The now-defunct sugar mill that was the genesis of the town in the 1900s has been redeveloped to house a number of shops and businesses. You can still see the old smoke stack and plenty of history. The rambling Waialua Coffee – Island X Hawaii warehouse is stuffed full of everything from vintage aloha shirts to wooden handicrafts and pieces of original art.
In addition to buying its Waialua-local, estate-grown coffee as beans or grounds, you can pick up a hot cuppa joe (or shave ice) from a little coffee stand in the corner.
The North Shore Soap Factory features sugar-mill history displays. While you’re there, peek through the glass and watch the soap makers craft the all-natural bars they sell, made with local ingredients such as kukui (candlenut tree) nuts and coconut cream.
On Saturday and Wednesday mornings, the Waialua Farmers Market sets up in the sugar-mill parking lot. Surfboard-makers and craft vendors keep this market lively.
