What to See in Kauai - Top Sights and Attractions

Hofgaard Park is a narrow park between Kaumuali'i Highway and Waimea Road in the town of Waimea. The park was named after Judge Christopher Blom Hofgaard who was a resident in Waimea. It features a statue of Captain Cook, which is a replica of an original statue in Whitby, England.

The park is dedicated to the historic events of Captain Cook's landing nearby. A timeline of Waimea and Western influence are documented on plaques in the park.

Captain James Cook was the first European reported to have sighted the Hawaiian Islands, and the January 20 landfall on southwestern Kauai was his first arrival upon Hawaiian soil. On January 20, 1778, two ships under the command of British navigator Captain James Cook set anchor at the mouth of the Waimea River. The crew was able to converse with the native people having been acquainted with the Tahitian language. They spent two weeks on Kauai provisioning their ships for the journey north. The British explorers were amazed at the finding of Polynesian people on these remote islands.

The actual landing site was probably located in what is now Lucy Wright Beach Park, near the mouth of the Waimea River, just south of the town of Waimea. A plaque at the park commemorates Cook's landing on the island.^[3]

Double waterfall in lush surroundings. Wailua Falls is a waterfall on the island of Kauai, part of the US state of Hawaii. The 173 foot falls are located on the South Fork Wailua River near Lihue. The waterfall is prominently featured on the opening credits of the television series Fantasy Island.

There are paths to the bottom of the falls, but it can be muddy and slippery. The "trail" further from the parking lot is less steep than the closer one. In ancient times, Hawaiian men would jump from the top of the falls to prove their manhood. Some people still leap off the top of the falls, though it is dangerous and illegal. In 2016, a man jumped from the falls and was knocked unconscious but narrowly avoided death when someone swam out into the pool to save him. The pool is great for swimming, but there are swift currents close to the waterfall. There is another waterfall nearby named 'Opaeka'a Falls.^[4]

Waterfall in Hawaii. ʻŌpaekaʻa Falls is a waterfall located on the ʻŌpaekaʻa Stream in Wailua River State Park on the eastern side of the Hawaiian island of Kauai. It is a 151-foot waterfall that flows over basalt from volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. Below the ridge down into the ravine through which the water falls can be seen the vertical dikes of basalt that cut through the horizontal Koloa lava flows. The name "ʻŌpaekaʻa" means rolling shrimp, "ʻopae" being Hawaiian for "shrimp," and "kaʻa" for "rolling". The name dates back to days when the native freshwater shrimp Atyoida bisulcata were plentiful in the stream and were seen rolling and tumbling down the falls and into the churning waters at the fall's base.

Visually, this is a spectacular waterfall and is one of the island's few waterfalls that can be seen from the road. It flows year round and therefore is not seasonal. Most of the time it falls in a double cascade but the two sides may become one after a heavy rain. There is a highway overlook which provides a panoramic view of the 40-foot (12 m) wide falls and the valley below. The best time of day to see the falls is in full sunlight when the water sparkles the most. If the day is cloudy the view is less spectacular.^[6]

The San Marga Iraivan Temple is a Chola-style Hindu temple dedicated to the Lord Shiva located on the Kauai island in the state of Hawaii, USA. "Iraivan" means "He who is worshipped," and is one of the oldest words for God in the Tamil language. It is the first all-stone, white granite temple to be built in the western hemisphere whose construction began in 1990. The Iraivan Temple is located next to the Wailua River and 8 km from Mount Waialeale. It is maintained by the Saiva Siddhanta Temple which is also known as Kauai Aadheenam and Kauai's Hindu Monastery. The temple is under construction. Spatika Lingam will be housed in it after its construction completes, till then crystal Lingam is placed in the Kadavul temple. The centerpiece of the temple will be a 700-pound, 39-inch-tall, uncut quartz crystal, believed to be the largest six-sided, single-pointed crystal ever found

Sri Trichy Mahaswamigal (d. 2005) of Kailash Ashram, Bangalore, describes the temple's importance: "The Iraivan Temple is going to be to America what the temples of Chidambaram, Madurai, Rameshwaram, and other great Siva temples are to India."^[10]

Tourist attraction in Princeville, Hawaii. The Newly Recognized Queen's Bath is a unique tide pool on the island of Kauaʻi, Hawaii. The pool is a sinkhole surrounded by igneous rock. It is located on the north shore of Kauaʻi in the town of Princeville, at 22°13′44.9″N 159°29′15.0″W. Small fish and tiny sea life also live in the tide pool, such as Hawaiʻian sea urchins, angelfish and the so-called "ghost fish".

The original "Queen's Bath" was located in Kalapana on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi. It was formed after a lava tube collapsed and filled with fresh water supplied by natural springs. In ancient times only the Aliʻi (Royalty) were permitted entry to the sacred waters. In 1983 Kilauea erupted and in 1987 the original site was destroyed by lava flow.

Only after the original site on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi was destroyed did the location on Kauai become better known as "Queen's Bath". This tide pool was used for what it sounds like; it was a royal bathing place. It was also used as a place of relaxation when an Aliʻi needed to "wash off the stress".^[15]

Reservoir in Hawaii. Ka Loko Reservoir is a reservoir created by an earthen dam on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. It is located on the north side of the island at 22°10′39″N 159°22′39″W. Waters flow from Ka Loko Reservoir down to Waiakalua Reservoir, Waiakalua Stream and down to the Pacific Ocean.

Ka Loko (sometimes spelled Kaloko) is notable because its dam burst on March 14, 2006. The dam burst was preceded by unusually heavy rain. The flood from the dam failure raced downhill through a ravine east of the town of Kilauea, Hawaii, with a wall of water reported to be between 20 and 70 feet (6.1 and 21.3 metres) high and 200 feet (61 m) wide. The flood destroyed several homes, killed 7 people, including a toddler and a pregnant woman.

An independent civil investigation attributed several possible conditions and practices that may have led to the dam failure: The State of Hawaii did not adequately inspect the dam and did not have enough dam inspectors to cover all of the antiquated dams in the state. The owner of the dam (James Pflueger) performed grading operations near the dam without permits and may have filled in the emergency spillway for the dam. Neither the current nor prior owners of the dam maintained the dam adequately. Finally, the County of Kauai knew about the unpermitted grading operation, but did not enforce a stop-work order.

On November 21, 2008, James Pflueger was indicted for manslaughter and reckless endangerment in relation to the dam failure. Pflueger's lawyer claimed that the indictment was an attempt by the state of Hawaii to deflect its own responsibility in the matter.

On August 4, 2009, it was reported that a settlement between the parties of all civil cases has been agreed upon, pending judicial review. On July 17, 2013, Pflueger entered a plea of no contest to reckless endangering in a deal with prosecutors. In exchange for the plea, state prosecutors agreed to drop seven manslaughter counts.

In December the Honolulu Star Advertiser announced 110 acres surrounding Ka Loko reservoir had been purchased by Mark and Priscilla Chan Zuckerberg. Mark Zuckerberg stated his attention to fulfill the legal requirements for the property.^[16]