Paparoa National Park is the reason Punakaiki feels so lush and enclosed. Behind the coast are limestone ridges, caves, river valleys, and dense rainforest, much of it shaped by the same rock that makes the Pancake Rocks so strange.
Casual visitors can get a good taste on short walks around the village. Strong walkers and mountain bikers can use Punakaiki as one end of the Paparoa Track, a multi-day route through the park's inland country.