A resort area with character, Poipu offers plentiful water sports, golf, signature gardens, heritage walking trails, weekly monk seal seminars, and as much activity, or inactivity, as one desires. The beaches in Poipu have received multiple national accolades and the sunny shores protected by a reef make the location an enviable place to stay. Nearby Koloa is a complementary community, with a farmers’ market and 14 significant stops on a 10-mile trail that can be explored on foot, bicycle, or by car.
Stay nearby, check out our luxurious Poipu Villas or Poipu Condos.
Things to Do
Beaches in Poipu have critical acclaim and something for each beach-goer. Baby Beach is exactly as its name implies and families enjoy this safe cove area. Poipu Beach is the idyllic beach with lots of sports: snorkeling, swimming, boogie-boarding and surfing and at the eastern side is Brennecke’s Beach, popular for body-surfing. Lawai Beach is known for snorkeling and Mahaulepu Beach for wind surfing, swimming snorkeling, and fishing.
Poipu Bay Golf Course is a championship golf course built around protected ancient Hawaiian heiau (places of worship) and handmade stone walls, dating back more than 500 years. The gardens in the Poipu area highlight the island’s blossoms. Allerton Garden and McBryde Garden are part of the National Tropical Botanical Garden, with tours of their floral finery, including Jurassic Park trees (Moreton Bay Figs) and exotic blooms. Moir Gardens is part of Kiahuna Plantation Resort, once a sugar plantation, that the Moir family built and their labor of love is today 35 acres, with lava rock ponds, koi, orchid, cactus, and more. Admission is free. Spouting Horn is a natural wonder, with a powerful spurting of water 50 feet into the air. Visitors can explore Poipu’s celebrated scenic sites on the heritage trails, Mahaulepu (two miles) and Koloa (10 miles).
Eat and Shop
Dining is an adventure in Poipu, with incredible fare amidst nature’s most genuine settings. A multitude of restaurants serve a variety of fare, Pacific Rim, seafood, Thai, Hawaiian, plate lunch, Mediterranean, Italian, and Japanese. Mountain and sea views with cocktails, lively and lush atmospheres, and music heighten the scene for the ultimate relaxation and indulgence in creative dishes.
Shopping in Poipu Shopping Village yields more than souvenirs; handcrafted jewelry and items, upscale handbags and apparel, home décor, and gourmet foods. A broad mix of grocery stores makes life easy, whether dining in and keeping everyday items on hand. Shop at a big supermarket, order through a grocery delivery service, find gourmet ingredients and wine, or get sundries from a general store.
Take a look at our Poipu Vacation Rentals for more great places to stay.
Getting Around
Rental car is the best way to have accessibility to Poipu’s many offerings as well as venturing to nearby Koloa.