Adventure Towns: Waimea, Hawaii
Plan a long weekend getaway with our Waimea adventure guide, featuring great outdoor escapes, where to stay, and where to eat.
Pop. 7,028
GPS: 20°1N; 155°38W
While many Hawaiian hot-ticket towns have gone the way of destination resorts, sleepy Waimea remains an authentically local retreat. Ranching is the big moneymaker here, lending a singular saddle-meets-surfboard vibe. Paniolos—the storied breed of Hawaiian cowboys unique to the Big Island—cross paths with beach bums every morning at Waimea’s four farmers markets and on the high-mountain trails outside town.
PLAY
Saddle up on the trails through nearby Parker Ranch: 50,000 acres (20,234 hectares) of rolling hills set against mighty Mauna Kea ($79 for a two-hour trip;http://parkerranch.com/waimea/). Or ride the waves off of white-sand Kaunaoa Beach, which has reliable surf year-round. Nukumoi Surf Co. West Side rents boards ($25 a day; +1 808 338 1617).
EAT
Savor filet steak with Maui onion-marrow jam and hamakua farm mushroom sauté at Merriman’s (www.merrimanshawaii.com).
- National Geographic Expeditions
SLEEP
The Jacaranda Inn has cozy rooms with private porches framed by ivy and yellow hibiscus (doubles from $129; www.jacarandainn.com).
