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Of the eight major islands that make up the Hawaiian Islands and the state of Hawaii, Kaui is the oldest and fourth largest. Also known as the “Garden Isle,” Kauai lies 105 miles northwest of Oahu, across the Kauai Channel. Approximately 64,000 people live on Kauai. According to the Hawaiian legend of Hawai’iloa, the Polynesian navigator who is said to have been the first to discover the island, Kawai’iloa named the island after a favorite son. Kauai is Hawaiian for “place around the neck” or “food season.”

Like most of Hawaii, Kauai’s economy is based primarily of tourism. In the past, Kauai’s economy was based on sugar, but most of that land is now used for ranching. Land in Kauai is very fertile and plants such as guava, coffee, sugarcane, and pineapple are still grown there on a relatively small scale. Some of the major communities on Kauai include Hanalei, Kapa’a Wailua, Lihu’e Princeville, Waimea, and Po’ipu, and the island is served by the Lihue Airport. Some popular places of interest include the Alakai Wilderness Area, Fern Grotto, Hanalei Bay, Ke’e Beach, Koke’e State Park, Na Pali Coast State Park, Princeville North Shore, Wailua River, and Waimea Canyon.