KOLOA, Hawaii — The abundant sunshine of Kauai’s leeward side is a potent lure for today’s resort travelers, but there was a time when it was just as highly prized for its nurturing effect on sugar cane.
The crop flourished here in the late 19th century, when the Koloa Plantation took root as Hawaii’s first successful commercial sugar operation. Its plantation town, Koloa, is just inland of the Poipu Beach resort strip, and visitors can readily peer a century into the past along the self-guided Koloa Heritage Trail.
Free brochures may be found in tourist racks at Koloa’s historic business district, or at the Poipu hotels. Fourteen sites are listed, from the birthplace of a Hawaiian prince to a building that was a former general store in the plantation era.
The Poipu region subsists mainly on tourism now and is pretty sleepy in that regard (at least when compared to West Maui), with a sprinkling of hotels and condo complexes. But during a 25-year period in the late 1800s, this corner of the Hawaiian Islands bustled with commerce, as the heydays of sugar and whaling coincided.
The Koloa History Center, tucked behind the town’s shops, chronicles these eras. Tourists dressed comfortably in bathing suits, T-shirts and flip-flops wince at archival photos of workers in the fields — wearing long sleeves, long pants, gloves and hats in labors conducted far from the cool ocean breezes.
One exhibit depicts the luxurious baths favored by Japanese laborers when the day’s rigors were done. This still required a lot of work: Hauling water, gathering firewood — and persuading someone to stoke the fire throughout the bath.
The Japanese were just one ethnic group brought to Hawaii to work — others came from China, the Philippines, Portugal and Germany. Workers often wanted to keep alive customs from their homeland, and the 1910 Jodo Mission, where Japanese worshipped at a Buddhist temple and conducted social events, survives from that era.
Also in town is the Sugar Monument, dominated by the tall rock chimney of the mill’s boiling house, where cane juice was rendered into sugar crystals.
Koloa’s storefronts date to the early 20th century and thus have an Old West appearance but today house galleries, gift shops and casual eateries.
Kauai is notorious for its treacherous ocean waters. The weekend we arrived in May, three people died in undertows off the eastern coast. Reliably calm waters and lifeguard stands are hard to come by throughout the island. But both can be found at Poipu Beach Park, a series of scalloped coves favored by locals and visitors alike. A rock jetty here creates a frolic area for the smallest beachgoers. It is about as deep as a wading pool — and every bit as calm.
For livelier sport, head up the coast to Shipwreck Beach, where the Grand Hyatt Kauai is. A pretty big break is close to shore here, and it’s popular with surfers and body-boarders — which can make for pretty good spectator sport, too. Sometimes that beachbreak is strong enough to sweep unwary beachcombers right off their feet.
Shopping sense
The independent shops of Koloa — notably the gallery of artist James Hoyle — carry first-rate merchandise and are a natural lure for visitors, but a lesser-known shopping opportunity should not be missed.
It is an enclave of makeshift stands at the end of Lawai Road, where tourists stop to observe Spouting Horn — a lava tube that gushes a vertical plume of spray when the ocean waves roll under a rock shelf. The awnings of this low-key market shelter a wealth of value-priced but good-quality souvenirs, including shell jewelry, basketry and wood crafts.
Nibbles and sips
There is a Roy’s restaurant at the Poipu Shopping Village, but recent experiences left us questioning its consistency — and whether Roy Yamaguchi has simply spread himself too thin. A dinner there in December was superb, but in May my ono filet was criminally dried out on the grill, and the service was rushed — as if they couldn’t wait to turn our table for the next party.
A pleasant surprise was found directly across the parking lot at Keoki’s Paradise, a favorite of author Ray Riegert in his “Hidden Kauai” guidebook. Although Keoki Paradise’s preparations aren’t as inventive as Roy’s, an herb-sauteed onaga was delicious, the service was friendly and the setting was a lot of fun — jungle-like, with tables set amid streams and waterfalls.
For an ocean view, the best bet is Brennecke’s Beach Broiler, where second-floor lanai seating overlooks Poipu Beach Park and the impossibly blue Pacific beyond. The food may not provide an indelible memory, but the setting is unsurpassed for lunch or an afternoon drink.
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