Hanalei Bay

Secluded away on the north shore of Kauai, beneath green, 4000 foot towering, ancient, volcanic mountains with spectacular shimmering waterfalls, lies Hanalei Bay. With its stunning two-mile long crescent-shaped beach of warm golden sand and blue Pacific waters, Hanalei Bay is the perfect get-away destination. In spite of the fact that the beach is always rated in the top 5 beaches in America, it still feels undiscovered. Forget about crowds and commercialism; this place is laid back and almost forgotten. The people here like it this way. Sit on the beach for 5 minutes and you'll understand why. Stay 5 days and you won't remember why life has to be any other way.

The town of Hanalei is located just a short walk off the beach. Here, you'll find shops, restaurants, shaved ice, a grochery store and other gems lining the two lane road that runs to Ke'e Beach and the famous hiking trail along the Na Pali Coast. It's a 30 minute flight from Honolulu and a little more than an hour drive by rental car along a beautiful 2 lane road to Hanalei.

The Pier in Hanalei Bay was first built in 1892 to help Hanalei farmers move their taro crops to market. The covered pier's scenic location near the mouth of the Hanalei River and Black Pot beach has long been a favorite family gathering place for fishing, picnicking, swimming, and playing. If you can't resist jumping in Hanalei Bay, a ladder bolted to the side will help you climb back up on the pier.

On April 6, 1824, King Kamehameha II's royal yacht, HA`AHEO o HAWAI`I (Pride of Hawaii), sank on the southwest corner of the bay near the mouth of the Waioli River, after striking a five-foot deep reef a hundred yards offshore. A large section of the ship's hull washed ashore in 1844 in a winter storm surge but most of this historic wreck remained buried in silts in the bay. In 1995-2000, archeologists from the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History excavated the wreck and recovered more than 1,200 artifacts. During this excavation, a 40 foot section of the stern was discovered, documented, and then re-buried where it was discovered.

There are a number of vacation rental homes and cottages along the bay. Hanalei Bay Resort and the Princeville hotel share the view of the bay and are located nearby in Princeville.