King Kamehameha I, who unified the Hawaiian Islands with an iron fist, failed not once but twice in his attempts to capture Kauai. That rebellious spirit lives on: By Hawaii standards, Kauai is still more than a bit untamed and unhinged. Two nasty hurricanes in the past 20 years and a populace intent on slow growth have kept the island largely free of mega-resorts or condomania. The result is winding country roads engulfed in a wondrous barrage of fragrant pink and red Tahitian ginger and sweet banana trees dangling pregnant purple pods. Hiking trails are solitary affairs through native forests that end with sweeping vistas holding no hint of mankind's interference. The bridges in Hanalei — those one-lane little numbers that create mini traffic jams in the shadow of Bali Hai — are the true litmus test for Kauai. If you get fidgety waiting, go directly to Waikiki.

If not, cross that bridge and hit the fabled North Shore, a paradise of waterfall-flecked mountains and crashing surf. Start off on the Na Pali Coast, a 14-mile stretch of wholly uninhabited shoreline where 2,700-foot cliffs plummet to mirror-clear waters, and hidden valleys open to deserted white-sand beaches. Pick up the Kalalau Trail just past Kee Beach at the end of Hawaii 560. Daytrippers can hike the first two miles of the trail to rocky Hanakapiai Beach, where a side trail leads up to over-200-foot-high Hanakapiai Falls (don't swim at the beach in the winter — currents are wicked). You can also kayak the coast in the calm summer months.

To stay at one of the three campgrounds farther down the trail you'll need a free permit from the Division of State Parks in Lihue (apply, in person or by mail, six months or more in advance). For a softer bed try the Hanalei Colony Resort in Haena, a small condo-hotel three miles from Kee Beach, near the trailhead. The Hanalei Land Company rents the Kauikeolani Estate, a seven-bedroom turn-of-the-century plantation house right on Hanalei Bay, and four adjacent two- and three-bedroom plantation cottages.

Just outside the bay, a monster surf break called King's Reef handles any weather that the Pacific Northwest delivers. For a mellower surf, head over to Pine Trees, a beach break where Kauai kids work on their bottom turns. If you're feeling bold, paddle out at Kalihiwai, a thundering right-hander that goes square in a hurry. (Rent boards from Hanalei Surf Co., but be forewarned that winter swells can be scary even for experienced surfers.)

In the summer, Hanalei Bay is a kayaker's dream, with tons of live coral formations as well as turtles and other sea creatures. Or mosey up the Hanalei River, a serpentine waterway that winds through a thicket of hau trees making it one of Kauai's prime birdwatching spots. Another languid trip takes you up the Kalihiwai River from Kalihiwai Bay past a shattered bridge — the last remnant of two crushing tsunamis — into a lush valley. (Rent kayaks and get free use of a roof rack at Kayak Kauai in Hanalei.) Bonefisherman can cast a line on the long reef flats off Kalihiwai or neighboring Anini Beach, which doubles as a launch spot for windsurfers (rent windsurfers at Anini Beach Windsurfing).

From the North Shore, Hawaii 56 heading toward Kapaa follows the coast a few miles inland. A string of beaches lies over the hills and down the dirt roads (ask for directions to Kahili, Larsen's, or Moloaa beaches); most of the beaches have good swimming and snorkeling and zero crowds. Just past Wailua town the road crosses the Wailua River, the only navigable river in Hawaii. Kayaks and tour boats often spar for space on the water. Better to skip the sedate stuff and go wakeboarding (for the uninitiated, that's a combo of waterskiing and surfing on a snowboard-like device; think of the waterskiing scene in Apocalypse Now). Rent your wakeboard from Kauai Water Ski & Surf Co. in Kapaa.

Farther south, past the "city" of Lihue, Hawaii 520 branches off towards Poipu, a sunny stretch of sandy beaches and rocky shoreline and Kauai's biggest resort area. If you've got cash and a hankering for marble bathrooms, stay at the Hyatt Regency Kauai Resort and Spa, a massive fun palace with soaring ceilings and a tri-level swimming pool right on Shipwreck Beach — one of Kauai's best bodyboarding spots. Coastline Cottages, in a quiet part of Poipu, offers four new Hawaiian-style oceanfront cottages with teak floors, bamboo and rattan furnishings, and lanais overlooking the water.

For more solitude, head west along Hawaii 50 to Waimea. This part of Kauai may seem more like Mexico — bone dry and white hot, with brown sugarcane fields and prickly kiawe trees. But 4,000 feet up the hill you'll find cool remnants of precontact Hawaii in Kokee State Park, a pristine stretch of native forests above the Na Pali Coast, where Kokee Lodge rents clean and comfortable cabins with wood-burning stoves. The Nualolo and Awaawapuhi trails drop several thousand feet through feathery red-flowered native ohi'a forests to phenomenal clifftop views of the ocean and valley below. Next door to Kokee is 2,857-foot-deep Waimea Canyon, where the hike down — and up — the super-steep Kukui Trail is a backbreaker, but reveals stellar views and a trippy red-rock landscape.

—Alex, 05/23/07