Port Allen Kauai: The Harbor, Its Boat Tours and How to Get There

What the Harbor Is

Port Allen Small Boat Harbor sits on the eastern shore of Hanapepe Bay on Kauai's south coast, in the census-designated place of Eleele. The state Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation gives it 34 berths, 6 moorings, a 2-lane launch ramp 30 feet wide, a loading dock and restrooms. It is 20 nautical miles from Nawiliwili Harbor at Lihue. The harbor office number listed by DLNR is 808-335-8400.

The name is not the original one. The site was first called Eleele Landing. Around 1909 the owner of the Kauai Railway terminal renamed it for Samuel Clesson Allen, a Honolulu businessman who backed the port. A quirk of history: lumber for the 1935 Civilian Conservation Corps camp at Kokee was floated in saltwater and brought ashore here. The breakwall protecting the harbor dates to the 1930s, and Hurricane Iwa demolished the harbor facilities in 1982 before they were rebuilt.

• 34 berths and 6 moorings
• A 2-lane 30-foot-wide launch ramp and a loading dock
• Restrooms at the harbor
• 20 nautical miles from Nawiliwili

Na Pali Tours That Check In at Port Allen

Several operators list check-in addresses on Waialo Road in Eleele: Holo Holo, Kauai Sea Tours, Blue Dolphin, Captain J's and Capt Andy's catamarans. The prices below are the US dollar card prices on this site, per person. Capt Andy's catamaran check-in is 7:15 AM and Kauai Sea Tours' Lucky Lady snorkel check-in is 6:45 AM.

Other times are marked not stated.

The Boats Themselves

The fleets differ. Holo Holo's Leila is a 50-foot motorized sailing catamaran built on Kauai. Kauai Sea Tours runs the Lucky Lady Deluxe, a 60-foot sailing catamaran with freshwater showers, a slide and a swim platform, and the Lady Kailani, a 65-foot dual-engine catamaran with 360-degree views, a walk-up bar and two water slides.

Its 'Imiloa Express is a 40-foot catamaran with a 1000 HP engine that reaches 30 knots. Blue Dolphin runs custom-built 65-foot catamarans with a waterslide. Captain J's launched two 37-foot Super Rafts in 2021 and 2022, each carrying up to 28 passengers.

Makana's Amelia K is a 47-foot powered catamaran with two restrooms, carrying up to 36 guests by Makana's figure while the booking listing says up to 32. Meals, snorkel gear and hotel pickup are not universal: hotel pickup is not offered on any tour on this site, and food is included only where the tour card says so, so read each card before you book.

Drive Times

From Poipu the drive to Port Allen is 14 miles and about 30 minutes. Lihue is 13 miles from Poipu at about 25 minutes. Route 50 runs 17 miles east from Hanapepe to Lihue and 6 miles northwest to Waimea, so the harbor sits on the main south road.

Hawaii Guide puts Port Allen about 30 minutes from the south shore and 1 hour 45 minutes from the north shore. Remember that Kauai's main road does not circle the island, so there is no coastal shortcut from the north. If you are staying near Princeville, the drive from Lihue is 31 miles and about 51 minutes before you even start the south shore leg.

Waialo Road and Arriving for a Dawn Check-in

The operator check-ins cluster on Waialo Road in Eleele. Holo Holo and Kauai Sea Tours use Port Allen Marina Center at 4353 Waialo Road, and Captain J's checks in at the store at the end of Waialo Road. Makana Charters parks guests at its warehouse and shuttles them down to the Amelia K, with the meeting point given in the booking confirmation.

No Port Allen parking price is available, so ask the operator when you book. Kikiaola Small Boat Harbor, two miles west of the Waimea River mouth near Kekaha, is a different harbor, where Capt Andy's lists parking at $20 for 8 hours. For a 6:45 AM check-in like the Lucky Lady snorkel, allow for the drive from the south shore, about 30 minutes from the resorts per Hawaii Guide.

Hawaii Guide advises confirming the vessel, check-in address and operating status with the operator before you drive. No Port Allen tour on this site includes hotel pickup, so you need your own car or a booked transfer.

The Dated Facts

Hurricane Lowell closed all Kauai state parks from September 8, 2026, including the Na Pali Coast. The storm surge dismantled part of Port Allen's breakwall, which was built in the 1930s. At least five vessels sank at the harbor, and about 100 people depend on it for their living. The Hanapepe Bay road washed out with boulders across the breakwater. Slips and moorings were closed with extensive damage.

The launch ramp reopened on October 2, 2026, in the afternoon, after an engineering inspection and a sonar survey. DOBOR's notices page records a limited reopening with the ramp operational and slips and moorings closed. Kikiaola Small Boat Harbor, the other Na Pali departure point, is listed by DLNR as closed until further notice. Holo Holo extended cancellations through September 26 after the hurricane, and Capt Andy's, Holo Holo, Blue Dolphin and Kauai Sea Tours were reported assessing before resuming.

What to Confirm Before You Go

This page cannot tell you the harbor is open today and cannot predict any reopening date, because no source gives one. Before you drive to Waialo Road, confirm with the operator that the trip runs, which vessel it uses, and the exact check-in address, since Hawaii Guide recommends exactly that. The Port Allen Harbor Office number from DLNR is 808-335-8400 if you want the harbor status from the state.

The Holo Holo cards carry free cancellation up to 7 days while the Kauai Sea Tours cards carry 24 hours. For the tours that normally leave Kikiaola, such as the Zodiac Raft Sea Caves and Snorkel, read the Kikiaola Harbor page before assuming the departure point.

Hanapepe Town

Hanapepe had 2,678 residents in the 2020 census and covers 1.03 square miles. Its main street keeps plantation-style buildings from the 1930s and 40s, and at least eight galleries line it. Hanapepe Art Night runs Fridays 5-8 p.m. with galleries, food trucks and entertainment.

The Hanapepe Swinging Bridge dates to 1911, spans 194 feet and crosses the Hanapepe River. Hurricane Iniki nearly destroyed it in 1992 and it was restored by 1996. Hanapepe inspired Kokaua Town in Disney's Lilo & Stitch, and the Talk Story bookstore claims to be the westernmost bookstore in the United States.

A farmers market runs Thursdays 3-4 p.m. at Hanapepe Park. The town also carries heavier history: the 1924 Hanapepe massacre was an armed labor dispute involving sugar workers.

Salt Pond Beach Park

At Salt Pond Beach Park, Hawaiian families evaporate seawater in pans dug into red soil to make sea salt in summer. Twenty-two families practice salt making through Hui Hana Paakai O Hanapepe. The beach itself has gentle waves and tide pools.

Hurricane Lowell pushed sand into the Hanapepe salt beds and made the clay too porous to seal, so check local conditions before you plan a visit around the salt harvest.

Glass Beach

Wikipedia places Glass Beach in Hanapepe's industrial area.