Kauai — Hawaii’s fourth largest island and its oldest — offers much as a vacation destination. Adventurers will find plenty to explore, while those wanting to relax on the beach can enjoy more than 50 miles of white sand.

 

This luxury low-rise hotel built into oceanside bluffs overlooking Shipwreck Beach in Poipu captures the Hawaii of the ‘20s and ‘30s. Its casual elegance welcomes all types of travelers and each room features a private lanai and a marble bathroom with rain shower. Swimmers don’t stand a chance on the southern-shore beach, but the many freshwater and salt pools on the property more than make up for it. The 25,000-square-foot ANARA Spa provides pampering in open-air bungalows. Visit www.kauai.hyatt.com for more information.

 

See Kauai’s northern Na Pali coast, a collection of towering cliffs and other natural wonders, from the 65-foot Southern Star catamaran. Take a six-hour tour complete with on-board barbecue and snorkeling sessions or head out in the afternoon for a four-hour tour ending with a stunning sunset. The luxurious Southern Star also goes out on private charters, with customized itineraries, menus and activities. No matter the schedule, expect to see plenty of dolphins, green sea turtles and, in December through May, humpback whales. Visit www.napali.com/southern-star for more information.

 

Made famous in the movie South Pacific, this wide and sandy stretch of northern shoreline proves less crowded because of the strong currents and lack of lifeguards, which makes it perfect for a relaxing day of sunbathing. Visit www.gohawaii.com for more information.

 

Chef Teri McLeod serves Old Hawaii cuisine that celebrates locally-grown vegetables and herbs, as well as traditional cooking methods such as grilling over kiawe, a native mesquite. The Koloa setting, the 1930s manor house of Hawaii’s first sugar plantation, makes this one of the most beautiful and romantic restaurants on Kauai, especially after dark when tiki torches in the gardens add to the ambiance. Visit www.pgrestaurant.com for more information.

 

Located at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa, this 210-acre championship course hosted the PGA Grand Slam of Golf for more than a decade. Golfers will find the shifting trade winds, five water hazards and 85 bunkers challenging, but the coastline views will soften the sting of any missed shots, as will the on-course beverage carts and refreshing cold towels. Be sure to stop by the pro shop, named by Golf Digest as one of America’s Top 100.

 

With average yearly temperatures between 69 and 84 degrees and ocean temperatures from 71 to 81 degrees, Kauai makes the perfect vacation destination year-round.