Beautiful Hanalei

At the foot of a steep hill below the resort community of Princeville another world comes into view. This is Hanalei, a community whose roots took hold almost two centuries ago in one of the most beautiful surrounds in the world. Cross the one-way bridge, which dates to 1912, at the bottom of the hill and you'll be hit by a sea of emerald-green taro laid out in irrigated patches within the Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge. Eventually, the glistening taro beds give way to moss-green mountains that seem to float in puffs of fresh-laundered clouds. On a typical day fishermen and kayakers share the lazy river.

Follow Highway 560 into town and you'll be greeted by the green- and red-tin roofs of vintage storefronts, the entire scene blending with grace into the spectacular landscape.

Taro, which has been grown in the Hanalei area for at least 700 years, is used to make the Hawaiian food staple, poi, and a variety of other food products, such as chips and baby food. Some 40 percent of all taro grown in Hawaii comes from the Hanalei area.

The shoreline that curves around Hanalei Bay and its wide expanse of beach is defined by large, high-end properties, many used as vacation rentals, and several public beach parks.

At the east end of Weke Road, where the river flows into the bay, is Black Pot Beach Park and the historic Hanalei Pier. First built in 1892 to ship rice and other agricultural products off-island, the pier has been rebuilt and is a popular gathering place where locals talk story and play music. The pier got its 15 minutes of fame in the late 1950s when it was featured in the classic Hollywood film South Pacific.