7 Best Sights in The West Side, Kauai

This narrow, pedestrian-only bridge may not be the biggest adventure on Kauai, but it's enough to make your heart hop. What is interesting is that it's not just for show: it actually provides the only access to taro fields across the Hanapepe River. Considered a historic suspension bridge even though it was rebuilt in 1996 after the early-1900s original was destroyed—like so much of the island—by Hurricane Iniki, the bridge was also repaired following flood damage in 2019. If you're in the neighborhood, it's worth a stroll.

From this roadside lookout, you can take in the farms on the valley floor with the majestic mountains and misty valley as a backdrop. The dramatic canyon-like divide and fertile river valley once housed a thriving Hawaiian community of taro farmers, with some of the ancient fields still in cultivation.

This 1½-mile self-guided walking tour takes you to 14 plaques with historic photos and stories mounted on buildings throughout Hanapepe Town. This little main street had a colorful past––it was a portside "free town," not governed by sugar plantation company rules or decorum, and a deadly labor battle known as the "Hanapepe Massacre" happened here in 1924.

This is one of the premier spots on Kauai for sunset walks and the start of the state's longest beach. We don't recommend much water activity here without first talking to a lifeguard. The beach is exposed to open ocean and has an onshore break that can be hazardous any time of year. However, there are some excellent surf breaks for experienced surfers. If you'd like to run or stroll on a beach, this is the one—the hard-packed sand goes on for miles, all the way to Napali Coast, but you won't get past the Pacific Missile Range Facility and its access restrictions. Another bonus for this beach is its relatively dry weather year-round. If it's raining where you are, try Kekaha Beach Park. Toilets at the west MacArthur Park section are the portable kind. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; surfing; walking.

Named in honor of the first Native Hawaiian schoolteacher, this beach is on the western bank of the Waimea River. It is also where Captain James Cook first came ashore in the Hawaiian Islands in 1778. If that's not interesting enough, the sand here is not the white powdery kind you see along the South Shore. It's a salt-and-pepper combination of pulverized black lava rock and lighter-color reef. Unfortunately, the intrigue of the beach doesn't extend to the waters, which are reddish and murky (thanks to river runoff) and choppy (thanks to an onshore break). Don't swim here after heavy rains. Instead, watch the local outrigger canoe club head out or stroll the Waimea State Recreational Pier, from which fishers drop their lines, about 100 yards west of the river mouth. Amenities: parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; walking.

A great family spot, Salt Pond Beach Park features a naturally made, shallow swimming pond behind a curling finger of rock where keiki (children) splash and snorkel. This pool is generally safe except during a large south summer swell. The center and western edge of the beach are popular with bodyboarders and bodysurfers. The beach is also an easy spot to see stilts, tattlers, shearwaters, and other seabirds, as well as an occasional resting monk seal. Pavilions with picnic tables offer shade, and there's a campground that tends to attract a rowdy bunch at the eastern end. On a cultural note, the mudflat behind the beach is the last spot in Hawaii where salt is harvested in the dry heat of summer, using pans passed down within families. The park is popular with locals, and it can get crowded on weekends and holidays. Amenities: lifeguard; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming; walking.

Cultural information and local exhibits about sugar, weaving, shells, and poi-making highlight this small museum-style resource center in Waimea Town. Shop counters offer Island-made items, Niihau-shell jewelry, photographs of Kauai, children's books, and snacks. Lei-making and music sessions happen regularly on the patio, and you can get a map for a walking tour.