Overview
Molokaʻi is the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands.
16 sights · 4 things to do · 4 places to eat · 4 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Molokai
Kalaupapa National Historical Park
Site of forced isolation from 1866 until 1969 of people from Hawai'i afflicted with Hansen's disease (leprosy), a disease shrouded in fear and ignorance for centuries. Public access to this community is very limited beca…
Papohaku Beach
Hawaii's longest white sand beach. Three miles long and you'll rarely see anyone else on it. Very dangerous rip currents and shore breaks. Do not swim here unless the ocean is absolutely, positively, flat & calm. Bea…
Kapukahehu Beach - aka Dixie Maru Beach
Cresent beach in a small cove. Favorite of residents & visitors. Safe swimming almost always. However, large winter surf can create dangerous shore break. No facilities.
Kalaupapa Lookout
Striking views of the north shore of Molokai, the world's highest sea cliffs reaching 1,700 feet - and the Kalaupapa Peninsula. Informational plaques about Father Damien and the Kalaupapa Leper Colony.
Molokaʻi Museum and Cultural Center
Reservations suggested for hikes, mule treks and tours.
Phallic Rock
200 yards from the Kalaupapa Lookout, at the base of Nananhoa Hill, is the six-foot high Phallic Rock. Throughout the ages, barren women would bring offerings and spend the night at this site in hopes of conceiving a chi…
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Jan–Dec. Summer highs reach about 89°F; winter lows dip to about 67°F. Wettest: Mar and Nov. (climate data from nearby Honolulu)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- MKK Molokai Airport, Kaunakakai — 8 mi away. Directions
- LNY Lanai Airport, Lanai City — 22 mi away. Directions
- OGG Kahului International Airport, Kahului — 39 mi away (major hub). Directions
There used to be a ferry between Molokaʻi and Maui, but it stopped service October 27, 2016. Daily from Lahaina to Kaunakakai, Molokai. $85 round trip.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 3-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Kalaupapa Lookout, Phallic Rock, Kephui Beach
- Lunch Coffees of Hawaii
- Afternoon One Ali'i Beach Park, Puko'o Beach
- Dinner Kualapu'u Cookhouse
Day 2
- Morning Kalaupapa National Historical Park, Papohaku Beach, Pohaku Mauliuli Beach - aka Make Horse
- Lunch Kanemitsu's Bakery
- Afternoon Kakahai'a Beach Park, Kumimi Beach - aka Murphy Beach
- Dinner Paddlers Inn
Day 3
- Morning Kapukahehu Beach - aka Dixie Maru Beach, Molokaʻi Museum and Cultural Center, Hale O Lono Harbor & Beaches
- Afternoon Kamalo Wharf Beach, Sandy Beach
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Do not look for the typical fast food in Kaunakakai or, for that matter, on Molokai. There is one single Subway Sandwich shop, the Molokai Pizza Cafe and the Molokai Drive-In. Hotel Molokai is right on the water front and offers a full menu with special local entertainment every Friday evening. For a special experience try the Kanemitsu's Bakery. People wait in line for their Hawaiian bread and cream pies are renowned.
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Molokaʻi was first settled around 650 AD by peoples most likely from the Marquesas Islands. Later migrants likely came from Tahiti and other south Pacific islands. Although Captain James Cook sighted Molokaʻi in 1778, the first European sailor to visit the island was Captain George Dixon in 1786. The first significant European influence came in 1832 when a Protestant mission was established at Kalua'aha on the East End of the island by Reverend Harvey Hitchcock. In the late 1800s, King Kamehameha V built a vacation home in Kaunakakai and was responsible for the planting of over 1,000 coconut trees in Kapuaiwa Coconut Grove.
Kalaupapa, located on an isolated peninsula on the northern side of Molokaʻi, was the site of a leper settlement from 1866 to 1969. Thousands of men, women and children living throughout the Hawaiian islands diagnosed with Leprosy (also known as Hansen's Disease) were forcibly exiled to the colony by the Hawaiian government and legally declared dead. They were not allowed to leave the settlement or have visitors and were forced to live out their days in this isolated settlement. There are no active cases of leprosy on the island, but there are some patients who chose to continue to live in the settlement after its closure.
Kaunakakai, is a small but the largest town on the island, one of two small ports on the island. Sometimes it is considered to be the "capital" of Molokai, but officially the whole island is in the County of Maui.
Molokaʻi is distinguished as the longtime residence of Father Damien de Veuster, a Belgian priest of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and Mother Marianne Cope of the Sisters of Saint Francis of Syracuse, New York, both of whom have been canonized Roman Catholic Saints for their treatment and care given during the 19th century to sufferers of leprosy in Kalaupapa.
Kualapu'u
Get in
By plane
Go Molokaʻi Airport (MKK Sometimes listed as Ho'olehua, which is its physical location)
The airport has two runways that accommodate commuter/air taxi and general aviation activities, as well as some military flights. There are multiple daily flights from Honolulu on Pacific Wings for $29 each way or on IslandAir. Pacific Air's primary aircraft is a 9 passenger, 1 engine Cessna Caravan. Seats on Island Air range from $30 on up.
Go Kalaupapa Airport (LUP)
By boat
There used to be a ferry between Molokaʻi and Maui, but it stopped service October 27, 2016. Daily from Lahaina to Kaunakakai, Molokai. $85 round trip.
Get around
The island is about 17 miles long and 10 miles across. A rental car is necessary to get around.
Many of the sights and beaches are spread out across the island so a car or tour bus is the best way to get around.
- MKK Airport location.
For shorter distances, mules and horses are another option.
See
See Kalaupapa Lookout
Striking views of the north shore of Molokai, the world's highest sea cliffs reaching 1,700 feet - and the Kalaupapa Peninsula. Informational plaques about Father Damien and the Kalaupapa Leper Colony.
See Kalaupapa National Historical Park
Site of forced isolation from 1866 until 1969 of people from Hawai'i afflicted with Hansen's disease (leprosy), a disease shrouded in fear and ignorance for centuries. Public access to this community is very limited because of regulations safeguarding privacy. State law requires all individuals to secure a permit to enter. You can hike, ride, or fly down to Kalaupapa.
*Kalaupapa Guided Mule Tour offers fly-in tours from Oahu and Molokai, hiking permits and guided mule tours. *Father Damien Tours offers one-day tours from Oahu with Waikiki hotel pickup and round-trip flight
See Phallic Rock
200 yards from the Kalaupapa Lookout, at the base of Nananhoa Hill, is the six-foot high Phallic Rock. Throughout the ages, barren women would bring offerings and spend the night at this site in hopes of conceiving a child. Women still come here with their offerings and pray for fertility. A beautiful ironwood forest surrounds this area, coating the ground with its long needles and creating a mood of peace and spirtuality.
- Kapuaiwa Coconut Grove, Highway 460 about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of Kaunakakai.
Beaches
West End
See Papohaku Beach
Hawaii's longest white sand beach. Three miles long and you'll rarely see anyone else on it. Very dangerous rip currents and shore breaks. Do not swim here unless the ocean is absolutely, positively, flat & calm. Beach Park has restrooms, showers and fresh water.
See Kapukahehu Beach - aka Dixie Maru Beach
Cresent beach in a small cove. Favorite of residents & visitors. Safe swimming almost always. However, large winter surf can create dangerous shore break. No facilities.
See Kephui Beach
A very nice beach that is a favorite surfing spot. Dangerous when winter surf is up, usually safe for swimming in the summer. No facilities.
See Pohaku Mauliuli Beach - aka Make Horse
A great spot for a summer get-away. Dangerous when winter surf is up, usually safe for swimming in the summer. The Keawe trees near the beach provide comfortable shade. No facilities.
See Hale O Lono Harbor & Beaches
Several beaches on the west side of the harbor; Hale o Lono Beach, Kanalukaha Beach, Kapukuwahine Beach, Kahalepohaku Beach and there is Halena Beach on the east side. Dangerous when winter surf is up, usually safe for swimming in the summer unless there is a south swell running. Exercise caution year-round. No facilities.
Central
See One Ali'i Beach Park
Long, flat beach, nice sand. Safe wading anytime. Great for small children. Restrooms and showers, Pavilion and fresh water.
See Kakahai'a Beach Park
A roadside picnic area with narrow beach. Safe wading year round. No facilities.
See Kamalo Wharf Beach
Nice beach at the old Kamalo Wharf site. Usually safe for wading/swimming year round. No facilities.
East End
See Puko'o Beach
Short, flat beach about 50 yards long. Safe swimming when ocean is calm or no south swell. No facilities.
See Kumimi Beach - aka Murphy Beach
Molokai's favorite snorkel spot, a lovely point of golden sand and calm water. No facilities.
See Kawili Beach - at Halawa Bay
A fairly long curved beach with nice sand. Restrooms in the Halawa Park.
Do
- Mule rides
Do Ironwood Hills Golf Course
A historic 9-hole plantation-style course on the lush hillsides of cool and tranquil Kalae in central Molokai. Uneven fairways, small greens, towering eucalyptus trees, and dramatic elevation changes make Ironwood Hills as challenging as it is beautiful.
Waterfall hikes
Moaula and Hipuapua Falls are located on private land above Halawa Valley. The path is not well marked and you will need a guide to obtain permission and lead you to the falls. Both falls can, however, be viewed from multiple lookouts along Highway 450. Moaula Falls is a double-tiered fall which drops a total of 250 feet into a pool at the bottom. Native flowers, mangoes, ginger, ha'u trees and ancient taro patches line the hike.
Do Waterfall Adventures
Guided tours through trails once used by ancient Hawaiians. Spectacular views of waterfalls, rivers, and an ecological arboretum. Trails for advanced, moderate or light hikers and backpackers.
Buy
Kaunakakai is not a tourist shopping mecca. In town itself you will find a couple grocery stores of the Mom and Pop variety. There is a drug store, ice cream store, health food store, and several sundry stores.
Shop Kalele Bookstore & Divine Expressions (KB&DE)
There is free coffee, maps, information & Wi-Fi readibly available.
Eat
Do not look for the typical fast food in Kaunakakai or, for that matter, on Molokai. There is one single Subway Sandwich shop, the Molokai Pizza Cafe and the Molokai Drive-In. Hotel Molokai is right on the water front and offers a full menu with special local entertainment every Friday evening. For a special experience try the Kanemitsu's Bakery. People wait in line for their Hawaiian bread and cream pies are renowned.
Eat Coffees of Hawaii
Sandwiches & baked goods.
Eat Kualapu'u Cookhouse
Country cafe - full menu, nightly dinner specials.
Eat Kanemitsu's Bakery
Serving breakfast only.
Drink
Hotel Molokai is a great place to relax with your favorite drink, listen to the entertainment and watch the waves. In the distance you can see Lanai.
Sleep
Molokaʻi vacation rental options include the three west end condominium choices, Paniolo Hale, Ke Nani Kai and Kaluakoi Villas. Two other condo options are Molokai Shores in central Molokaʻi and Wavecrest Resort on the island's east end. There are a few bed & breakfast and other unique choices.
- Private beach houses and bungalows are available on the west end and along the fringing reef of Molokaʻi east end.
Camping
There are two state parks on this island which allow camping. Both have showers and bathrooms.
Stay Papohaku Beach Park
Stay One Ali'i Beach Park
Vacation homes
Go next
Nearby
Kalaupapa National Historical Park
Park · 6 listings · 5 mi away
Lanai
City / town · 25 listings · 19 mi away
Napili
City / town · 3 listings · 22 mi away
Kapalua
City / town · 31 listings · 22 mi away
Kaanapali
City / town · 20 listings · 23 mi away
Lahaina
City / town · 48 listings · 25 mi away
Wailuku
City / town · 7 listings · 34 mi away
Waikapu
City / town · 3 listings · 35 mi away
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