Take The Slow Road Through Hawaii On This Captivating Country Drive

Throughout the Hawaiian Islands, you will find unsurpassed natural beauty everywhere you go. While some wonders can only be seen via strenuous hiking trails or crazy expensive helicopter tours, others simply require a vehicle. Even though we can’t take a traditional road trip like our friends on the mainland, the Hawaiian Islands are home to several incredibly stunning backroads just waiting for our next scenic drive — including this off-the-beaten-path gem.

Oahu’s remote northwestern coast is as beautiful as it gets, and we can’t wait to share with you this drive that meanders from one of our favorite coffee shops on the island of Oahu past beaches and airfields to the trailhead for a can’t-miss hike. Ready for a picture-perfect day?

The entire drive measures in at just 14 miles and 23 minutes of drive time, making it perfect for a leisurely weekend morning.

Your adventure will begin in the middle of Oahu, at Green World Coffee Farm.

Tucked between two Hawaii state highways just outside Wahiawa is Green World Coffee Farm, a quirky coffee shop with local coffee, tea, espresso drinks, and a variety of baked goods. With painted green walls full of hilarious coffee signs, prints, and memorabilia, Green World is part coffee shop, part working farm and roastery, part retail store — and 100 percent amazing. Grab a cup of coffee, or some beans to take home, and bring on the exploration.

From Green World, you will head northwest along Kaukonahua Road through the countryside to the small town of Waialua, where the road becomes Farrington Highway.

Follow the highway along the coast, past Mokuleia Beach and Dillingham Airfield. Roll down your windows as you listen to the waves crash against the shore, and look out for skydivers above.

Once the pavement ends, you've arrived at your final destination: the trailhead for Kaena Point.

This untamed state park encompasses the rugged and wild coastline of the northwestern tip of Oahu and is full of natural beauty and hidden gems, including heart-shaped rocks, tide pools, stunning cliff faces, and a natural reserve area created to protect nesting albatrosses, Hawaiian monk seals, and the fragile native vegetation.

Enjoy a five-mile round trip hike from the end of the road to the point where you can witness the natural beauty of Oahu’s north and west shores at once, and don’t forget your camera!

With scrumptious coffee, stellar views, and an unparalleled trail you’ll never forget, what more could you ask for? This country drive makes for one epic day in paradise!

Have you driven this stretch of country road before? Where’s your favorite place to get away from it all in Hawaii — and especially on the island of Oahu? Share your go-to places to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life in the comments below!