A former sugar plantation town, Kahuku still retains
its warm-hearted village personality. The old sugar mill is now a
shopping center and the old plantation hospital is a modern medical
facility.
The cozy community of La’ie is surrounded by opulent
natural beauty, but is most renowned for the world-famous Polynesian
Cultural Center, one of Hawaii’s most popular visitor attractions.
The North Shore has some of the most breathtaking
scenery in the world. This is rural Hawaii, with giant, sweeping vistas
of pristine green countryside, and sandy beaches, but it is also the
surfing capital of the world. The summers are leisurely, but 20-foot
waves swell in November through April, attracting droves of big-wave
surfers.
The neighborhoods of Waimea, Sunset Beach and Kawailoa are all tiny and situated close to such world-famous surfing spots as Banzai Pipeline and Kammieland.
The large, moneyed community of Pupukea is perched on a ridge above the action with to-die-for views of it all.
The undisputed star of North Shore neighborhoods is Hale’iwa,
a charismatic community proud to be a part of the State List of
Historic Places. Once a playground of Hawaiian royalty and the weekend
getaway of Victorian-era vacationers, today’s Haleiwa is a quaint hamlet
of rustic Paniolo architecture, charming shops, art galleries and
restaurants.
Waialua is a former sugar plantation town now
undergoing a metamorphosis including new businesses in renovated
buildings at the old Waialua Sugar Mill.