Our first stop was the Ahukini Pier which sits at the southern end of Hanamaʻulu Bay. It's an area which most tourists never see. To get there you need to take that other road (Ahukini Road) to the left when you enter the Līhuʻe Airport.
The pier was once an old landing formerly known as Ahukini Landing. It was here from here that the many sugar plantations that once were so prevalent on Kauai loaded their shipments to the mainland.
At one point it was the only location where large vessels could dock on Kauai. After World War II, a new and better harbor was constructed at Nāwiliwili Bay. That's where you see all the cruise ships docking today. The old Akukini Pier was abandoned and mostly dismantled in 1978.
The remnants of the pier remain, along with the old harbor beacon. The beach located some distance away remains a popular spot for locals.
Numerous films have used the pier and/or beach for filming. The most well known film made here is Donovan's Reef staring John Wayne. The film used the pier, breakwater with beacon light as well as the beach for various scenes. Other films that have used this location include Pagan Love Song; 6 Days, 7 Nights; To End All Wars and Voodoo Island.
