Your Guide
Captain Keoni Ferreira
Meet your guide
Captain Keoni Ferreira
Born in Hanalei. 19 years on the Nā Pali coast. He holds the access permits nobody else can get.
→
⛵
Captain Keoni Ferreira
Born in Hanalei. Has operated Nā Pali coast tours for 19 years and holds the most restricted access permits in the state — sea caves, remote beaches, and arch passages that require Coast Guard coordination. Licensed USCG captain, marine naturalist certification through the Hawai'i Wildlife Fund.

The Nā Pali cliffs are 4,000 feet of fluted basalt descending directly to the ocean — no road access, no trail for most of the coast, nothing between you and the sea but the cliff face. The only way to see it properly is from the water. Keoni runs a rigid inflatable craft because it can go where catamarans can't: through the natural arch at Honopu Beach, into the bioluminescent Waikapalae wet cave by kayak, and to a remote beach near Miloli'i that's only accessible when the swell cooperates. Spinner dolphins escort almost every trip along this coast. In winter, humpbacks are in the channel.

What Your Day Looks Like

A sample itinerary

Early morning (7am)
Depart Port Allen. Keoni briefs the day based on current swell and wind conditions — he adjusts the route based on what's possible. The rigid inflatable is fast and low; you feel the water. He explains the geology as the cliffs rise: how the Nā Pali coast formed from a single volcanic shield, why the ridges are so sharp, why the valleys are so deep.
Late morning (8:30–12pm)
The coast in sequence: Hanakoa Valley (only reachable by boat or the 11-mile Kalalau Trail), the waterfall at Nu'alolo Kai (200 feet, active after rain), the arch at Honopu where the two beaches meet — you can't legally land there, but you can enter the arch. The bioluminescent Waikapalae cave by inflatable kayak: at the back of the cave, the plankton glow blue around your hands in the dark.
Midday and afternoon (12–3pm)
Private beach near Miloli'i. Keoni has the permit. Snorkel lunch on the boat and in the water — he knows the reef structure and takes you through the coral garden while the crew sets up food. Spinner dolphins have joined almost every trip for the past six years along this section. The return gives you the cliffs from a different angle in afternoon light.
What's Included

Everything is handled

✓ Private rigid inflatable boat (your group only)
✓ All sea cave and arch access permits
✓ Snorkel equipment and wetsuits
✓ Inflatable kayaks for wet cave entry
✓ Full catered lunch aboard (local fish, fruit, drinks)
✓ Marine naturalist narration throughout
Best For
◆ Adventure and ocean enthusiasts
◆ Photographers seeking dramatic coastal scenery
◆ Wildlife watchers (dolphins, whales seasonal, seabirds)
◆ Anyone who wants the most dramatic thing Kauai offers