The Kekaha Beach strip is the best place on island to watch the sunset, in Stephanie Shinno’s opinion. “Mesmerizing” is the word the Lihue resident uses for the nightly show, which consistently draws locals and residents to the Westside to
The Kekaha Beach strip is the best place on island to watch the sunset, in Stephanie Shinno’s opinion.
“Mesmerizing” is the word the Lihue resident uses for the nightly show, which consistently draws locals and residents to the Westside to bid the sun farewell for the evening.
“It’s breathtaking,” she said.
Bonnie Bator of Anahola said Polihale’s sunsets are spectacular and she loves watching the sun go down from the Westside.
But it’s Lihue that garnered the 13th spot on Expedia’s list of Top 20 destinations in America with the best sunsets.
That put it among such scenic places as the Grand Canyon; Moab, Utah; and Kodiak, Alaska.
“I’m surprised with all the amazing sunset locations on Kauai, that Lihue popped up with no mention of Hanalei, Poipu or Waimea,” said Sue Kanoho, executive director of Kauai Visitors Bureau. “But the fact of the matter is that sunsets on Kauai are beautiful no matter where you go.”
In Lihue, Shinno said her favorite spot to end the day is at Kalapaki Beach, in front of the Marriott.
“On a lazy Sunday, it’s the best in Lihue,” she said. “Great place to eat some poke and watch the sunset with my kids. By that time they are worn out from swimming, too.”
Bator said Alekoko, or the Menehune Fish Pond, is one of the best places to watch the sunset in Lihue.
A Westside sunset picture posted on the KVB Facebook page on Nov. 7 reached the most people out of sunset pictures posted by the entity this year, with 109,213 people reached and 6,294 likes.
In fact, the top five sunset photos that KVB has posted on its Facebook page have all been from the Westside.
A photo of an Aug. 4 Waimea pier sunset took second place with 73,313 people reached and 2,201 likes. The third and fourth place sunset photos were from Poipu.
Shinno said Hanalei Pier is also a favorite place to catch the sunset for her and her family.
And Bator said sometimes it’s nice to watch the sun set over some of Kauai’s mountain ranges instead of over the ocean.
The sunset with “Haupu Mountain Range in the background is exquisite with lighting and color, as the sun sets with mana of calm and peacefulness,” she said.
