Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [357]
The resort has many tables well-placed for watching the orange glint of the waters at sunset.
Harbor Café (Manele Boat Harbor; lunch $5-8; varies) Classic plate lunches, juicy teriyaki burgers and shave ice are on offer to locals and visitors looking for a deal. It’s in a breezy pavilion back from the ferry dock.
Hulopo’e Court (565-7700; Four Seasons Resort Lana’i at Manele Bay; breakfast buffet $32, dinner mains $28-40; 7-11am & 6-9:30pm) The ‘casual’ restaurant at the resort has a long terrace overlooking the ocean and pool. The buffet breakfast is bountiful but not quite as over-the-top lavish as the prices imply. Dinner is the more interesting choice, with an emphasis on fresh seafood you can enjoy to the flicker of torches and the distant rumble of surf. The other dinner choice here is very high-end Italian.
KEOMUKU ROAD
The best drive on Lana’i, Keomuku Rd (Hwy 44), heads north from Lana’i City into cool upland hills, where fog drifts above grassy pastures. Along the way, impromptu overlooks offer straight-on views of the undeveloped southeast shore of Moloka’i and its tiny islet Mokuho’oniki, in marked contrast to Maui’s sawtooth high-rises in Ka’anapali off to your right.
The surprisingly short 8-mile road gently slopes down to the coast through a mostly barren landscape punctuated by eccentrically shaped rocks. After 8 miles, the paved road ends near the coast. To the left, a dirt road leads to Shipwreck Beach, while turning right onto Keomuku Rd takes the adventurous to Keomuku Beach or all the way to Naha.
SHIPWRECK BEACH
Unlike many worldwide places named Shipwreck Beach where the name seems fanciful at best, you can’t miss the namesake wreck here. A fairly large WWII tanker sits perched atop rocks just offshore. Unlike a metal ship (which would have dissolved decades ago), this one was part of a series made from concrete and later dumped here by the Navy after the war.
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TOP Picks – Deserted Beaches
Shipwreck Beach (above)
Halepalaoa Beach (Click here)
Polihua Beach (Click here)
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Start by taking the dirt road that runs 1.4 miles north from the end of Hwy 44, past some beach shacks. Park in the large clearing overlooking a rocky cove which is known locally as Po’aiwa, which has good snorkeling amongst the rocks and reef, as well as protected swimming over the sandy bottom. The wreck is about 440yd to the north and you can stroll for at least 9 miles along the shore while looking for flotsam and taking in the Moloka’i and Maui views. Close to the parking area is the site of a former lighthouse on a lava-rock point, though only the cement foundation remains.
Kukui Petroglyphs
From the lighthouse foundation, trail markings lead directly inland about 100yd to the Kukui petroglyphs, a cluster of fragile carvings marked by a sign reading ‘Do Not Deface’. The simple figures are etched onto large boulders on the right side of the path. Keep your eyes open here – sightings of wild mouflon sheep on the inland hills are not uncommon. Males have curled-back horns, and dominant ones travel with a harem.
Shipwreck in Awalua
The lighthouse site is the turn-around point for most people but it’s possible to walk another 6 miles all the way to Awalua, where there’s another shipwreck. The hike is windy, hot and dry (bring water); the further down the beach you go, the prettier it gets.
KAHOKUNUI TO NAHA
The Keomuku Rd is just the journey for those looking for real adventure on Lana’i. From the hillsides it looks barren but once you are on it, you are shaded by overhanging kiawe trees. The dirt course varies from smooth to deeply cratered (and impossibly soupy after storms). This is where your 4WD will justify its daily fee, as you explore the ruins of failed dreams and discover magical beaches. If the road is passable, driving the entire length should take about an hour. The reef-protected shore is close to the road but usually not quite visible.
Maunalei to Keomuku
Less than a mile from the end of Hwy 44 and the paving is Maunalei. An ancient heiau (stone temple) sat there until