The Nā Pali Coast is the dramatic northwestern face of Kauaʻi — 27 kilometres of sheer green cliffs plunging straight into the Pacific, cut by deep valleys where waterfalls drop hundreds of metres to meet the sea. No road reaches it. You access it either on foot, by kayak in summer, or by boat or helicopter tour operating from Port Allen and Lihue.
The main land access is the Kalalau Trail, 17 km each way from the trailhead at Ke'e Beach on the north shore. The first two miles to Hanakāpīʻai Beach are walkable as a day hike and stunning; the full trail to Kalalau Valley requires a permit and a multi-day commitment, but rewards with total seclusion and one of the most beautiful beaches in Hawaii. Sea kayaking from Haʻena to Kalalau is possible in summer when swells are manageable and is a classic Kauaʻi adventure for experienced paddlers.
Boat tours from Port Allen run along the coast most mornings, offering views of the cliffs, sea caves, and spinner dolphins that are impossible from land. Helicopter tours provide the aerial perspective that made this coastline famous as the backdrop for Jurassic Park — you fly over the valleys, past the waterfalls, and along the cliff faces at close range.