Must see attractions in Waimea Canyon & the Westside

Flecked with microscopic green crystals called olivine, this wide, dark-tinged beach stretches between two scenic rock outcroppings and is bisected by the…

This staggering viewpoint perches high above the Na Pali Coast at the far end of the 3.8-mile Nu‘alolo Trail. The last few hundred yards of the hike run…

The first lookout as you climb Waimea Canyon Dr offers a good introductory view to the canyon, stretching to the east. Cross the road (carefully) to check…

Waimea’s friendly visitor center holds modest but interesting exhibits on Hawaiian culture, Captain Cook, sugar plantations and the US military. Its gift…

This overlook marks the end of the Canyon Trail. Enjoy epic canyon and waterfall views as you rest at the picnic table.

Walk east from this roadside lookout for amazing views of the verdant canyon below.

While certainly not a swimming beach, this little cove lures visitors to pick through the well-worn debris along the shoreline. The glass hasn’t come far;…

What’s now the Waimea United Church of Christ was originally erected in 1847 by Reverend George Rowell. Protestant missionaries had lived in Waimea for…

Waimea’s plantation-era core offers some interesting architecture. Take a short stroll to admire the neoclassical First Hawaiian Bank (1929), the art deco…

Sunday’s Hawaiian-language mass at this simple low-slung church makes an interesting way to connect with local culture. Waimea’s first Christian…

Well before you reach Hanapepe as you approach from the east, shortly after Mile 14 on the highway, this roadside lookout offers a view deep into Hanapepe…

It’s a telling reflection of how locals feel about Captain Cook that the beach where he first landed is named not for Cook but for Waimea’s first Native…

A statue of Captain James Cook stands on Waimea’s central green space. When his ships Resolution and Discovery sailed into Waimea Bay in January 1778,…

Recently unearthed following decades of neglect, this cemetery above Glass Beach has an impressive view. Worker camps encircled this area during the 19th…

This small grassy park at Waimea’s main intersection holds a statue of Captain Cook. Display panels explain local history.

The evocative skeleton of this 19th-century sugar mill still looms over Waimea. Pumping out sugar from the Westside, it fueled Kaua‘i’s economy until 1945…

The precise spot where Captain Cook first set foot on Hawaiian soil being unknown, a large boulder near the mouth of Waimea River was arbitrarily chosen…

Between Kekaha Beach Park and Polihale State Park, the Westside's biggest beach stretches for around 15 miles. Much of it is taken up by the US Navy’s…

Continue up the hillside for 100yd beyond Glass Beach for long-range ocean views.