lyric to the song "Puff The Magic Dragon".
But the cinema experience of these scenes doesn't do justice to North Shore of Kauai, Hawaii. You must witness and feel the Kauai experience yourself. North Shore terrain has its beaches and its rocky cliffs. So if you are looking for a spot in the sand or the high crashing of waves, you will see both. Hanalei Bay, a crescent beach, great for walking, swimming, and frisbee, has one rocky and one calm side. Princeville has three beaches: Pu'u Poa, Kenomene Beach, and Kaweonui Beach; each is swim and snorkel-worthy, but there are rocky areas that, though you can't swim, have that angry-sea beauty to behold.
Kee Beach and Anini Beach do not have the harder elements. Your body is the only solid clear blue waters will lap up against on these exquisite shores. For the adventurer, there are caves in North Shore to climb into. 300 yards deep, Maniniholo Dry Cave exits out a small hole. In 1957, a tsunami filled what was once much deeper of a cave. Waikanaloa and Waikapalae Wet Caves are reached only by scuba diving. If you are daring, these caves are among details of North Shore that'll thrill you.
Should you desire the quieter side of the island, with less access but not less wonder, vacation at North Shore. Traveling by car, boat, or helicopter gets you around, and hiking and biking give it that human touch.
Many activities on North Shore are the same as the rest of Kauai. And Kauai itself has the activities dreams are made of: swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, wind surfing, surfing, horseback riding, whale watching, golfing, tennis playing, kayaking, camping, fishing, ATV riding, and basking in the golden sun on the golden sands. Even though you have so many regions on Kauai to go to, North Shore should be one of them; you might have to stay longer, but you'll most likely feel you never want to leave.