There are some destinations you can visit over and over again, and Hanalei Bay in Kauai, Hawaii is one of those places.
Jacob and I have gotten in the habit of flying out there at least twice a year to relax on the pristine beaches of the North Shore and enjoy the island life. Hanalei holds a special place in our hearts — it’s also where Jacob proposed to me this past March!
Our favorite things to do around Hanalei include: stopping by Hanalei Bread for a morning pick-me-up, visiting Pink’s Creamery for Banana Mac Nut ice cream, surfing at Hanalei Pier, overloading on poké, and grabbing fresh juices from the Aloha Juice Bar, usually before we head out to explore the island.
One afternoon during our recent trip we left our car at home and skateboarded down the road to Hanalei’s cute downtown. I’m no pro at skateboarding, but this ice cream board from Penny Skateboards (I’m obsessed) really made me want to get better.
By the way, watching the sunset from Hanalei Pier is magical. The sun goes down over the mountains and for a few minutes the light is simply perfect. I highly recommend it.
Thank you to Penny Skateboards for sponsoring this post.
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Hi! I’m flying to Kauai tomorrow and I was wondering where that road is, the one with the skateboarding and the mountains in the backdrop?
We are going to Kauai for our honeymoon this June and I can’t wait! Thanks for sharing your favorite spots, I’ll be sure to add them to our list. One of the most enjoyable parts of planning a trip is creating the itinerary. It’s like reading the book first then seeing it at the movies when you actually are on the trip!
I also love that you include a lot of pictures in your post. I’m a travel blogger at https://blossomingwidow.com and mine are filled with photos as well. The best way to share your travels are through pictures!
Thank you so much Selena!
Thanks Linda! Enjoy your trip, and congrats on the wedding! Kauai just gets better every time we go. xx
Hi there! Heading to Kauai tomorrow from Maui. What’s a good coffee shop by Hanalei or Princeville?
Love the blog. Excited for all the poke!
My favorite place in Hanalei for coffee is Hanalei Bread Company! Really tasty, and their smoothies are great too.
We also have more spots in our Kauai Travel Guide, below — just note that some of the places in the North Shore are closed due to a recent flood (we’re actually in the process of updating the guide while we’re in Kauai right now!).
Kauai Travel Guide: https://finduslost.com/the-complete-kauai-travel-guide/
Enjoy!
Hi there! You have pictured a little food truck with your skate board, I was wondering what the name of it was?
That’s a great question – I’m actually not sure of the name, but it’s located at the Big Save parking lot in Hanalei! You can’t miss it (if it’s parked there).
It’s actually the Big Save parking lot in Hanalei. Foodland is located in Princeville 🙂
Oops! Thanks 😉
Hi! I’ve started to longboard (skateboard but on a longer deck), and I was wondering if you’d think it’d be worth the trouble to bring it on the trip? As in would there be much opportunity to ride around.
Hi Abbygail – it depends where you’re staying and how you want to use it. It’s definitely useful to have in Hanalei, but getting around the whole island with a longboard would be too difficult as there is only one road and things are fairly far without driving. You might be better off leaving it at home. 🙂
I love your Kauai posts! We are heading there in mid April and will be staying in an airbnb in the middle of Hanalei town. Any favorite spots for poke there? Do you think mid april will be too early for a boat ride to the napali coast?
Hi Amy! You could definitely do a boat ride to the Napali Coast in April. 🙂 As for poke — our favorites are Sushi Girl in Hanalei and Pono Market in Kapa’a.
There’s more in our Kauai Travel Guide!: https://finduslost.com/the-complete-kauai-travel-guide/
I could go to Thailand again and again!
Great post x
Thanks Chelsey! xx
Fell in love with Hanalei this year as well and made numerous stops at the Aloha Juice Bar and Tunnels. Such a breathtaking place.
http://www.freedupgirl.com
It really is! We love the small town feel of Hanalei. 🙂