Hop In Your Car And Take Holo Holo Koloa Scenic Byway For An Incredible 19.5-Mile Scenic Drive In Hawaii
By Melissa Mahoney|Published June 14, 2021
×
Melissa Mahoney
Author
I'm an east coast girl living in a west coast world. I grew up in New England before moving to SoCal for several years. I then lived in NYC or a year before moving to AZ in 2009. I worked in the entertainment industry for many years of my adult life and have a deep love for photography, writing, and traveling around the U.S. as well as to far-flung locations around the world. Travel is my life and writing about it is a dream!
Road trips are often the best kind of trips to take, allowing us to make as many stops as we want in order to take in all the scenery and culture along the way. Hawaii is arguably the best place in the country for scenic drives with its diversity of landscape, historical, archaeological, and cultural sites. One incredible drive everyone should take at some point is the Holo Holo Koloa Scenic Byway which runs 19.5 miles through Old Koloa Town and Po‘ipū Beach in Kauai.
Although this lovely scenic byway is only 19.5 miles long, there are numerous points of interest, both cultural and natural, along the way. It also serves as the gateway to the southern shore of Kauai and starts with a drive through a picturesque canopy of trees.
Planted in 1911, a double row of eucalyptus trees along Maluhia Road creates a mesmerizing, dense tunnel of greenery. It also serves as the gateway to the southern shore of the island. This tree tunnel is approximately a mile long and may end up being your favorite part of the drive.
Your journey continues to the charming Old Kōloa Town, a historic part of Kauai that was once home to a sugar plantation and its workers. Today, you'll find a variety of stores and restaurants that occupy the plantation buildings along with the Kōloa History Center where you can learn about the town's plantation beginnings.
Make a stop at St. Raphael Catholic Church which Catholic missionaries built in Koloa in 1841. It was the first Catholic church on Kauai and where Kōloa Plantation workers would come to worship.
Worthy of a stop is the Spouting Horn, called 'Puhi' by early Hawaiians, a blowhole known to shoot water into the air up to 60 feet. This is such a popular spot that stalls with jewelry and gifts for sale have been set up.
Located just east of Poipu along Keoneloa Bay is Skipwreck Beach named after an old wooden fishing boat that was found on the beach many decades ago. This long sandy stretch of beach is a must-visit especially for the surf and you can also find the start to the Mahaulepu Heritage Trail here.
Explore the popular tourist beach of Poipu, a favorite among locals and tourists alike. With its soft sand, a breakwater, and a park with plenty of amenities, it's easy to see why. This is also the perfect spot to end the drive and watch the jaw-dropping sunset.
Are you ready to hit the road on Kauai’s incredible Holo Holo Koloa Scenic Byway? What is your favorite scenic drive in Hawaii? Please let us know all about it in the comments. For numerous other points of interest along the Holo Holo Koloa Scenic Byway, visit the official website.
Interested in exploring more of Kauai? Take a look at this road trip that leads to several incredible caves and wondrous waterfalls.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
