Na Pali Coast

It doesn’t matter how you experience this remote 15-mile expanse of Kauai coastline–just get here. Named for its 5-million year-old precipices standing guard against the Pacific, the Napali coast is one of Hawaii’s most astonishingly gorgeous sites. You can’t get here by car, nor can you top a lookout to take in all its splendor…but that doesn’t stop visitors from flocking to this famous natural wonder. Some could argue that the coast’s grand scale can only be fully appreciated from above–those lucky enough to take one of the many aerial tours of this spot might agree. But the region’s imposing beauty becomes spectacularly impressive from the sea, where passenger boats skirt the foot of the crags, discovering caves, waterfalls, and hidden beaches as sheer cliffs tower thousands of feet overhead. Then, there are those for whom nothing else will do but to feel the scenery beneath their feet. The Kalalau trail obliges with an easy start at Ke’e Beach followed by a 400-foot ascent that rewards hikers with an unforgettably dramatic vista. Whether discovered by air, water, or land, the Napali Coast hasn’t disappointed in millions of years…and probably never will.