A paddle boarder tests his mettle near Brennecke's Beach in Poipu. The beach is within a 10-minute walk of the Cottages at Poipu Kai.
Aptly named Baby's Beach, a small crescent of sand protected by a reef, is about a 15-minute walk from the Waikomo Stream Villas in Poipu.
A view of the hibiscus-shaded pool at Waikomo Stream Villas, a condo complex on Kauai's South Shore.
One and two-bedroom condos at Waikomo Stream Villas in Poipu come with full kitchens and laundry facilities.
The lushly landscaped grounds at Poipu's Waikomo Stream Villas are a major draw.
The ground-level studio units at Kauai's Poipu Kai Resort are adjacent to a greenbelt that winds down to Poipu Beach Park.
The Cottages at Poipu Kai's studios are 300 to 400 square feet, and come with kitchenettes and barbecues.
A one-bedroom condo at Kauai Beach Villas near Lihue overlooks 2-mile-long Nukoli'i Beach, where strong currents rule out swimming but long walks are the order of the day.
A view of Unit E-15, a one-bedroom condo at Kauai Beach Villas. Guests have access to expansive pools at neighboring Kauai Beach Resort.
Timeshares and condos at Kauai Beach Villas, just two miles north of the Lihue airport, are clustered around a lagoon.
An oceanfront bike path runs directly behind the Coral Reef Hotel; bike rentals are available for $5 per day.
Renovated, oceanfront units at Hotel Coral Reef are within a five-minute walk of shops and restaurants in Kapaa.
The small town of Kapaa, on Kauai's Coconut Coast, offers a variety of shops and restaurants. Among the most popular: Mermaids Cafe.
The Tahiti Nui bar in Hanalei has been a North Shore fixture for more than 50 years, and plays itself in the new film the Descendants.
The Hanalei Pier, located on the east side of a long beach where the Hanalei River enters the Pacific, was featured in the 1958 classic South Pacific.
Hanalei means "crescent shaped," a perfect description for this wide, nearly two-mile-long beach. Generally calm during the summer, it's a magnet for experienced surfers during the wilder winter months.
Guests who arrive at the budget-oriented Hanalei Inn without a reservation write their names on a board, then call the manager.
The four studios at Hanalei Inn, which cost $149 per night, include kitchens and a small deck.
The Garden Island of Kauai is home to thousands of feral chickens; theories about their ubiquitousness include the fact that they have no natural predators.
An early morning rainbow greets a guest at Waikomo Stream Villas in Poipu, Kauai.