All the raves you’ve heard are true. Kauai is a lush island with just the right mix of amenities and untamed beauty.
In January 1778, Captain James Cook and his crew spent two weeks provisioning their ship in Kauai, their first stop in the archipelago he named the Sandwich Islands. They traded nails and scraps of iron for hogs, potatoes, taro, yams and coconuts, but sightseeing wasn’t on the agenda. These days, most visitors come to the Garden Isle with relaxation in mind; sadly, locals no longer accept bags of nails as currency. The good news is that all the raves you’ve heard are true. Kauai is a lush island with just the right mix of amenities and untamed beauty. Amid Kauai’s drowsy, dreamy landscape, you may be tempted to cocoon yourself poolside at a resort. But the Garden Isle is a place that rewards exploration and you won’t have to look hard to carve out your own little corner of paradise.
Friday
1) 3 P.M. Talk Story

Kauai has a fascinating history that’s worth investigating at the Kauai Museum ($15, adults). The museum’s director, Chucky Boy Chock, and volunteers love to share stories about seven-foot tall Hawaiian kings, Russia’s failed attempts to dominate the island in the early 19th century, the waves of immigrants who came to Kauai, and the Menehune, a mythical race of mischievous little people. You will also learn about the neighboring island of Niihau, known as the Forbidden Island, which is owned by the descendants of Elizabeth Sinclair, who bought it from King Kamehameha IV in 1864 for $10,000 in gold. The island’s 100 or so inhabitants retain a traditional lifestyle, with no cars, internet or indoor plumbing. Helicopter and boat tours are permitted, but visitors cannot go to the island’s lone settlement unless invited by a local. At the museum’s gift shop, you can buy the distinctive shell jewelry made by Niihau’s skilled shell lei makers.
2) 4:30 P.M. The Aloha Shirt Lady

Most of the Hawaiian shirts for sale on the islands are made in China, but at Jacqueline on Kauai, the “Aloha Shirt Lady,” Jacqueline Vienna will make you a shirt ($55 to $90) sewn right in the back of the shop, with a 24-hour turnaround time. Ms. Vienna asks her clients to email photos of them in their new shirts. After you place your order, soak up the atmosphere of charming Hanapepe’s Friday Art Night.
3) 5:30 P.M. Rum and Fire-Knife Dancing

Take a free 20-minute tasting at Koloa Rum, a single-batch rum distillery inside the Kilohana Plantation, once home to one of Kauai’s richest sugar barons. After you sample four of their premium rums, gravitate next door to the Luau Kalamaku ($110 adults, or $54 for the show and one cocktail) for Hawaiian food and a stirring theatrical performance that tells the story of the Polynesian migration to Hawaii, with a healthy dose of jaw-dropping fire-knife dancing. (Families can skip the rum tasting, and take the plantation’s 40-minute train ride.)
Saturday
4) 8:30 A.M. The Lei Guy

The lei is the classic symbol of a Hawaiian greeting, but sadly most hotels no longer provide them to guests upon arrival. But don’t despair — buying a fragrant puakenikeni lei from Ed the Kilauea Lei Guy ($8, 4205 Kilauea Road), near the photogenic 1913 Kilauea Lighthouse, is a much more fun and authentic experience.
5) 9:30 A.M. Burritos and Coconuts

Kauai has several farmers’ markets, and Hanalei’s is a perfect introduction to this one-time hippie haven. Broke the Mouth Sauce Company has breakfast burritos ($9) served on handmade flour tortillas and made with free-range eggs, pinto beans and Gouda cheese cooked in a New Mexico-style chile sauce. There’s plenty of fresh produce and souvenirs, and look out for machete-wielding Natalie Nguyen, who chops up fresh coconuts from the back of her pickup truck ($4, [email protected]).
6) 11 A.M. Kauai in the Spotlight

You don’t have to love George Clooney to appreciate some of the Kauai set locations (and the music!) from the film “The Descendants.” Those with a sense of adventure — and at least one spare outfit, because you will get dirty — should take an off-road ATV tour at Kipu Ranch (from $89, adults). You’ll experience a wild side of the island you won’t see from paved roads, including the panoramic view of Kipu Kai beach and the surrounding farmland that Mr. Clooney’s character in the film was planning to sell. It’s not a great idea to show up at a St. Regis Hotel covered in dirt, but the aloha attitude prevails in Kauai, so come here to sprawl out on one of the beaches featured in the film, then repair to Tahiti Nui for a mai tai to see the watering hole where cast members listened to Hawaiian music.
7) 2:30 P.M. Hit the Beach

James Michener’s book “Tales of the South Pacific” and the Broadway musical and the (1958) film, “South Pacific” it spawned, inspired legions of Americans to visit Hawaii. Two of the beaches where scenes from “South Pacific” were filmed are spectacular — Lumaha’i Beach has a broad stretch of golden sand that is often nearly empty because of a lack of parking, and Tunnels Beach has sweeping views of Makana Mountain. Stop at the Hanalei Surf Company to rent a Tommy Bahama backpack beach chair ($3 for 24 hours). Ask for Bobo Bollin, who was the last holdout forced out of Taylor Camp, a beachfront hippie enclave established on Kauai in 1969 by Howard Taylor, Elizabeth’s brother.
4:30 P.M. Sunset on the Golf Course

Princeville’s Makai Golf course has been rated one of the most beautiful in the world, and, thanks to their sunset golf tour ($50 per golf cart; tours start 90 minutes before sunset), you don’t have to play golf to soak up the splendor. Grab an order of coconut shrimp ($9), and a mai tai at the snack bar and find hole 7, where you’ll have a clifftop view of the Na Pali coast before sunset. (Golfers will also appreciate Makai’s $10 clinics at 11 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, clubs provided.)
9) 8 P.M. Italian Food on Kauai?

The surprisingly innovative Italian food at La Spezia Restaurant and Wine Bar may be the best on the island. Try the decadent antipasto plate ($20 for 2), and the house-made tortellini ($13) or ravioli ($19), which comes with smoked salmon, ricotta, lemon dill cream sauce and fried capers.
Sunday
10) 6:30 A.M. Meditation and Pancakes

Thanks to the time difference, and the huge number of crowing roosters on the island, you’ll be up early, so settle into a vinyl booth at the century-old Tip Top Cafe for a stack of heavenly macadamia nut pancakes ($7.50). Then head two miles past the lookout for the photogenic Opaeka’a Falls, in the island’s idyllic interior, to the Kauai’s Hindu Monastery, a lovely spot for contemplation and stunning views of the north fork of the Wailua River. Tours of the vast compound, home to 21 monks and two temples, must be arranged in advance, but anyone can join the puja prayer ritual in the hand-carved, all granite temple from 9 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. Visitors can explore a portion of the grounds, including the majestic meditation Banyan tree, until noon daily.
11) Noon. Puka Dogs

Spiritual cleansing and hot dogs may not be a natural pairing, but you can’t leave Kauai without indulging in a Puka Dog. Get the expertly charred Polish sausage ($7.95), which comes in a spectacularly immersive, pillow-soft bun, and garnish it with the coconut and mango relishes, plus the Aunty Lilikoi sweet passion fruit mustard for the full Kauai gastronomic orgy.
12) 1:30 P.M. Facebook Beach

Mark Zuckerberg owns a 700-acre oceanfront property on Koolau Road that you can’t miss, thanks to its mile-long rock wall. All beaches in Hawaii are public and although Mr. Zuckerberg hasn’t provided beach access across his property and filed quiet title action lawsuits he later dropped to ensure his privacy, anyone willing to walk a half-mile can enjoy Pila’a, the picturesque, deserted golden sand beach in front of his (still under construction) estate. The legal way to do this is to park at clothing-optional Larsen’s Beach, take the path to the left all the way down to the beach, and then follow the trail just above the rock wall along the beach. Fans of “Gilligan’s Island” should conclude their weekend two miles east at Moloa’a - another blissful, frequently deserted beach where monk seals often belly flop onto the same golden sand where Gilligan and the rest of the fearless crew from the SS Minnow tried to make the best of things.

Lodging

Birders, stargazers, history buffs and those looking to relax will adore the Waimea Plantation Cottages, a gorgeous 600-acre property in the island’s least-rainy corner that was once a sugar plantation. There are 60 comfortable, renovated workers’ cottages, ranging from one to five bedrooms, built from 1884 to 1932, set amid exquisitely landscaped grounds. From $189.

The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas are superbly set up for families, with stylish units that include fully stocked kitchens and washer/dryers, not to mention kid-friendly ocean-view pools. Westin guests also have beach chair privileges at the opulent St. Regis. From $310