Waimea Valley - Everything You Need to Know 2024 [4K Drone]

For more information about the valley visit https://www.waimeavalley.net/

We are headed to the north side of Oahu - Waimea Valley! The valley is about an hour from Waikiki. So, come along on this adventure.

Oahu has great public transportation, but I recommend taking a vehicle on this day trip.

Waimea Bay is a world renowned beach and any self respecting surfer has at least heard of Waimea Bay. We are going across the street from the famous bay to check out the valley. Waimea Valley! The valley contains the popular Waimea Waterfall’s and so much more. The valley has a botanical garden with 52 themes and is home to over 5000 types of tropical and subtropical plants, including native Hawaiian plants and globally endangered species. There are also historical sites and places to share Hawaiian culture and history. The stewards of the valley are dedicated to preserving and perpetuating the human, cultural and natural resources of Waimea for generations.

If you go on a Thursday you can watch a free outdoor movie on the lawn and grab some food from the Haleiwa Farmers Market. There are many activities offered at Waimea Valley and their website is really good. I have included a link in the description.

We were blessed with a little rain in the valley the day of our visit and the plants just came alive! The rain also increased the flow of the water from the waterfall and streams. If you are interested in greater details about the plant life in the valley a Botanical tour is offered daily. You can also purchase plants grown in the Valley and take a little piece of the valley home with you. Plants can even be ordered on-line and shipped right to your home.

The valley is beautiful and it is often used as a wedding venue. We walked through the Hawaiian garden collection featuring plants only found in Hawaii and other sections featuring flora from different parts of the world. I even found a little treat that I ate on the way to the waterfall.

There are several cultural sites in the valley and they are all well marked. There is also a section featuring a traditional Hawaiian living site for a high-ranking chief or priest. This section was really interesting because Hawaiians did not live in homes like we do today. They did not have multiple rooms under one roof. Each room was its own dwelling place called a hale which is translated to house or simple lean-to. I stopped by the men’s eating house for a visit and a few other hale’s. The entire site consisting of all of the structures is known as a kuahale. It was here that I talked to artisans and Hawaiian practitioners.

After my visit I got back on the trail to Waimea Falls. The trail is a little under a mile and it takes about 30 minutes if you don’t make any stops. But, it is virtually impossible to not stop somewhere. Something always catches my attention from the peacocks opening their feathers to chatting with people on the trail from all over the world. I always learn something in the valley.

When you get to the waterfall you will generally be allowed to swim, but the lifeguards make the final call based on safety protocols. The lifeguards will require you to wear a life vest and I would simply tell you to be careful when you enter to water because the rocks are really slippery. If the waterfall is full after a big rain it will be difficult to swim close to it because the force of the water pushes you away, but if you swim towards the waterfall from the right side it will be a little easier to get close to the falling water.

The water is cool and refreshing. You can stay until the valley closes at 5:00 p.m. or once you have had enough simply give your life vest back to the life guards and exit the way you came. There are several places on the property to purchase food and refreshments, but I usually go to Uncle Bo’s in Haleiwa. There are loads of food options in Haleiwa! You may even want to venture out to Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck or check out Da Bald Guy that was feathered on Netflix’s Street Food USA.

I recommend getting an early start if you are coming from Waikiki because there will likely be traffic and you can drive by some epic north shore beaches like Waimea, Sunset, Sharks Cove and Pipeline. Whatever, you decide enjoy! If you want to see more content like this let me know in the comments and please subscribe. Aloha!

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