Mount Waialeale, in the middle of Kauai, receives around 11,000 millimetres of rain a year and is among the wettest places on earth. Twenty-five kilometres south, Poipu gets roughly a tenth of that.
The island is a circle about 50 kilometres across with a mountain in the middle, and the trade winds come from the northeast. They hit the north shore, dump their water on the mountain, and arrive on the south and west coasts dry. That is the whole weather system, and it does not vary much.
Why the south shore is where the hotels are
The north shore around Hanalei and Princeville is the most beautiful part of Kauai and probably of Hawaii: the Napali cliffs, the taro fields, the bay. It also rains substantially more, the road washes out periodically, and in 2018 a flood event closed the highway past Hanalei for over a year.
The south shore at Poipu is the reliable one. Sunny most days, warm, with a run of small beaches and reef.
Which produces an honest constraint that this article has to acknowledge: Kauai has very few four and five star hotels on its dry side. The island restricts building height to four storeys, resists large development, and the accommodation stock is heavily weighted to condominium rentals and vacation homes rather than hotels. Once the condos, the residence clubs and the three-star properties come out, the list is short.
It is five. Padding it would mean including apartments that happen to have a front desk, which is not what this guide does.
The south shore
Poipu and the surrounding coast. Dry, sunny and where the reef is.
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa occupies a large site above a beach at Poipu with a saltwater lagoon, a river pool and gardens running down to the sand. It is the most complete resort on Kauai and it holds the island's best spa.
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa
Poipu · 4★ · $$$$
Saltwater lagoon, river pool and the island's best spa
Check availabilityThe Kauai Inn sits directly on Poipu Beach in a small low building with the shortest walk to sand of anything here, a good restaurant and adults-focused calm. It is the most personal stay on the island.
The Kauai Inn
Poipu Beach · 4★ · $$$
Directly on the sand, small and adults-focused
Search hotels in KauaiSheraton Kauai Resort occupies a position on the same stretch with a large pool complex, several restaurants and full family facilities. It sits on a beach that is genuinely swimmable rather than scenic.
Sheraton Kauai Resort
Poipu · 4★ · $$$
On a genuinely swimmable beach with full facilities
Search hotels in KauaiKoloa Landing Resort at Poipu, Autograph Collection sits back from the water at Koloa Landing with several pools, larger units and the best value on the dry coast. The beach is a short walk rather than at the door.
Koloa Landing Resort at Poipu, Autograph Collection
Koloa Landing · 4★ · $$$
Several pools and the best value on the dry coast
Check availabilityThe east coast
Around Lihue and Kalapaki Bay, drier than the north and closer to the airport.
The Royal Sonesta Kaua'i Resort Lihue occupies Kalapaki Bay with a sheltered beach that is one of the safest swimming spots on the island, a large pool and a golf course. It is five minutes from the airport, which is more useful here than it sounds.
The Royal Sonesta Kaua'i Resort Lihue
Kalapaki Bay, Lihue · 4★ · $$$
One of the safest swimming bays, five minutes from the airport
Check availabilityWhat we have left off
The north shore hotel at Hanalei Bay is excluded, and it is arguably the most spectacular position on the island. It sits on the wet side, where the rain is several times heavier and the access road has a history of closing. If you are going for the scenery rather than the sun, book it knowingly.
The condominium resorts across Poipu are also excluded. Many are comfortable and they are how most visitors actually stay on Kauai. They are apartments with a rental desk rather than hotels.
What to do
See the Napali coast, which cannot be reached by road. A boat from Port Allen on the west side, a helicopter, or the Kalalau trail from the north shore, which is a serious hike.
Drive up to Waimea Canyon, which is a kilometre deep and usually described as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, and keep going to the Kalalau lookout at the top.
Snorkel at Poipu Beach and at Tunnels on the north shore when conditions allow. Kauai's surf can be dangerous and the beaches change character completely between summer and winter.
Go north anyway for a day: Hanalei Bay, the taro fields, the Kilauea lighthouse and the wet caves.
Take the Wailua River to the Fern Grotto, and eat at the farmers markets, which on this island are genuinely good.
Practical notes
Lihue airport is on the east coast, fifteen minutes from Poipu and about forty-five from Hanalei.
The south shore is dry year round. The north is wettest from November to March. Winter brings large surf to the north shore and calm water to the south; summer reverses it.
A car is essential. There is one main road and it does not go all the way round.
Explore 4 & 5 Star Kauai Hotels
Questions people actually ask
Why are there so few hotels?
Kauai limits building heights to four storeys and has resisted large-scale development for decades. Most of the accommodation stock is condominium and vacation rental rather than hotel.
North shore or south shore?
South for reliable sun and swimming. North for scenery, with meaningfully more rain and a road that has closed before.
Is Kauai worth it over Maui?
For landscape, emphatically. For hotel choice and restaurants, Maui has far more of both.
How many nights?
Five. The island is small but the driving is slow and the Napali coast deserves a day of its own.