Kauai's Na Pali Coast From the Water, Valley by Valley

How the coast is laid out

DLNR, the state's land department, describes the pali, or cliffs, as deep, narrow valleys that end abruptly at the sea. Streams keep cutting the valleys while the sea carves cliffs at their mouths. From a boat that reads as a row of green ridges, each with a notch of valley and sometimes a beach at its foot.

On land, one trail reaches part of it. The Kalalau Trail starts at Haena State Park on the north shore and runs 11 miles to Kalalau. Wikipedia says the coast between Kalalau Beach and Polihale cannot be reached on foot at all, only by boat or helicopter. That western stretch is the part a boat from Port Allen reaches first.

Polihale: where the road ends

Polihale State Park is the western end of the coast and the last place a car can reach. It is a long beach backed by dunes, with views up to the first high sea cliffs. The road in is an unimproved dirt track, and DLNR warns that rental car companies may bar their cars from it. It also warns of strong offshore currents.

You pass it on the way out from Port Allen, and from the deck there is no dirt road to drive. Every place in this post is marked on the Kauai sailing map.

Milolii: the valley you can only sail to

Milolii is reachable only by boat. A channel through the reef lets kayaks land on its sand beach, and campers with a permit may stay there in summer. DLNR keeps shelters with picnic tables and a composting toilet there. It is also illegal for anyone to run a commercial boat drop-off to it, so no sailing trip offers one.

Nualolo: the one raft landing

Nualolo Kai is the only place on the coast where motorized raft tours may land passengers, according to DLNR. Those permitted rafts stop for a snorkel, lunch and a guided walk through an archaeological complex. Kayaks may not land here. From a catamaran you see the beach and the reef offshore; you do not step onto them.

Honopu: seen, never landed

Honopu is one of the beaches DLNR names where kayak landings are banned. It is a sight from the water only. The cliffs along this stretch are cut with sea caves, but DLNR publishes no list of their names, and we do not guess them. What the caves are, and why catamarans stay outside them, is on the page on the Na Pali caves.

Kalalau: the valley at the end of the trail

Wikipedia says the state park was formed to protect Kalalau Valley. Hikers reach it at the end of the 11-mile trail; kayakers may land there with a camping permit. Camping costs US$35 a night for a non-resident, and DLNR warns that permits often sell out well in advance, above all in summer. There is no drinking water, trash service or phone signal anywhere in the park.

From the deck, Kalalau is where you see the stone terraces DLNR describes on the valley floors, where Hawaiians once grew taro. Look for the level steps at the valley mouth as you pass.

Hanakoa and Hanakapiai: the trail's end of the coast

Hanakoa lies about 6 miles in from the trailhead, a stop for hikers who carry a Kalalau permit. Hanakapiai is 2 miles in, the farthest a day hiker may go without one. Kayaks may not land at Hanakapiai. These are the valleys closest to the north shore. Whether a boat from Port Allen gets this far east depends on the day's sea.

• Park hours on land: 7:00 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. daily.
• Entry by land: an advance reservation at Haena State Park, US$5 a person plus US$10 a vehicle for parking, for non-residents.
• Beyond Hanakapiai: a camping permit, whether or not you camp.

How to watch the coast from the deck

You will see more if you know what to look for. On the way out, watch the shore change from dunes to cliff as you pass the end of the road. Once the ridges start, count the notches: each one is a valley, and each valley mouth may hold a beach, a waterfall after rain, or the level lines of old terraces.

• Sit on the shore side. On the way out that is the right-hand side of the boat.
• Bring binoculars. The terraces and the beaches are far off, and the boat keeps its distance.
• Keep your camera dry. Spray reaches the front deck on most days.
• Ask the crew. They tell the coast's history and legends as you pass.

What decides how far your boat goes

No listing promises a turning point. The captain reads the swell and the wind on the day. Kauai Sea Tours may take its boats along the south coast instead when the sea demands it. Holo Holo says any change of route is announced at check-in, and what to pack for either is in the visitors guide. The months when the sea is kindest, and the facts behind them, are on Kauai weather by month. For the coast's odder stories, read the facts most passengers never hear.

Two sailings from Port Allen suit this post's reader. The morning snorkel and sail on Leila adds a reef swim at $292 a person; the Na Pali evening aboard Lucky Lady runs the coast in the late light at $222 a person.

Boats that run the coast from the west

Kauai’s Na Pali Coast Snorkel and Sail Tour

Five hours from Port Allen on a 50-foot sailing catamaran: breakfast, the Na Pali cliffs from the water, a snorkel stop with gear and instruction, then lunch, with beer and wine once the snorkelling is done. From age 5, up to 41 aboard.

From $292 per person

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Kauai: Deluxe Na Pali Sunset Cruise aboard Lucky Lady

Five hours on a 60-foot catamaran from Port Allen in the afternoon: the Na Pali Coast towards sunset, dinner on board and an open bar with mai tais for over-21s. No swimming on this one; children from age 3.

From $222 per person

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Kauai: Napali Coast Sunset Sailboat Tour with Dinner

Four and a half hours from Port Allen on a sailing catamaran: appetisers on the way out, dinner on board and a champagne toast at sunset. Cancel free up to 7 days ahead.

From $247 per person

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