Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
best drives on the island. Four-wheel drive is recommended as the deep sand patches can
often drift onto the road, and depending upon the recent rain activity, the road can become
rutted and rough. Nevertheless, some of Lana'i's nicest beaches lie down this road, and
anyone with a Jeep or SUV should be able to navigate the road just fine.
While there are a number of small pullouts along the side of the road leading to narrow,
windswept sand patches, the first beach of any real size is
Kahalepalaoa,
7.5 miles from
where the pavement ended. This Hawaiian name translates to “House of the Whale Ivory”
(whale bones are rumored to have once washed ashore here). In more recent times this spot
was also the site of a now-defunct, Club Med-style day resort named Club Lana'i. Though
the booze-fueled excursion from Maui no longer operates, the coconut grove which once
housed the venue marks the start of a long white beach that's perfect for casual strolling.
This is the site of the proposed hotel new owner Larry Ellison envisions, so within the next
couple of years there is a high likelihood that high-end bungalows will be lining the east-
ern shore.
A little over a mile past Kahalepalaoa lies
Lopa,
a protected stretch of sand which is the
nicest on Lana'i's back side. Although the beach here isn't all that different from Kahale-
palaoa, the fact that Lopa faces south means it's more protected from the northeasterly
trades, a geographic benefit which makes reading a book in a beach chair infinitely more
enjoyable. Lopa is a popular camping spot for locals and a couple of picnic tables have
been placed beneath the thorn-riddled kiawe grove lining the beach. Although the swim-
ming and snorkeling are nothing compared to Hulopo'e Beach Park (and can sometimes
be rough), Lopa is the perfect place for longboard surfing or paddling along the shore in
a kayak (if you brought your own). The chances of encountering anyone else on Lopa are
higher on the weekends when locals come to camp and fish, but as at many of Lana'i's
beaches, if there happens to be anyone else there it's justified in calling it crowded.
There's more to Lopa than just a beautiful and protected beach. Historically this was
also the site of a
loko 'ia
fishpond which is barely visible today. Although the fishpond
has fallen into disrepair, the waters offshore still teem with schools of fish that locals now
collect by casting from shore. Pack out what you pack in.
Even though the dirt road along the coastline seems like it's going to wrap back around
toward the harbor at Manele Bay, eventually even dirt roads come to an end. In this partic-
