It’s a telling reflection of how locals feel about Captain Cook that the beach where he first landed is named not for Cook but for Waimea’s first Native Hawaiian teacher. This small riverfront park holds picnic tables, restrooms and outdoor showers. Camping is permitted on the flat grassy area, but it’s not a very appealing spot.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
20.14 MILES
Hanalei Bay is Kauaʻi's postcard-perfect beach, embracing surfers, paddlers, bodyboarders and beach bums alike. It's a perfect crescent of golden sand…
Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge
25.56 MILES
The gloriously scenic wildlife refuge that marks the northernmost tip of the major Hawaiian islands protects both nesting seabirds on the coastal cliffs…
19.17 MILES
Perhaps the most beautiful spot on an island of unsurpassed beauty, this magnificent garden is a must-see stop on any North Shore itinerary. Besides…
19.14 MILES
Long renowned as one of the North Shore’s most glorious beaches, lovely Ke‘e Beach, beside the Kalalau trailhead at the end of Kuhio Hwy, has been given a…
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National Tropical Botanical Garden
11.96 MILES
Two superb gardens in lush Lawa‘i Valley, run by the National Tropical Botanical Garden, are open to visitors. Allerton Garden, spreading back from a…
11.12 MILES
Besides the two Na Pali lookouts at the end of the paved highway, Koke‘e State Park is the starting point for almost 50 miles of outstanding hiking trails…
8.2 MILES
This magnificent scenic drive traces the entire length of Waimea Canyon’s western rim and continues into Kokeʻe State Park, climbing 19 miles from the…
Black Pot Beach Park (Hanalei Pier)
20.87 MILES
The short easternmost stretch of Hanalei Bay, alongside the rivermouth, usually offers the calmest surf among the wild North Shore swells, and is popular…
Nearby attractions
0.05 MILES
The precise spot where Captain Cook first set foot on Hawaiian soil being unknown, a large boulder near the mouth of Waimea River was arbitrarily chosen…
2. Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historical Park
0.13 MILES
A Russian fort in Hawaii? Yes, really. Constructed in 1817 above the southern bank of the mouth of Waimea River on the site of an ancient heiau (temple),…
0.13 MILES
Waimea’s plantation-era core offers some interesting architecture. Take a short stroll to admire the neoclassical First Hawaiian Bank (1929), the art deco…
0.14 MILES
A statue of Captain James Cook stands on Waimea’s central green space. When his ships Resolution and Discovery sailed into Waimea Bay in January 1778,…
0.16 MILES
This small grassy park at Waimea’s main intersection holds a statue of Captain Cook. Display panels explain local history.
0.22 MILES
Sunday’s Hawaiian-language mass at this simple low-slung church makes an interesting way to connect with local culture. Waimea’s first Christian…
7. Waimea State Recreational Pier
0.33 MILES
Flecked with microscopic green crystals called olivine, this wide, dark-tinged beach stretches between two scenic rock outcroppings and is bisected by the…
8. Waimea United Church of Christ
0.45 MILES
What’s now the Waimea United Church of Christ was originally erected in 1847 by Reverend George Rowell. Protestant missionaries had lived in Waimea for…