Kauai's boats leave from two harbours on opposite sides of the island, and the coast they sail to has its own rules on who may land. Before you compare Kauai catamaran tours, find your harbour, then the coast west to east.
Port Allen is on the south-west shore, at Hanapepe Bay. Nawiliwili is on the east side, the harbour for Lihue. By sea they are about 20 nautical miles apart.
Every Na Pali trip leaves from Port Allen. Only the 90-minute sunset cruise leaves from Nawiliwili, and it stays on the bay and the river.
Most visitors fly into Lihue Airport, on the east side. From there Nawiliwili is close, and Port Allen is the longer drive west.
Port Allen Marina Center is at 4353 Waialo Road in Eleele. The Na Pali operators each have an office in the complex, and you check in at your own operator's desk.
Parking can be tight, so give yourself a few spare minutes. No trip from here includes hotel pickup; you drive or take a taxi.
On 28 September 2026, Holo Holo Charters said its tours were still paused while it waited for a report on the harbour ramp and finished annual maintenance. Check your operator's own page before you drive over.
The bay cruise boards the Kalapaki Kai II at Nawiliwili Small Boat Harbor. It uses slip 100, the one closest to the US Coast Guard station, and parking there is free.
From the harbour the boat crosses the bay past Kalapaki Beach and Ninini Point. Then it goes up the Huleia River, past the Alekoko Fishpond and the wildlife refuge, and back for sunset.
From Port Allen the Na Pali boats head west along the south-west shore. The morning snorkel sail passes the coastline of Polihale State Park, where the road ends and the cliffs begin.
On a rough day, Kauai Sea Tours may reroute the Lucky Lady to the south coast instead. The captain tells you at check-in.
Beyond Polihale, the coast is Napali Coast State Wilderness Park. Its beaches have different rules, and they are the reason most boats never touch shore.
From Nualolo Kai, the old village the rafts visit, the coast runs on to Kalalau. The Kalalau Trail climbs out from Haena State Park, at the north-shore end, and reaches the beach after 11 miles.
Na Pali trips from Port Allen, and the bay cruise from Nawiliwili, side by side.
DLNR says the only legal ways to reach the shore here are on foot or by boat. Of the boats, only the permitted rafts put passengers ashore, and only at the old village. No catamaran offers a beach landing.
| Place, west to east | Who may land | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Polihale | Reached by road; the beach park | All year when open; swim only in calm summer sea |
| Milolii | Kayaks; camping by permit | 15 May to 7 September |
| Nualolo Kai | The permitted rafts only; no kayaks | When the weather allows |
| Honopu | Nobody by kayak | None |
| Kalalau | Kayaks with a camping permit; hikers | Kayaks 15 May to 7 September |
| Hanakapiai | Hikers with a park entry reservation; no kayaks | All year when open |
| Any beach, by catamaran | No | Never |
It is also illegal to run a commercial drop-off at the Kalalau or Milolii camping areas. If a boat offers one, it is operating without a permit. To go inside the sea caves you need a raft, not a catamaran.
Port Allen Marina Center, Eleele, Kauai
Zoom out for Nawiliwili and the Na Pali Coast
The map loads from Google only when you press the button. Nawiliwili is on the east coast, by Lihue; the Na Pali cliffs run along the north-west.
The landing rules and the park are DLNR's, checked 28 September 2026. The offices and meeting points are the operators' own pages and listings, and the distance between the harbours is from Wikipedia.
Five hours from Port Allen with breakfast and a deli lunch, a reef snorkel with gear and a waterslide, and sails when the wind allows. Cancel free up to 7 days ahead.
From $274 per person
Check Availability
Four to five hours from Port Allen on a 50-foot catamaran that sails when the wind allows: mai tais on the way out, dinner as the sun sets and a champagne toast. Up to 41 aboard.
From $263 per person
Check Availability
Ninety minutes from Nawiliwili on the bay and up the Huleia River at sunset, with the captain's stories, wine, beer and cocktails. It does not go to the Na Pali Coast.
From $114 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: read the visitors guide, see things to do, or compare every boat on Kauai Sailing Tours.