For visitors to the Hawaiian island of Kaua‘i, the stunning Nāpali Coast can be viewed by air and sea.
Helicopter and boat tours each offer a unique way to experience the region’s iconic waterfalls and narrow valleys framed by razor-backed ridges made of volcanic rock.
From Līhu‘e Airport, several operators offer doors-on and doors-off helicopter tours, which include flight time above the Nāpali Coast and the nearby Waimea Canyon, which has been called the Grand Canyon of Hawaiʻi.
Blue Hawaiian Helicopters is the only operator to provide tours from the much smaller Princeville Airport on the North Shore.
Catamaran and Zodiac style boat tours of the Nāpali Coast depart from Hanalei on the North Shore and Port Allen and Kekaha on the island’s southwestern coastline.
Visitors who prefer to rely on a paddle, rather than a motor or sail, can instead rent single and tandem kayaks. Local operators offer several sea kayak adventures that traverse different portions of the Nāpali Coast, with tours launching from Hāʻena to the north and Polihale State Park to the south.
Sea kayakers should be in good physical condition. Some paddling tours along the Nāpali Coast approach 17 miles in length, and may take more than five hours to complete. The effort is worth it with closeup views of waterfalls, lunch breaks at secluded beaches and pristine snorkeling sites.
Scuba tours also provide access to Mana Crack, an 11-mile-long sunken reef off the Nāpali Coast filled with grey reef sharks, whitetip sharks, eagle rays, barracudas and more. It is reportedly the furthest offshore dive site in Hawai‘i.
No matter if you choose to take flight with doors on or off, a helicopter tour will provide breathtaking bird’s-eye views of the Nāpali Coast unavailable to those with feet planted firmly on terra firma.
Experienced pilots will identify points of interest and share local history and culture over headsets worn by everyone onboard. Manawaiopuna Falls, a waterfall located on private land, is probably the most famous local feature visible only by helicopter: Its instantly recognizable for its appearance in the iconic 1993 film “Jurassic Park.”
On the Nāpali Coast, helicopter pilots often point out Honopū Arch, a distinctive feature on a beach seen in such Hollywood productions as “Six Days, Seven Nights” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.”
According to one often repeated story, an especially daring (or foolhardy) helicopter pilot in the 1970s accepted $100,000 from Hollywood producers to fly through the Honopū Arch not once, but twice.
Tour operators’ large catamarans and much smaller Zodiac style boats offer vastly different, but equally enjoyable experiences.
Catamarans feature upper and lower decks and bars from which crew members serve meals, snacks and hot and cold beverages, including coffee and refreshing cocktails.
Early morning and sunset tour options are widely available. Most packages include a snorkel stop and a “dolphin sighting guarantee.” Swimmers may see a wide variety of brightly colored fish and, if they are especially lucky, sea turtles.
Zodiac style boat tours also boast snorkel stops, meals and dolphin guarantees. Yet they are best suited for the adventurous, because the fast and agile watercraft can enter various sea caves found at the base of the Nāpali Coast’s towering sea cliffs.
Often fast-paced, these excursions provide an adrenaline rush not found on a more leisurely catamaran cruise.
Those who wish to explore the Nāpali Coast on foot must acquire the necessary reservations and permits before reaching the Kalalau trailhead located within Hā’ena State Park at the endpoint of Kūhiō Highway on the North Shore of Kaua‘i.
Whether you decide to enjoy the Nāpali Coast by foot, in the air or on the sparkling sea, you are sure to walk away with memories of an astonishing natural landscape that will last a lifetime.
