Beautiful and stunning coastline made world-famous by several well-known movies, including King Kong, Jurassic Park, and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the Nā Pali Coast on the beautiful island of Kauai, Hawaii is truly a sight to behold. Its uniquely jagged and forested landscape gives it an otherworldly vibe, not likely found anywhere on the Mainland. Inaccessible by car, and reachable/visible only by boat, helicopter, or a 22-mile “generally challenging” round-trip hike, it is part of Kauai left relatively untouched by man.
Located on the northwestern side of the island, the Nā Pali coast is 17 miles of stunning, sacred land, and is one of Kauai’s most famous tourist attractions. Highly revered in Hawaiian culture, it has been left fairly untouched, appearing much like when ancient Hawaiians inhabited this rugged coastline. Along with beautiful and spectacular “pali” or cliffs, there are gorgeous waterfalls, flowing streams, fascinating sea caves, hidden beaches solely accessible via boat or hike, and even extensive stone-walled terraces left behind in deep valleys by the ancient Hawaiians.
Located approximately 2.5 hours – by boat – from Port Allen, the cliffs are part of the Nā Pali Coast State Wilderness Park. This is the port we departed from, as it’s one of only two main ports used to visit the Nā Pali Coast (the other is Hanalei). Due to its extreme popularity, hiking the trail within the park requires “advance reservations”, so you cannot simply show up and expect to hike. Also, take my advice, it’s best to book a boat or helicopter tour as far in advance as possible. We very ignorantly thought we could easily book once arriving to Kauai and had to search extensively to find an available tour.
Thankfully, luck was with us, and we were able to find a 6-hour boat tour with Capt. Andy’s, which I highly recommend. The tour is quite pricey at $250 per person, however, it’s 6 hours and includes snorkeling (water patterns and weather permitting), a tour of the Nā Pali coastline with narration and info on Hawaiian history, a nice lunch, an open bar, and the chance for whale and dolphin watching. Sadly, luck was not on our side with the snorkeling, but it was with the dolphins and whales, and we even got to see a baby humpback whale breeching!
Very important note: The sea around the Nā Pali coast can get very rough, especially during the winter months when the winds have picked up. We visited in February and it was extremely choppy. I unfortunately got very sea sick, which was NOT a fun time 🤢. I completely missed the lunch and open bar 👎🏼. So, best to not be like me, and make sure to bring some Dramamine just in case!!
Overall, no trip to Kauai, Hawaii would ever be complete without a visit to the Nā Pali Coast. By land, by sea, or by air, it should be at the top of any “must see” list. It’s an extraordinarily beautiful and unique coastline, one that will deeply touch your soul and leave you in a state of “wow”. It’s simply a cannot miss opportunity. Just make sure to pack that Dramamine!
