Look for the cave on your left. The only free way to take in the breathtaking Napali Coast is by hiking it. If you decide to explore the Kalalau Trail beware the fact that the Napali spirits have been known to play tricks on visitors to the region, which some historians believe was the first area settled on Kaua'i. Enter the salt-making area only if permission is granted by saltmakers, but feel free to hit the beach. Also one of Kaua'i's best windsurfing spots.
Tour boats take sightseers miles upstream.
James Cook, whose first Hawai'i landing was near Waimea in late 1778. The canyon stretches 10 miles wide and is nearly 3,600 feet deep. While whale-watching tours are memorable, many visitors don't realize that these gentle behemoths can often be seen at play from the shore, even without binoculars. Look for them between December and April, when they're most active. Drive past the Hyatt Hotel, continue east on the dirt road until the T junction, turn right and head toward the ocean until you encounter a guard booth staffed by a sugar plantation company.