Fern
Grotto
Take a fun and informative
boat ride up Kauai's Wailua River to get to Kauai's
oldest and most popular visitor attraction, Fern Grotto.
The grotto is an unusual cave-like rock formation filled
with giant cascading maidenhair ferns.
A great way to visit
the Fern Grotto is to cruise up the Wailua River. At
the grotto, you will be serenaded by Hawaiian musicians
playing traditional, local songs. The acoustics within
this natural amphitheater are fanatastic and greatly
enhance the singing and guitar accompaniment. The trip
up this historic and sacred river takes about 40 minutes
via a long flat bottom riverboat. Boats depart from
the south side of the river every 30 minutes. The Wailua
River is the only navigable river in Hawaii and, along
with the cruise boats, kayakers, motor boats and water
skiers "go with the flow". On the way to the
Fern Grotto, you will encounter numerous photo opportunities
of the tropical gasslands lining the river and cloud-capped
Mt. Waialeale looming in the background.
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No
photo because no photo can do justice to the Fern
Grotto.
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Directions:
Take Highway 56 north toward Wailua. Cruise boats and
kayak rentals are located on the south side of the Wailua
River (before crossing the bridge).
You can also take
a cruise to the Fern Grotto.
Useful
Information:
- Fern Grotto is accessible
via tour boats or kayak. However, the main boat dock
at the grotto is reserved for the tour boats.
- Beautiful scenery along the
river and at the grotto.
- Cruise trip up the river to
the grotto takes about 40 minutes.
- Short, paved walk from the
dock to the fern-draped grotto.
Fern
Grotto Weddings
The Fern Grotto is a most romantic
setting for a wedding in paradise. The wedding couple,
guests, photographer, officiate, conch shell blower,
wedding coordinator and whoever else the couple might
want in the wedding ceremony meet at the Wailua Marina
State Park. From there they board one of the Wailua
River Cruise boats used for weddings. If the wedding
couple is having cake and sparkling wine toast for their
celebration, the wedding coordinator sets up a table
with linens, champagne flutes, plates, silverware, and
ice bucket on the boat. The scenic ride up the Wailua
River takes about 15 to 20 minutes. From there the wedding
party takes a short walk up to the Fern Grotto where
the bride and groom can choose where they want there
wedding ceremony to take place. The Fern Grotto is also
a wonderful place for wedding photos. On the trip back
to the marina, the newlyweds cut their cake and share
in the sparkling wine toast with guests while more photos
are being taken.
Call (800) 759-3238 or email
Carole for more information.
Click
here for information on vacation
package departure
dates and pricing.
