Nā Pali Coast: Kauaʻi's Cathedral Cliffs and the Many Ways to See Them

Some places resist being reached, and Kauaʻi's Nā Pali Coast is proud of it. For seventeen miles along the island's northwest shore, fluted green cliffs plunge more than 4,000 feet into the sea, cut by hanging valleys and waterfalls and utterly untouched by any road. To see it, you go by boat, by air, or on foot.

By Sea and Sky

Catamaran and Zodiac tours leave from the west side, threading past sea caves and, in winter, spinner dolphins and humpback whales. Helicopter flights trade the salt spray for a bird's-eye sweep of Kalalau Valley and the interior's hidden waterfalls — the only way to glimpse the coast's most remote folds.

On Foot

The famous Kalalau Trail begins at Keʻe Beach and offers a punishing, unforgettable overland route for permitted backpackers. Even the first two miles to Hanakāpīʻai Beach deliver the drama, though the stream crossing and cliff-edge footing demand respect and dry weather.

There is no shortcut to Nā Pali, and the coast is all the more unforgettable for it.

If You Go

• Boat tours run mostly in summer; winter swells often shut them down
• Helicopter doors-off flights offer the widest valley views
• Kalalau Trail and Hāʻena State Park require advance reservations
• Never cross a swollen stream — flash floods are the real danger here

Pack light, leave early, and let the island set the pace.