Description: Our third day in Kauai, we jumped into our convertible with the goal of making it to Ke’e Beach on the far North Shore of the island. On our prior trip, we were stopped short by time due to a pending flight which required us to turn around near Princeville. This time, we were determined to make it as far northward by car as possible. Along the way, we stopped at a few popular sites along the Wailua River.
Background: Wailua River is a 20-mile long river that flows from Kauai’s rain-soaked Mount Wai’ale’ale in the center of the island all the way to the outskirts of the East Shore. It features two popular and easily accessible waterfalls – ‘Opaeka’a Falls and Wailua Falls. Wailua River is a popular destination for water activities, including kayaking or canoeing, as it is one of the few navigable rivers in Kauai. Further, travelers can take a guided boat tour along the Wailua River to the Fern Grotto, a naturally formed lava rock cave covered with hundreds of lush and lacy ferns.
Location: Although Wailua River can provide travelers with an entire day’s worth of activities, we sought to take a quick glimpse of the river and the most popular sites without taking too much time from our day. Therefore, we stopped at the two most popular waterfalls – Wailua Falls and ‘Opaeka’a Falls. Wailua Falls is located directly on Ma’alo Rd on the East Shore of Kauai. If heading from Poipu on Kuhio Hwy, turn left on Ma’alo Rd just past the airport town of Lihu’e. The Waterfall will be on your right a few miles after turning off of Kuhio Rd. ‘Opaeka’a Falls is located directly on Kuamo’o Road. After viewing Wailua Road, return to Kuhio Hwy and travel northward. Take a left on Kuamo’o Road and the ‘Opaeka’a Falls lookout will be on your right a few miles after your turn.
Admission: Certain activities on Wailua River, including the Fern Grotto, kayaking, and canoeing require a fee. However, viewing the waterfalls on the East Shore is entirely Free!
Recreation: Our first stop was Wailua Falls. As we noticed the falls on our right, we pulled over to a small lookout area. The road was literally on top of the waterfall. We walked over to the rails and peered over the side to view this amazingly lovely waterfall gushing forth below us. Wailua Falls is one of the most recognized waterfalls as it was famously pictured on the opening credits of the long-running television show "Fantasy Island." It is easy to find yourself shouting happily "Da Plane! Da Plane!" as you watch the water surge below. There is much debate on the size of the waterfall and many claim that its height extends to almost 200 feet! Although the official Hawaii travel sites state that the falls is 80 feet tall, it certainly feels larger. We felt like lazy tourists just sitting there watching this amazing site from the road. Shouldn’t it take more effort to discover such a gorgeous waterfall? Well, on an island where water gushes forth in buckets from the center of Mount Wai’ale’ale, we figured it was only natural that sights such as Wailua Falls were so easy to view. So, we relaxed and enjoyed the scenery before moving on to other activities.
Our next stop was ‘Opaeka’a Falls, a lacy 151-foot waterfall located just north of Wailua Falls. Travelers will be required to take a different road to view this waterfall, but similar to Wailua – the road provides easy access to a lookout point. ‘Opaeka’a Falls was located on the right hand side of the road with a small pull out which allowed us to park our car a few feet from the viewing area. Although the lookout was located farther away from the falls compared to Wailua Falls, it was still very easy to view the waterfall. We breathed in the fresh air as all around us was lush green beauty – not a commercially built structure in sight. Across the street was another lookout point which allowed us to view Wailua River below.
Overall: Overall, both waterfalls provided a quick detour to our predetermined destination. However, the waterfalls were lovely to view and were worth the side-trip. We highly recommend all IGOUGO travelers plan some time during their Kauai vacation to see the sights around Wailua River – even if it is just a short stop along the way to another activity!
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