Visitors to Limahuli Garden will be delighted by soaring peaks carved by centuries of wind and rain. Tours of these magnificent 17 acres of garden and rainforest portray unbridled beauty mixed with fascinating Hawaiian culture. Not just about the breathtaking setting between the intense green volcanic mountains and the deep blue Pacific Ocean, the garden is very active in restoring both the culture and the ecology of Limahuli Valley, using ancient Hawaiian practices. The garden also offers professionally-guided tours from Tuesday-Friday, and on Sunday. Reservations are required for the guided tours.
Limahuli Garden and Preserve is set in a verdant tropical valley on the north shore of the Hawaiian Island of Kaua`i. The Garden is backdropped by the majestic Makana Mountain and overlooks the Pacific Ocean. In Hawaiian, the name Limahuli means "turning hands," which recognizes the ancient Hawaiians who built agricultural terraces out of lava rock and planted cultivars of kalo (taro), an important cultural food crop. These and other plants that were significant to the early inhabitants, as well as native species, make up the Garden's collections. The property includes a plantation-era garden, as well as invasive species that were introduced by modern man. Limahuli Stream, one of the last pristine waterways left in the Islands, provides a habitat for indigenous aquatic life.
Set in a lush tropical valley surrounded by towering peaks sculpted by eons of wind and rain, Limahuli Garden offers visions of incomparable natural beauty and intriguing antiquity. Walk through lava rock terraces built by Limahuli's early inhabitants and see the taro that still thrives there. Learn about the native plants of Hawai'i, the plants brought to the islands by voyaging Polynesians, and the flowers and fruits introduced during Hawaii's plantation era. Find enchantment in legends of the Valley and the ancient rocks that watch over it. Take away a love for the land and a sense of having stepped into the past.