Kauai Regions and Areas
There is much talk, if not controversy, about how to split up Kaua'i by region so that it can easily be described on a website such as this. Why the controversy you ask? Well, Kaua'i, like all the Hawaiian islands, is part of a county politically divided into several districts, clockwise: Hanalei, Kawaihau, Lihue, Koloa, and Waimea (seen here). Quite honestly, to the modern day traveler these districts serve no purpose.The remedy then is to find a way to divide the island into segments that are easy to recognize, describe, and access via the major roads of the island. This is where much of the debate comes from. Every "expert" has their own way of dissecting the island into pieces.
Our way is pretty simple and it's a method we've followed religiously in all of our physical guidebooks. We like to take the North, East, South, and West approach and we've stayed as true as possible to that format here online (see the map above). In general, we've adjusted some region names as needed and kept others to preserve common reference. I'm sure some of you will disagree and send off an email to us, but this system has worked rather well for us and as noted, we're aware others have their own preferred method of dividing up the island.
Ultimately we've divided the island in a manner that helps us group spots together so that they are easily accessible along the major routes of the island. This allows us to use our mile by mile directions to easily and accurately describe each spot here on our website.
Below is a general synopsis of what you can expect in each region of Kauai, along with a variety of links providing you quick access to the most popular attractions in that region or area.
Na Pali Coast / Area (Na Pali Kauai Attractions)
North Kauai Region / Area (North Kauai Attractions)
East Kauai / Area (East Kauai Attractions)
Central Kauai / Area (Central Kauai Attractions)
South Kauai / Area (South Kauai Attractions)
West Kauai / Area (West Kauai Attractions)
