Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Captain Jack Sparrow and his crew search for the Fountain of Youth in this 2010 installation of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise, "On Stranger Tides."  Much of this movie was filmed on Kauai in Hawaii.  

One of the filming sights on Kauai is this scene where Jack is forced to jump from a waterfall: Jumping from Kilauea Falls 

Kilauea Falls is located here:  Kilauea Falls

Honopu Arch

My very favorite part of this movie is the fact that Honopu Arch plays a prominent role in the scenes shot in Hawaii.  Captain Jack Sparrow discovers Honopu Beach in this scene:  Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides at Honopu Arch

On the island of Kauai in Hawaii is a famous arch that has appeared in many movies through the years, including Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Honeymoon in Vegas.  It was perhaps most prominent in the 1976 version of King Kong, where the crew made camp right beside the arch and many views were provided of the arch throughout the movie.  In a movie called Acapulco Gold, a helicopter flies through the arch.  Here is a behind-the-scenes clip shot on Honopu Beach:  The Making of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Honopu Arch is only accessible by air or sea.  There are no roads or hiking trails to it.  You can swim to it from a boat or nearby beach, or you can view it on a helicopter tour.  

The arch is located here:  Honopu Arch

Notice the waterfall next to Honopu Arch.  Dwan runs to this waterfall after running through the arch in the movie.

The arch has sand on either side of it

the top of Honopu Arch

Na Pali Coast, Kauai

The Na Pali Coast is featured as a backdrop in this movie.  Here is another making-of-the film showing the Na Pali Coast:  Behind the Scenes Pirates On Stranger Tides

The Na Pali Coast

King Kong

King Kong, 1976

The cinematography in the 1976 version of King Kong leaves much to be desired compared to cinematography today, but I can easily overlook that because of the fact that a large part of the film was shot at Honopu Beach with Honopu Arch in view.  Here is a scene of their arrival at "Skull Island," which was filmed at Honopu Beach:  arrival at Skull Island

We visited Kauai in April of 2026 and went on a helicopter tour, where we were able to see Honopu Beach and Honopu Arch from above.  I look forward to someday returning to Kauai to take a boat trip so that I can walk on the beach and walk through the arch, as Dwan and Jack do.  From above I could also see the waterfall that is next to the arch and appears in the movie.

Honopu Arch

On the island of Kauai in Hawaii is a famous arch that has appeared in many movies through the years, including Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.  It was perhaps most prominent in the 1976 version of King Kong, where the crew made camp right beside the arch and many views were provided of the arch throughout the movie.  It also appeared in movie Honeymoon in Vegas.  In a movie called Acapulco Gold, a helicopter flies through the arch.

Honopu Arch is only accessible by air or sea.  There are no roads or hiking trails to it.  You can swim to it from a boat or nearby beach, or you can view it on a helicopter tour.  

The arch is located here:  Honopu Arch

Notice the waterfall next to Honopu Arch.  Dwan runs to this waterfall after running through the arch in the movie.

The arch has sand on either side of it

the top of Honopu Arch

Na Pali Coast, Kauai

The Na Pali Coast stands in for Skull Island.  We went on a helicopter tour of Kauai and enjoyed breathtaking views of the Na Pali Coast.  In the movie, a thick fog envelopes Skull Island, hiding it from the world.  Here is the scene of the arrival at Skull Island and the first view of the Na Pali Coast in the movie:  arrival at Skull Island

The Na Pali Coast