Three Days in Kapaʻa on Kauaʻi's East Side

Kapa'a and its close neighbor Wailua have so much going on its no surprise it is the most populated area on Kauaʻi. Located on the East Side of the island, sandwiched between the Makaleha Mountains and the Royal Coconut Coast, Kapaʻa is home to dozens of retail shops, restaurants, hotels and shopping centers. Old Kapaʻa Town — once marshlands ideal for growing kalo, or taro — was first dominated by the sugar industry starting in the 1870s, followed by the pineapple industry in the 1960s. It was also an area where Chinese immigrants grew rice after moving on from the sugar and pineapple plantations. You can still walk past the historic Hee Fat Marketplace, which is now filled with gift shops, and stop into Hee Fat General Store for shave ice. Besides having a wealth of outdoor activities from hiking to biking and kayaking, Kapaʻa also has some of the best places to eat on the island.