Spouting Horn

Spouting Horn is a natural blowhole on Kauai's south shore near Lawai. As waves surge into an underwater lava tube, the water is forced up through a hole in the rock and bursts skyward in a plume that can reach dozens of feet on big days. A hissing, moaning sound accompanies the spray, and Hawaiian legend ties it to a giant lizard trapped in the tube. A viewing area with railings, a lookout and a craft market make it a quick and rewarding stop. It costs nothing to visit, and it pairs with Poipu Beach, Old Koloa Town and the Allerton Garden.

The blowhole sits on a low lava shelf at the end of a short road west of Poipu, with a paved viewing area set back safely from the spray. The effect depends on the swell and tide: when the ocean is calm the plume can be modest, but with a strong south swell, often in summer, the geyser leaps high and the roar carries across the parking lot.

A smaller second hole nearby makes a whistling sound that locals call the lizard's breath. Photographers time shots between sets of waves, and a long lens helps you capture the arc against the dark rock and bright sky.

The legend is part of the charm. In one telling, a giant lizard guarded the area and threatened people fishing until it was tricked into the lava tube and trapped, and the sound is its groaning. Whatever the story, signs ask visitors not to climb past the barriers, because waves and slippery rocks have injured people who ventured too near. Stay on the viewing platform, keep children close, and never turn your back on the ocean.

The visit is short, usually 20 to 40 minutes, but the surrounding area adds value. A row of vendors sells local crafts, jewelry and snacks, restrooms are nearby, and the coastline views to the west are lovely at sunset. Combine the stop with a morning snorkel at Poipu Beach, a visit to the National Tropical Botanical Garden's Allerton Garden or Old Koloa Town. It is also a good fallback on a day when other plans have been disrupted by weather, because it requires almost no preparation and works in sun or drizzle.

Because the stop is so short, it works well as a bookend to something longer. Go before a morning at the botanical gardens, after a snorkel at Poipu, or at the end of the day as the sky colors. Families with small children sometimes use it as a reward stop, and photographers return at different tides to compare the show. Remember that the display is entirely natural, so some days are spectacular and others are quiet, and a second visit can look completely different.