Kauai, Hawaii: a feast for the eyes

Several cruise companies and charters offer catamaran tours of the rugged Napali Coast in Kauai. The 15-mile stretch of coastline also features several secluded reefs for snorkeling.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The Garden Isle of Kauai offers a beautiful drive through the Tunnel of Trees along Highway 520 near Koloa.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

An outrigger canoe floats at Smith’s Tropical Paradise Garden Lu’au in Kapaa. Near the Wailua River, Smith’s Tropical Paradise is a 30-acre botanical garden with one of Kauai’s oldest traditional luaus.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Kauai’s Salt Pond Beach near Hanapepe is a great place to catch the last rays of the setting sun.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Glowing in the light of a setting sun, the red-colored walls of Waimea Canyon in Kauai as seen from the Canyon Lookout.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

A catamaran cruises along Kauai’s Napali Coast offering a great way to see the caves, waterfalls and cliffs.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Sunshine, the blue sky and palm trees are all that is needed to enjoy the outdoors at Kapaa in Kauai.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The sunrise as seen from Princeville, Kauai.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

TNT Steak Burgers is a mobile hamburger stand that moves from beach to beach in Kauai.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

A catamaran cruises along the Napali Coast offering a great way to see the scenery or just work on a tan.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Waimea Canyon on Kauai is sometimes called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. The canyon is 10 miles long and 3,000 feet deep.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

A catamaran cruises along the Napali Coast.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

A fisherman at Lydgate State Park off Highway 56 just north of Lihue tries his luck in the surf at sunset.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

A catamaran floating back from an evening cruise on Kauai’s Napali Coast drifts offshore near Hanapepe’s Salt Pond Beach.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The red-crested cardinal found on the grounds of the Kilauea Lighthouse.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The nene (Hawaiian goose) walking around the grounds of the Kilauea Lighthouse is the state bird of Hawaii.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Outrigger canoes are lined up on Kee Beach on Kauai’s North Shore.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Taro plants glow in the late afternoon sun on the North Shore of Kauai in Hanalei. Taro is a traditional staple used in making poi.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The grounds at the Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas in Kauai are landscaped with lava waterfalls, pools and plenty of places to enjoy the sun.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Outrigger canoes on Kee Beach near Hanalei on Kauai’s North Shore.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

A bento box lunch with rice, macaroni, chicken and garnish at the Princeville Resort is typical of so many found in Hawaii.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The Princeville Resort’s dining area has 180-degree views of mist-covered mountains, ocean and lagoons.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The tree-framed shoreline of Kee Beach at the end of Highway 56 on the North Shore.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

A small lizard pauses in a bush in Hanalei, Kauai.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

A plumeria blossom glistens in the sun after a brief rain shower in Hanalei.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

At one of Kauai’s most popular beaches off Highway 56 in the North Shore region, the giant exposed roots of an ironwood tree provide a backdrop for visitors at Kee Beach.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The Wainiha Store is the last store on the North Shore and a must-stop for tourists picking up food and supplies on their way to Kee Beach.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The Kilauea Lighthouse in Kauai is a popular tourist stop.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)