The Wild Wild West: Hanapepe, Eleele, and Kalaheo

On the Western Coast of Hawaii rests three small towns on the way to Waimea: Kalaheo, Eleele, and Hanapepe that have great places to adventure, shop, and eat. Follow along as I take you a virtual tour of the hot spots located in these three towns.

One of the most fascinating towns in Kauai is the small artist town of Hanapepe. If you are a connoisseur of art or Hawaiian history, this is the place for you to spend a chunk of your time. Known as the art capital of Kauai, Hanapepe offers numerous art galleries and holds a weekly Art Night every Friday from 7-9pm. To get to Historic Hanapepe, turn off of Hawaii Route 50/Kaumualii Highway onto Hanapepe Road.


Get Your Shop On

One of my mom's favorite shops is the Banana Patch Studio located at 3865 Hanapepe Road and offers a wide selection of hand crafted items. An annual purchase is one of the many hand painted ceramic tiles that now line the wall of my mom's office.

Hand-painted Dining Set 

Hand-painted Ceramic Tile 

Before you reach the town of Hanapepe, you drive through the small town of Eleele that is home to Port Allen, the docking point for Captain Andy's Na Pali Coast sailing tours and the location of one of Kauai's Red Dirt Stores. Unlike the dirt on the mainland, the dirt in Kauai has a red pigment to it and is thought to have healing qualities by the natives. All of the items sold at the Red Dirt Stores have been dyed using the Island's dirt and adds a unique hue to all of the products. The Red Dirt Store is located at 4350 Waialo Road in Eleele. Traveling down Hawaii Route 50/Kaumualii Highway, turn onto Waialo Road. 

 Eleele Red Dirt Store 

A Rack of Red Dirt Shirts

Seeing the Sights

Amidst the art galleries lining Old Hanapepe Town lies a relic of the past- a suspension bridge built in the early 1900's as a way to cross the river. I thought it'd be a slight thrill but it wouldn't give as much as the plastic bridges in your local park. Wrong. When you walk onto the bridge with someone else, you sway! It is definitely a bunch of fun but if you are fearful, make sure your bridge buddy is someone you trust! 

Good Eats & Drinks 

After a long day on the water on one of Captain Andy's Na Pali Coast tours, you may be craving some fast food or a tall (plastic) glass of $1 iced tea. You're in luck! The Red Dirt Store and Port Allen share the western-most McDonalds in the United States located at 4469 Waialo Road in Eleele. Unlike many of the McD's on the mainland, this location offers local meals such as spam, eggs, and rice and their taro pie. 

Off of their Breakfast Menu: Spam, Eggs, and Rice

Between the towns of Kalaheo and Eleele sits the Kauai Coffee Company at 870 Halewili Road. The 3,100 acre coffee plantation grows four million coffee trees that produce the island's signature coffee. If j'adore coffee, you can visit their plant and enjoy a coffee tasting that includes the entire line of the company's coffee or take one of their guided walking tours that occur daily at 10am, 12pm, 2pm, and 4pm. The coffee tasting can be enjoyed at any time during their regular business hours of 9am-5pm. To visit the Kauai Coffee Company, take Hawaii Route 50 to Hawaii Route 540 (also known as Halewili Road).

Visitor Center at Kauai Coffee Company 

Tasting Room at the Visitor's Center