Living in Princeville, Kauai

Sheer cliffs, sunsets at the Princeville Resort and world-class golf set the stage in Princeville, a Northshore Kauai community with a suburban feel and roots in sugar and cattle ranching. The renowned Makai Golf Club sits just after a statuesque marble fountain that forms Princeville’s grand entrance — a tribute to the community’s namesake Prince Albert Kamehameha, son of King Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma. A Robert Trent Jones, Jr., design, the course encompasses picturesque lakes, native trees and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean. Golf is just one of the amenities at Makai; it’s also a place for tennis and spa days, sunsets and dinner at the grill.

Princeville Path runs alongside Makai Golf Club and is about a two-mile path peppered with runners, families walking to the nearby Prince Albert Park or Princeville Center for shopping. Native Hawaiian geese (nene) often join walkers on the path, which boasts views of Namolokama Mountain’s cascading waterfalls and Makana Mountain, also known as Bali Hai.

Unincorporated and master-planned, the resort community began as a sugar plantation and transitioned into a cattle ranch in 1867. Development of a golf course and resorts started in 1968 with the creation of Princeville at Hanalei. Residents are represented in the Princeville at Hanalei Community Association which operates a community center with activities like art shows, pickleball, and bingo. The Association also has a patrol person touring the community and rules directed at parking, noise and commercial activities.

Upscale steakhouse dining, a tiki bar, coffee houses, and Mexican fusion are just a few of the restaurants at Princeville Center, and Hanalei offers additional options a little more than a mile down the road, after crossing over a one-lane bridge.

The population of Princeville is 2,158 and schools serving the area are Hanalei Elementary and Kapaa High, with private and charter options as well.