With a population of about 6,000 residents, Lihue is the county seat of Kauai County in the state of Hawaii and is the second largest town on the island of Kauai. The town is served by the Lihue Airport and Nawiliwili Bay. The island’s largest shopping center, Kukui Grove Center, which is home to the island’s only big department store, Macy’s, as well as K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and Costco, is also located there. However, Kauai has a history of being very strict when it comes to approving major developments and having large corporations and global chains trying to establish themselves on the island in order to preserve Kauai’s beauty, something that would be threatened by overdevelopment.

Although Lihue offers a variety of dining, shopping, and entertainment opportunities, the town of Kapa’a, located just north of Lihue, is the major tourist center due to its large concentration of hotels and tourist-oriented shops. Nevertheless, Kauai is most perhaps most popular for its outdoor activities such as snorkeling, diving, hiking, kayaking, and swimming. Some of the popular natural attractions in the area include the Alakai Wilderness Area, Hanalei Bay, Ke’e Beach, Na Aina Kai Botanical Gardens, Na Pali Coast Stae Park, Wailua River, Waimea Canyon, and Princeville North Shore.

Kauai has a rich heritage, living tradition, and strong customs to support the local way of life.  One thing that people will quickly pick up is the sense of family, community, and‘ohana that is perpetuated throughout the island.  For people interested in Kauai homes for sale, becoming a part of this group is an esteemed privilege and not a right. To understand the Kauai of today, it is important to look at the background of the island. The daily life of Kauaians is largely based around Lihue, the seat of Kauai County and the second largest city on the island.  Kapaa, six miles away from Lihue, is about twice
as large as Lihue and boasts a population exceeding ten thousand people.  Captain James Cook, a British explorer who arrived in the islands in 1778, first visited Waimea, the original capital of the Kauai, on the southwest side of the island.  More recently, Hurricane Iniki caused tremendous damage to the fragile ecosystem as beaches
eroded, ridges collapsed, and livestock patterns changed.  However, such a catastrophe only strengthened the cultural fabric of the island that has since recovered.

The island has also hosted, in the wake of the hurricane, a number of Hollywood
movies, including South Pacific, Jurassic Park, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Six Days Seven
Nights, King Kong, and Donovan’s Reef.  Disney’s popular Lilo and Stitch series is
based on life in the village of Hanalei.