Princeville & North Shore Activities
Kilauea Lighthouse
Whatever your interests, there’s plenty to do around Princeville and Hanalei.
Horticulture fans or home gardeners will find the area especially attractive.
Just before the town of Kilauea, (if you’re coming from the south), Na ‘Aina Kai Botanical Garden covers 240 acres and includes a hardwood forest, a teak plantation, a Poinciana maze and a secluded beach. The meticulously maintained gardens cost $40 to tour and reservations are required.
Part of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens, Limahuli Garden has guided and self-guided tours available with advanced reservations. In the shadow of Makana Peak, which was cast as Bali Hai in the movie South Pacific, the gardens here are dedicated to preserving Hawaiian plants and culture. For those interested in the history of Hawaiian agriculture, this is one of the most interesting Kauai activities.
Kilauea Lighthouse and the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge offer some of the best views anywhere. A birders’ paradise, the oceanfront cliffs and the small island near the lighthouse are home to colonies of red-footed boobies, albatross, shearwaters, frigate birds, and nenes. During the winter, you can spot Humpback Whales from the lookout behind the lighthouse.
The lighthouse’s clamshell lens was the largest of its kind when the lighthouse was built in 1913 at the northernmost point of the Hawaiian Island. Today, there’s a gift shop with maps, books, and gifts. You’ll get great photos of the crashing surf and the coastal cliffs. On clear days, you can see all the way to Hanalei Bay.
Golfers can choose between two world-class courses at the St. Regis Princeville, formerly the Princeville Resort: The Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed Prince Golf Course and Makai Golf Course.
