The Island of Lana’i: Adventures in an All Terrain Paradise

“Dolphin!” The cry is heard frequently on Lana’i, from its shoreline, boats, kayaks, cars, bicycles and hotel rooms. Like their mammal cousins the humpback whales, spinner dolphins love the warm waters of Lana’i and consider them their personal playground. And what a playground it is: the best snorkeling and scuba diving in Hawai’i, miles of deserted coastline, reefs full of fish and landmarks rich with legend.

Lana’i’s 80,000 acres of countryside invite hiking, mountain biking and sightseeing. From its highest point you can see up to five neighbor islands across the channels and steep gorges below. Fishing, sailing, swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving and world-class golf in mountain and oceanfront settings – these are the adventures that await you on Hawai’i’s most exclusive island.

By land, sea, and everything in between, Lana’i strikes the perfect balance of wildness and accessibility. It is rugged but approachable, isolated but generously comfortable. Since 1990, when the island’s first luxury hotel opened in the hills of Ko’ele, the curtains have been parted on the island’s hidden wonders. With only 30 miles of paved road on Lana’i’s 141 square miles, its life off the beaten track brims with rich rewards.

The two luxury hotels, the Lodge at Ko’ele and the Manele Bay Hotel, and the 11-room Hotel Lana’i are ideal base camps for exploring the far flung corners of the island. A four-wheel-drive vehicle, rented from Lana’i City Service, and a map, available from the hotels, are the basics for a self-guided excursion. Although hikers need no more than a sturdy pair of hiking shoes and a well honed mental compass, there are several operations that offer the full range of Lana’i based activities and authentic island experiences.

Snorkeling, Scuba, Sailing and Charter Tours

Scuba divers the world over know that Cathedrals is one of the premier dive spots in the world. And it’s in Lana’i waters, just off the southern shore where underwater caverns and clear waters are a scuba diver’s delight. Skin Diver magazine has rated Lana’i one of the top 10 snorkel and scuba sites in the world.

Lana’i’s ocean activities companies have experienced skippers and dive instructors who can spot a dolphin from a distance, identify rare tropical fish in the waters of Kaunolu, and coax an octopus off its rock so you can see it up close. They will teach you to snorkel and lead you on ocean rafting expeditions.

Departing from the south shore, Trilogy Lana’i Ocean Sports operates the full range of watercraft: Zodiacs, kayaks, and custom-made sailing catamarans 54-, 55- and 64-feet long. The catamarans come with all the amenities and equipment for snorkel, sail and scuba tours to Cathedrals and other sites. Lava tubes, sea cliffs 1,000 feet high, and staggering underwater lava tubes are among the adventurer’s rewards.

On the opposite side of the island, Adventure Lana’i Eco-Centre (with an office in Lana’i City) offers kayak and snorkeling tours along an 8-mile stretch of shoreline named Kaiolohi’a, also known as Shipwreck. Southeast at a beach named Lopa, they also offer surf lessons when conditions allow during summer.

Fishing

With plentiful reefs and 47 miles of shoreline, fishing is a major part of the Lana’i lifestyle and a source of recreation. Lana’i residents are expert fishermen, and Jeff and Sherry Menze show you why. The half-day and custom fishing tours of their Spinning Dolphin Fishing Charters explore the joys of angling from a 28-foot sport fisher. They provide the gear and take you sport fishing, light tackle fishing, and bottom fishing in Lana’i waters. Anglers aim for ono (wahoo), mahimahi, and marlin, and, where the seabirds are circling and diving, schools of aku (skipjack tuna) and ‘ahi (yellowfin tuna).

Swimming

A fishing village dating back to 900 A.D., the marine preserve called Hulopo’e Bay is the center of Lana’i’s beach activities. The wide, white-sand crescent, lined at each end with dramatic lava outcroppings, invites swimming, snorkeling and tide pool exploration. As habitués love the beach, so do the schools of spinner dolphins that leap and dive in the bay. From November through April, they are joined by their gregarious relatives, the leaping, breaching humpback whales. At Hulopo’e there are barbecue grills, restrooms, picnic tables, camping facilities – and showers with water warmed by the sun.

Located around the corner from Hulopo’e, Manele Bay is also a marine preserve with the only public boat harbor on the island. All south shore ocean tours originate at Manele Harbor: fishing boats, yachts, the Expeditions ferry, whale-watching, snorkel sails, scuba diving and ocean rafting.

Hiking

The Munro Trail is one of Lana’i’s terrestrial highlights, a trail for advanced hikers that traverses the 3,370-foot Lana’ihale. The trail is a challenge, continuing for 16 miles roundtrip and accessible by foot, bicycle and 4-wheel drive.

Astounding views unfold of steep gulches below and at least three, and sometimes five, of the neighboring islands: Maui, Moloka’i, Kaho’olawe, Hawai’i and O’ahu. Named after George Munro, a botanist and ranch manager from New Zealand, the trail is lined with sky-high Cook pines and eucalyptus stands that flourish among native plants. Munro planted the trees in the 1930s as part of a reforestation effort, to draw moisture from the clouds and create a watershed. Today Munro Trail is the greenest part of Lana’i, winding above Ko’ele through mountain grasslands and forests of bamboo and koa where ancient taro terraces lie hidden.

For hiking along the beach, the northern and eastern shoreline is a beachcomber’s paradise. You can walk the wild, windswept strand for miles and look for abandoned boats and the wreckage of the World War II ship that gave the beach its nickname: Shipwreck. It is actually Kaiolohi’a, meaning “choppy or changing sea.” The wild, windswept coastline stretches for miles along the Kalohi Channel between Maui and Lana’i. On some of the inland rocks, petroglyphs carved by Hawaiians tell their stories in stone. Eight miles north is the beach called Polihua, favored by nesting turtles. Near the island’s easternmost point, an old wooden church recalls the days when Keomuku was a sugar settlement and, years later, the headquarters for a sheep and cattle ranch. Along the shoreline, turtles frequent the inshore reefs, and monk seal like the beach for napping.

You can also explore the island in the customized Jeep Cherokee and Suburban tours of Rabaca Limousine Service, in Trilogy’s land tours in Wrangler Jeeps, and in Adventure Lana’i Eco-Centre’s 4x4 land tours.

Mountain biking

The 6.5-mile downhill slope from Ko’ele to Kaiolohi’a is paradise for mountain bikers. Adventure Lana’i Eco-Centre’s downhill bike tours take you from central Lana’i to the northeastern coast, with views of Maui and Moloka’i all the way. Or, rent a bicycle for a leisurely ride around Lana’i City’s Dole Park – it is small, shady and charming, with a restaurant or shop every few feet.

Golf

You don’t have to choose between the mountains and the seashore. Savvy golfers often choose both. The Experience at Ko’ele is a spectacular 18-hole championship course spread high over a plateau and the rolling hills of central Lana’i. Designed by Greg Norman and Ted Robinson, the 7,017-yard, par-72 course is set nearly 2,000 feet above sea level, with views of Maui and Moloka’i directly across the channel.

At sea level, the Challenge at Manele is built on hundreds of acres of lava fields and dry, desert-like terrain that present their ultimate challenge at the ocean: three holes built on the bluffs above Hulopo’e Bay, where the Pacific Ocean is the world’s largest water hazard. The 7,039-yard, par-72 course was designed by Jack Nicklaus and features panoramic ocean views from all 18 holes.

Horseback Riding

Directly across from the Lodge at Ko’ele at the 1,700-foot elevation, the Stables at Ko’ele is the equestrian center of the island, offering an alternative way to explore the wooded valleys and trails of the extraordinary upland terrain. Ride along open pasturelands to a plateau in the Mahana area, or in the central ridgelines of Lana’i along a section of the Munro Trail. Maui and Moloka’i scroll into view across the ÿAuÿau Channel.

Lana’i Pines Sporting Clays, Air Rifle and Archery Galleries

One of the fastest growing sports in the country has found its perfect setting: the northwestern hills of Lana’i, two miles from Ko’ele. The 15-acre Lana’i Pines Sporting Clays offers four target shooting disciplines with a bonus: views of Maui and Moloka’i across the channel. Masterful instruction and top-quality equipment are presented for shooters of all levels, whether they choose trap, skeet, compact sporting, or sporting clays. The 14-station sporting clay course meanders through old ironwood forests and groves of Australian eucalyptus trees, presenting challenges of varying terrains and targets. The clay targets, mimicking traditional game such as flushed pheasants and rabbits, are launched in random patterns. Certified instructors are available for all levels of skill.

For a soundless kind of target practice, aim for the pineapple bull’s eye in the archery range next to the sporting clay course. Instructors teach all ages and levels on first-rate equipment: 15-pound bows for children and 20- and 25-pound bows for adults, for both right- and left-handed archers. Even beginners discover that the bull’s eye – 5, 10, 15, and 20 yards away – is not so far after all.