Molokai: The Hawaiian Island That Deliberately Stayed Small

Molokai has the highest percentage of Native Hawaiian residents of any island in the state, approximately 60%. That demographic reality shapes everything about visiting it. The island’s communities have consistently voted against large resort development, casino proposals, and the tourist infrastructure that defines Maui and Oahu. The result is an island that looks more like Hawaii in the 1970s than anything you’ll find elsewhere in the chain: a two-lane road, a main town with one grocery store, no traffic lights, and a population of around 7,000.

This is not a consolation prize. It is the point. If you want the full Hawaiian resort experience, go to Maui. If you want to understand what these islands looked like before they were remade for tourism, and you’re prepared to do without room service and a swim-up bar, Molokai is worth the trip.

Kalaupapa National Historical Park

Between 1866 and 1969, the Hawaiian government forcibly exiled people diagnosed with Hansen’s disease (leprosy) to the Kalaupapa Peninsula, a flat land mass on the island’s north coast cut off from the rest of Molokai by sea cliffs up to 1,010 metres, among the tallest in the world. Approximately 8,000 people were sent here over a century. Father Damien de Veuster, a Belgian priest who came voluntarily to serve the exiles in 1873 and died of the disease himself in 1889, was canonised by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.

The settlement is still standing. The last patient died in 2023. Access is regulated by the National Park Service; visitors must be aged 16 or older and must arrive on a guided tour. Independent access is not permitted. Tours are offered by Kalaupapa Rare Adventure and include the descent from the top of the sea cliffs and a full afternoon in the settlement. The descent options are by mule (the famous Kalaupapa mule ride, approximately $220 per person) or on foot via the same switchback trail ($65 for the guided component). Book weeks ahead.

Halawa Valley

Highway 450 follows the south coast for about 60km to the island’s eastern tip, ending at Halawa Valley. The valley was inhabited for at least 1,500 years and largely abandoned in the 1940s after a tsunami. Two waterfalls (Moaula, 60 metres, and Hipuapua, 250 metres) are accessible by guided hike through forest on private land. Guides are required and must be arranged locally; the walk is 4-6 hours round trip.

Papohaku Beach

On Molokai’s western end: 5 kilometres of white sand with almost no one on it. The western shore faces strong trade winds and there’s typically a rip current; swimming conditions are often marginal. But the empty beach extending in both directions with the mountains of Oahu barely visible on the horizon is the right introduction to Molokai’s scale of quiet.

The road to Papohaku passes the former Kaluakoi resort area, partially developed in the 1970s and now largely abandoned. The Sheraton pulled out in the 1980s; the hotel building is shuttered. The golf course is closed. It looks like the aftermath of what happens when you try to turn Molokai into something it wasn’t.

Where to Eat and Stay

Kanemitsu Bakery in Kaunakakai is a third-generation family bakery open since 1935, known for its evening bread line: from around 9pm, locals line up at the back door for fresh-baked sweetbread with various fillings. It is a genuine local institution.

Hotel Molokai in Kaunakakai (around $180-220/night) has bungalow-style rooms above the beach; the bar and restaurant are the social hub for visitors. Vacation rentals are the better option for multi-day stays: cottages from around $100-180/night with full kitchens.

Getting there: Mokulele Airlines turboprop from Honolulu to MKK (around $80-150, 25 minutes). A car is essential; book well ahead.