Many visitors to Kauai have plans to see the famous Napali Coastline. There are a few ways to see the incredible Napali Coastline. Kauai visitors can hike into the Napali, or they can take a boat into the Napali but both of these options often don’t give Kauai visitors the perspective that you can get only from a helicopter tour over the Napali. From the vantage point of a helicopter one can see the intersecting cliffs and valleys that make up the Napali and take in the magnitude of this special part of Kauai.

Napali in Hawaiian means the cliffs and that is certainly what is most striking about the Napali Coast. The Napali is located on Kauai’s northwestern shore. There are no roads into the Napali and it spans two distinct climate systems. On the north side of Kauai, the Napali starts at Ke’e Beach where the terrain is very lush and tropical. It spans to the Western shore of Kauai to Polihale where the terrain is dry and arid. This unique aspect to Napali makes for very interesting flora and fauna in the different valleys of the Napali. Coast.

The main valleys and points of interest on the Napali starting from the Haena at the end of the road on the north shore of Kauai start with Ke’e beach. Ke’e beach is a special lagoon where one of the most famous heiaus (temple) in Hawaii. It is considered by many experts to be the birthplace of hula. The next main valley is Hanakapiai. Hanakapiai has a big beach in the summer time and no beach in the wintertime. Many hikers drowned here because they are hot and tired from the hike in and the ocean can look deceptively calm but usually has extreme undertows and strong surf. Up the valley from the beach at Hanakapiai is Hanakapiai falls which is one of Kauai’s most beautiful waterfalls. From a helicopter tour you can see the full drop of this waterfall, which is simply amazing. The next main valley is Hanakoa. Hanakoa is best known for its falls as well. Legend has it that young Hawaiian boys were sent up to Hanakoa falls to complete their warrior training. After Hanakoa Falls there are a number of interesting land formations especially along the coastline. There are the pirate caves, which are large lava tubes that you can actually drive a small boat thru, and the paddler’s arch which is a eroded arch with a small waterfall going thru it. These are only a few examples out of many of the intriguing land formations that abound along this stretch.

The next main valley is probably the most famous of all the valleys along the Napali Coastline, it is the Kalalau Valley. Kalalau Valley is the end of the hiking trail and is the widest of the valleys along the Napali. Hawaiians used to live in this valley and there are many remains in lava rock terraces, fruit trees and heiaus. Above Kalalau is what is known as the spires, which are a number of pinnacle shaped cliff formations that resemble church steeples.

The next valley is Honopu. Honopu is a hanging valley that does come all the way to the coast but rather ends abruptly into a drop off. Honopu is best known for the Honopu arch, which is another large sea arch with a beach running through it. Rounding the corner the climate really starts to change to the arid western side of Kauai. Nualolo is the next valley and was also populated by Hawaiians. It was an important location for the Hawaiians to fish and grow Taro, and is now a popular place for tour ships to do their snorkeling tours. Lastly is the small valley of Miloli’i which lacks any of the lush foliage of the northern valleys of the Napali. The Napali officially ends at Polihale which is the western end of the road. The Napali Coastline is a rare gem in the world today and has remained pristine even in our modern times.