Kauai East Shore - Kapa`a & Wailua

Island of Kauai

What to see - Introduction

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Driving north on Kuhio Highway from Lihu`e will bring you to the Coconut
Coast, which is basically the windward side of the island. The area got its name from the 2,000-plus coconut trees that were planted in 1896 by
William Lindeman. The grove is now a part of the Coco Palms property. The area is the most populated on Kaua`i, with approximately 16,000 of the island’s residents.

Kauai

Starting off in Wailua, the area is steeped in ancient Hawaiian history. The remains of heiau (temples) that date back hundreds of years line the mouth of the Wailua River. The Hawaiians considered this area to be sacred. Wailua was an area for Hawaiian royalty. It was the religious center of the island. The land was so sacred that Hawaiian royals would travel here from all the islands to give birth. There were heiau built all along the river and at the river’s mouth. You can still see the remains of some of them.

Wailua River State Park (Virtual Tour)

Wailua River State Park incorporates the historical and natural sites on and around the Wailua River in eastern Kauai. Wailua River State Park is home to the royal birthing stones, as well as the ruins of a planetarium and sacrificial temples.

The area started to change dramatically in the 1950s when Coco Palms opened in Wailua. It was the first resort on Kaua`i. In the early 1960s, the King himself, Elvis Presley, came to Coco Palms to shoot scenes for Blue Hawai`i. Coconut palm trees are in abundance throughout the area.

Between Wailua and Kapa`a is a tiny town called Waipouli. Blink and you might miss it. It’s made up of mostly condominiums and townhouses. You’ll pass Coconut Marketplace, which has plenty of restaurants and shops. Up the road you’ll enter Kapa`a Town. Kapa`a was home to a sugar plantation and there was a pineapple cannery from 1913 to 1960. When the sugar and pineapple industries left Kaua`i, the area did have a new industry to turn to – tourism. Once Coco Palms was built, it helped lure people to the area. After the devastation of Hurricane Iniki in 1992, the entire east side of the island had trouble coming back to life. Kapa`a is in the middle of a renaissance as old buildings have been renovated in recent years, making way for shops, cafés and restaurants that are both fine and funky.

Traffic in Kapa`a can be atrocious most of the time, especially if you’re heading toward Lihu`e in the morning or evening rush hour. You can take Kapa`a Bypass Road, which goes around Kapa`a and Wailua. Heading south on Kuhio Highway, you’ll see a sign for the Bypass Road on the right side at Lehua Street. Take Lehua and than make a left on Kapa`a Bypass Road.

Past Kapa`a, you’ll pass through the towns of Anahola and Kealia. These are largely residential areas that were once sugarcane fields. With the exception of Kealia Beach and Anahola Beach Park, there’s not much reason to stop in either place.

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