In the early days, seafaring Hawaiians used canoes to travel around Kauai and Ni'ihau. Regular traffic in trade was common between the people of Ni'ihau and the many who made their homes in the Na Pali valleys. In the early 1900s when the last Hawaiian settlers to reside in the Na Pali departed, local trade fell off giving rise in the mid 1900s to the tourist trade and the commercial cruise boats that now navigate the scenic coast.
A cruise along the majestic Na Pali Coast aboard a twin-hulled catamaran, motorized inflatable raft, sailboat or cabin cruiser is one of Kauai's premiere activities. The towering pinnacles, hidden valleys and mysterious sea caves of Na Pali are isolated from civilization and known as one of the grandest wilderness areas in the Pacific.
No vehicular traffic is allowed on the Na Pali Coast. To reach the valleys and sea caves that define the coast, you must hike the rigorous Kalalau Trail, paddle a kayak, which is largely a summer activity (in the winter high swells make paddling difficult), or book a ride on a commercial tour boat. Hanakapiai and Kalalau are well-known Na Pali Coast State Park destinations. National Geographic Traveler recently featured Kalalau Beach as one of America's Top 40 beaches. Honopu, with its famous arch, Nualolo and Milolii with their fringing reefs are also well storied.
The shoreline area of Nualolo Aina was once a fishing village ringed by steep sea cliffs. At the eastern point of the bay is a high vertical sea cliff. It was up the face of this cliff that a trail made of a series of rope ladders once led to the heavily terraced valley on the plateau above.
The Hanging Valley, its floor 150 feet above the twin beaches of Honopu, is the subject of a modern legend concerning the Valley of the Lost Tribe. In 1922, visiting archaeologists found several skulls thought to be primitive, pre-Hawaiian people. Later studies of the valley and its artifacts have determined all of its residents were clearly Hawaiian, but the legend, so much more interesting than the truth, endures.
Your choice of tours will depend on your itinerary and how adventurous you feel. Most boat companies launch from Westside harbors, though several small companies are permitted to depart from Hanalei. Some offer cocktails and dinner, some cruise to Ni'ihau, and most stop for snorkeling and/or SCUBA diving. During the winter season (from December through April) when humpback whales frequent Kauai waters, expect to see these playful dirigibles of the deep putting on a show along with dolphins, sea turtles and other sea creatures.
